Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1895-10-25


meet Melvina. / had arranged with |
her to walk to town, figuring ON the
walk back in tie 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.
ut was two miles to the Drake
cabin, and four miles to town. was
to meet Melvina 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 trystina
place.
II remember took out my Barlow
and cut stout stick from a hedge
along the roadside, in anticipation OF
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
I was going to spend every cent l pos-
sessed on Melvina.
Directly came towhere she was.
She had on a 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
brimmed hat sat jauntily on her brown
curls, and her face looked like ripe
peach to hungry man. noticed she
had no shoes on, but that cut no ice
with me, for she had as pretty foot
and ankle as anybody would want to
look at.
81 had calculated on making a hit
with Melvina with my store clothes,
and did. / paralyzed 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 a prize
idiot. She began to cry, and wouldn't
tell me what was 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
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 if I'd let her go
home and fix up bit Still didn't
know what was the matter, but l let
her go.
II laid 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 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. looked at her second
and then jumped in the air so sudden
ly Jared myself. If my raiment had
paralyzed Melvina she got even all
right, She had placed cheap ribbon
around her neck and spoiled the beauty
of it, and had covered her pretty feet
with pair of shapeless, hard, heavy.
cowhide 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.
Wears and years had this browning
feature of Melvina attire been in the
Drake family. 1t was an heirloom, l
guess, and the only piece Of finery the
family possessed. Melvina, blusning
and simpering = hardly knowing
whether / would sufficiently admire it
or not-was wearing it. regulation
fashion. 1t was an old-fashioned m 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 a circus on
the Fourth of July with girl carrying
muif that must have weighed eight
i pounds and would have warmed an ice
house, was maddening. But Melvina
looked so thoroughly self-satistied that
l hadn't the heart to tell her that the
sweet simplicity of the dress she worc
when she first met me was more be.
coming by far than the big cowhide
boots and the muff. So | made the
best of it and let it go.
81 am an old man now, but the
memory of the attention I 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.
Gus wasn't in it. A number of times
was tempted to run away, miles and
miles, but Melvine was having such Il
good time that l looked pleasant and
stood it. She never took her hands out oil
that muff all day, only to eat and
drink, and several times she asked rue
to hold it for her while she fixed ur
her hair or tied her shoe or some.
thing. One time, while / was holding
: the muff, lost her for few minutes
IN the crowd, and then endured more
agony until found her again than
did when got shot through the leg in
the war. We walked home in the
moonlight all right, but we didn',
hold hands. partly because Melvina
had her hands in the muff and partly
, because was so dad blamed mad al
her that ! could have slapped her
They made it SO hot for me when | GO
: home to my uncle's with their remarks
about Melvina's muft that l started
, home the next day don'' know what
| ever became of Melvina Drake, but
t do know that suffered one day. fol
her sake, the keenest martyrdom. -