The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1895-10-31

Il u.s tao miles TO The Date cab
sad taur miles 10 toua, VA to me
Me.yna Al lhe tara 10 the road inst
low her ialhers house. The quo vi
about lwo hours high .nd ossi lobg shs
ows ou the ground As trldged sIosg
my ifystips place,
remember took oni my barIow 80
cut stout stick from hedge along tb
foaisi1e ia anticipation ct posabI
bfash With the loo. The air was hesv
With the sweet smell OF orchards, ripsuiu
gram and uev mosn hay, and was lh
bappiest youth IN Missouri. | made q
my mind | VAS going to spend every ceu
possessed or Melvins
Directly came to uhe she Was sh
had 90 a dress thst could, bsve cost mGr
than quarter but she looked like queer
iu it, although. / must confess il tit be
like it wss cut ont with a pair oi skates
A vide bnmued bat sst Jsuntlly on be-
brown curls and bet face looked like
ripe peacn to hungry man. uoticeC
she had no shoes on, but that cut 10 ic,
With me, for she bad as pretty foot and
/ Sukle rs auy body would want to look at.
had calculated ou masking . bit with
/ Melylns With my store clothes, aud did.
! parsl zad her. She Just stood and look
! ed at me While wave after wave Of hot
bushes chased up her white neck and con
gregsted 10 her face, lstood simperlng
like prize idiot She began 10 cry and
would1t tell me what was the matter with
her, and |, wlse ln the ignorance Of youth,
dldu't know that, like oil women, she was
proud and sshamed TO be seen with me be
cause of the splendor Of my tslment,
jollied her along, told her how nice and
sweet she looked, swJre the would be the
belle Of the circus and was generally 80
lavish in my praises Of her that she con
sented finally to go with me II d let her
go home nd fix up bit Still | didn't
know what was the matter, but let her
go
lay down IN the shade OF a tree on the
grass to wait for her. The sun climbed
higher, aud wagons loaded with country
people ratified by on the way to the cir
Gus, | had just figured out that we would
miss the parade and grand free exhibition
outside the big tent If Melvius didn't hur
ry, when she hove IN view. looked at
her second and then Jumped up in the
air 90 suddenly Jared myself II my
rament had paraIyz Melvina, she got
even all right
She had placed cheap ribbon srouud
her neck and spoiled the beauty OF it and
had covered her pretty feet with pair Of
hard, heavy, cowhide shoes.
Between the tops of her shoes and the
bottom OF her dress appeared occasional
!, impses Of pair Of, stockings of the var
ety known a. the barber pole. They were
tripped red and yellow, and the stripes
we're WI ie. But she had SOMETHING lse
20 that knocked me speechlets
Years and years bad this crowning fea
ure Of Melyin,'s attire been 10 the Drake
smiIy. 1t was an heirloom, guess, and
be only piece Of 6nery the family possess
!. Melylna. blushlng and simpering
srdly kuoaiog whether | would su0i
iently admire 1t or not, was wearing 1t
equation fashion. II was an old fashion
d mufi of some heavy black fur and as
ig a. q bass drum.
Precipitation broke out OF every pore 10 !
ly body. The idea Of me. logged ont in }
store clothes and looking like dude, 90 '
~ to circus on the Fourth OF July with
girl carrying muf that must have
armed an icehonse was IN moddenIng, But
Iclvns looked so thoroughly self sstisi u
that hadn't the heart to tell her that =
le sweet simplicity Of dress she wore
hen she first met me was more becom =
g by far than the big cowbide boots
ID the muil SO | made the best OF it 1t
I'd let it go. 81
| sm sn old mao nov, but the memory u
the attraction created 10 that little VI
Duntry town that day is rs vivid 10 my u
ind as Ii the fact that Just paid for the u
Vt drink The circus wasn't 10 it. A IL
amber Of times | was tempted TO rnn p
ysy, miles and miles but Melvins was u
.ylug such good time that | looked u
esssnt and stood II She never took her u
'nds out Of tbat muif oil day, only 10 eat re
ID drink aud several times she asked me 10
hold 1t for h while ste fixed up her u
ir or tied her shoes or something. 10
One time, while was holding the el
off lost her for a few minutes 10 the III
ovid, ana endured more agony until
uud her sgaln thsu | did when | got
OF through the leg 10 The war. We walk IL
home 10 the moonlight ell right, but el
didn't hold hands, partly because 10
alvlns had her hands u the muf aud 80
rtly because was 80 dod blamed mad III
her that could have sltpped ber. They vi
,de n 80 bot for me when got home to ga
? nncle. with their remarks about Mel %
"a 5 muh tbs, startled home the next al
Y. ! doLt know whatever became Of 40
slViua Drake, bot do know that suf
ed one day. Tor her SAX. the keeuest SCI
,r,yriom.
A Mystery Explained