The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1895-10-05

FINALLY the glorious Fourth came |
around and got ready for the circus |
might explain here that ! had |
brought suit Of store clothes and
pair Of shoes from the east with me,
but had never worn the clothes on |
the farm and seldom wore the shoes |
Every body down In that section went |
barefootcd. boys and men. and did as
the Romans did. This Fourth OF July
morning put on . billed shirt my
store Clothes my shoes and socks,
and brushed and cleaned myself un-
I'll was positively uncomfortable.
After breakfast followed by the good
naturcd but cutting joshing' of my
relatives. started down the road 70
meet Melvina. / had arranged with
her 20 walk 10 town, figuring on the
walk back in the moonlight, when we
could hold hands as we stroiled along
the road and slobber over each other.
My uncle wanted Us TO go in the
wagon with him and his family, but 1
was too wise.
ut was two miles 10 the Drake
cabin, and four miles TO town. was
10 meet Melyina at the turn In the
road just below her fathers house.
The sun was about two hours high
and cast long shadows on the ground
as trudged along to the trysting
place
IT remember I took out my BARLOW
| and cut "A stout stick from hedge
along the roadside, in anticipation OF
a possible brush with the lion The
air was heavy with the sweet smell OF
orchards, ripening grain and new.
mown hay, and was the happiest
youth In Missouri. made up my mind
/ was going TO spend every cent l pos.
sessed on Melvina.
Directly came 20 where she was
She had on dress that couldn't have
cost more than quarter, but she
looked like queen in it, although,
must confess. it fit her like It was cut
out with pair OF skates. A wide
brirnmed hat sat jauntily on her brown
curls, and her face looked like a ripe
peach TO n hungry man. 1 noticed she
| had no shoes on, but that cut no ice
with me. for she had az pretty foot
and ankle as anybody would want 10
look at.
IL had calculated on making hit
with Melvina with my store clothes.
and did. Iparalyzed her. She just
stood and looked at me while wave
after wave Of hot bushes chased up
her white neck and congregated in her
face. stood simpering like prizc
idiot. She began to cry, and wouldn't
tell me what WINS the matter with her,
and l, wise In the ignorance of youth,
didn't know that. like all women, she
was proud. and ashamed to- be seen
with me, because OF the splcndor of
my raiment. / jollied her along, told
her how nice and sweet she looked,
swore she would be the belle of the
circus, and was generally SO lavish in
my praise of her that she consented,
finally. TO go with me IL I'd let her GO
home ant fix up bit. Still didn't
know what was the matter, but / let
her go.
al laid down In the shade of a tree
on the grass 10 wait for her. The sun
climbed higher and wagons loaded
with country people ratified by on the
way TO the circus. l had just figured
out that we would miss the parade and
grand free exhibition outside the big
tent IL Melvina didn't hurry when she
hove in view. l looked at her a second
and then jumped in the mir so sudden
ly Jared myself. IL my raiment had
paralyzed Mclvina she got even all
right. She had placed a cheap ribbon
around her neck and spoiled the beauty
or il, and had covered her pretty feet
with pair of shapeless, hard, heavy.
cowhidc shoes Between the tops of
her shoes and the bottom Of her dress
appeared occasional glimpses of pair
OF stockings of the variety known as
barber pole. They were striped red
and yellow and the stripes were wide.
But she had something else on that
knocked me speechless
Years and years had this browning
feature Of Melvina's attire been in the
Drake family. IL was an heirloom,
guess, and the only piece OF tinery the
family possessed. Melvina, blushing
and simpering hardly knowing
whether would sufficiently admire II
or not--was wearing It, regulation
fashion. IL was an old-fashioned IN uff,
OF some heavy black fur and as big as
bass drum.
"perspiration broke out of every
pore in my body The idea OF me,
logged out in store clothes and look
ing like dude. going TO circus on
the Fourth of July with n girl carrying
a muff that must have weighed eight
pounds and would have warmed an ice
house, was maddening. But Melvina
looked SO thoroughly self.satisRed that
hadn't the heart 20 tell her that the
sweet simplicity of the dress she wore
when she first met me was more be-
coming by far shan the big cowhide
boots and the muff. So l made the
best OF IL and let IL go.
II am an old man now, but the
memory OF the attention created in
that little country town that day is as
vivid IN my mind as Is the fact that
just paid for the last drink. The cir