The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-10-11

q suit Of store clothes and pair of shoes
from the east with me, but I had never
worn the clothes on the farm and sell
dom wore the shoes. Everybody down in
that section went barefooted, boys and
men, and I 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
until I was positively uncomfortable.
"After breakfast, followed by the
good Satured but cutting 'joshing' of
my relatives, I started down the road
to meet Melvina. I had arranged with
her to walk to town, figuring on the
walk back in the moonlight, when we
could hold hands as we strolled along
the road and slobber over each other.
My uncle wanted us to go in the wagon
with him and his family, but was too
wise.
''It was two miles to the Drake cabin
and four miles to town. was to meet
Melvina at the turn in the road just be-
low her fathers house. The sun was
about two hours high and cast long
shadows on the ground as trudged
along to the trysting place.
ST remember I took out my barlow
and cut stout stick from hedge along
the roadside in anticipation of posi-
BILE 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. I
made up my mind was going to spend
every cent possessed on Melvina.
Directly came to where she was.
She had on dress that couldn't have
cost more than quarter, but she looked
like queen in it, although, must con-
fess, it fit her like it was cut out with a
pair Of skates. A wide brimmed hat sat
jauntily on her brown curls and her face
looked like a ripe peach to a hungry
man. noticed she had no shoes on, but
that cut no ice with me, for she had as
petty foot and ankle as anybody would
want to look at.
81 had calculated on making q hit
with Melvina with my store clothes,
and did. I paralyzed her. She just
stood and looked at me while wave aft
OIL wave VI AOU CudSSu up Il0I
white neck and congregated in her face.
I stood simpering like prize idiot. She
began to cry and wouldn't tell me what
was the matter with her, and I, 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 splendor Of my raiment. I 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 if I'd let her go
home and fix up bit. Still I didn't
know what was the matter, but I let
her go.
ST lay down in the shade of tree
on the grass to wait for her. The sun
climbed higher, and wagons loaded
with country people ratified by on the
way to the circus. I had just figured
out that we would miss the parade and
grand free exhibition outside the big
tent if Melvina didn't hurry, when she
hove in view. I looked at her a second
and then jumped in the air so suddenly
T Jared myself. If my raiment had par
alyzed Melvina, she got even all right.
"She had placed a cheap ribbon around
her neck and spoiled the beauty of it
and had covered her pretty feet with a
pair Of shapeless, hard, heavy, cowhide
shoes. Between the tops of her shoes and
the bottom Of her dress appeared occa-
sional 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 some
thing else on that knocked me speech
less.
"Years and years had this browning
feature Of Melvina's attire been in the
Drake family. 1t was an heirloom, I
guess, and the only piece Of finery the
family possessed. Melvina, blushing
and simpering, hardly knowing whether
I would sufficiently admire it or not,
was wearing it regulation fashion. 1t
was an old fashioned muff, 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 looking like dude,
going to circus on the Fourth of July
with girl carrying muff that must
have warmed an icehouse was madden
ing. But Melvina looked SO thoroughly
self satisfied that hadn't the heart to
tell her that the sweet simplicity of
dress she wore when she first met me
was more becoming by far than the big
cowhide boots and the muff. So 1 made
the best of it and let it 60.
ST am an old man now, but the men,
DRY of the attention created in that lit
tie country town that day is as vivid in
my mind as is the fact that I just paid
for the last drink. The circus WASH It in
it. A number Of times was tempted
to run away, miles and miles, but Mel
VIVA was having such good time that
7 looked pleasant and stood it. She never
took her hands out of that muff all day,
only to eat and drink, and several times
she asked me to hold it for her while
she fixed up her hair or tied her shoe or
something.
"One time, while was holding the
muff, I lost her for few minutes in
the crowd, and I endured more agony
until I found her again than did when