The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-06-16


| gentlemans estate. From the time the corn
reached the level of their eyes till IL was
cut cut in nth the fall their gmpses of the out
| and then neighbor called. Nearly every
| day hawk or buzzard sailed across the
| dome OF their Enclosure. the slow and state
| ly motion bespeaking the repose and as
surance OF those who have travelled In the
| through the corn, but were faint and al
most silent before they reached her door.
Sf id Mrs; FqIson had never been lonely.
She was working in her garden Monday
morning when Melville emerged from the
corn, by. way of the east road, into the
Melville Wright again. 1 hope Elvira
won't see him.
| straightway shut herself in her bedroom.
Melville fastened his horse and went to
| the garden.
| He greeted Mrs Fulsons good morning"
with the smile. OF a comrade.
It's about Elvira." he said, and waited.
bled. The stoop of her frail figure was pa
| thetic. The lines of her face were ques-
SSnng Her eyes at t 6as
an twas her turn" Melville told ElVira
afterward.
| said she would. We hope you're willin -
| He paused
1t was his intention to treat the subject
| in natural offhand manner. 1t was thus
| he hoped TO keep his courage up. He had
| no idea how impertitnent he appeared to
| her. Her trembling figure had stiffened. AT
| first there were little gasping pauses be-
| tween her sentences.
my daugter is too young. She is going
| to the academy this fall don't want her
| mind hampered with no such ideas. You
| had no right TO speak to her. what does
she know about men, S She's neSsr ne@ shs
would show this imDertinent fellow his
| place. What business have you to marry
her? She, amt your kind: You've sneaked
| up behind my back and tried to steal my
daughter-you' set her against me, her
| own mother. oh, / haven't been blind all
| this time. I've you edging her on.
making her Disconnected and teaching her
to talk back to her mother. Shed never
can't have her She amt of age yet and
when she is she'll have more sense; she'll
place and don't You ever set foot on it
! again."
| He quailed, but held his ground.
perhaps we don't know that eff / tell
| Elvira not to go to school, horses KANT
carry her thar But l shan't, tell her
nothin' of the sort. Send her! I'll rent my
| Elvira Fulson at the crooked schoolhouse
an 1 guess can at the academy. you've
ares bragged don on her her brains g,n Lora AVE
then guve 'em to her afterward! She talks
prettier'n / do, but no better'n l kim Say
| she's too good fer me. an l say that yer
right. but kin match her on grandads.
an beat her on spellin'. an thet,s the way
it orter be. Women orient tknow TOO
4
minded female. Il want Elvira, an I'm
| goin' t-have herr
white lips said nothing, but she pointed to
his horse and then down the road by wnlcn
| he had come. The gesture was meiodra-
matte, the situation grotesque, but to his
| tragedy.
That he might play no second pert his
decision was quick and final She had
| never gagged him accurately, had never
recognized under his gay demeanor certain
sterling native qualities.quickness, teha os
| ity. and more than all. that faculty called
He started toward his horse. then turned
you've ordered me off yer place. Mis-
| Fulson, an you've right TO. Cons9 UNI
with her. i could tom-fooi around the the
aeademy but aq ag e no w. Way an
Elvira'I come es soon Is I git ready an an.
whistle fer her, jest put tibet down. An
IN me go only 70 was tragic
repeated, enlarged. He obeyed it, and.
mounting his horse. rode away.
E hfa. o cay her M'I mother. Mrs Fulson had
been outraged, and she longed for, the
Mia yrS of woSa not give sna While
! felt as she had felt so often OF late, In
{ured and misunderstooS She " was Is, not not
! lowing her inciinations-cf having lncllna,
lions to follow In their self-jealousy and
seif-pity this mother and daughter had
Hes not fit to black your shoes, FL
vira. Hes an insolent. ginning,
never worn them summers yet. amt
finding any fault; know you couldn't get
them but don't ,,o see what we've sol 10
where's your pride. Do you think shoes
and fine clothes can make lady? Haven't
| you a family-and what has he? Ana
| you've got brains-if you just had the edu-
| cation. / know you've never had no chanee,
| out you're going TO have IL. LII you'll just
.ention 10 that-creature. He boosted that
| you'd come when he whistled, and YOU We
| given him grounds. Eivira Fulson, I'd be
You rled him first. you know. you did
Ana he didn't boast. l told him I'd marry
| him-So there, now.
"Elvira Fulson, you don't know what
| you're talking about. L suppose when you're
| of age you Go what you please. The
| law'll let you. But now you're raine to
take care OF and protect
| Goodness, mother, l guess I'm big
| enough TO protect myself"
| You haven't shown 1t. And IL thief
should come here trying to steal my cattle
| I'd shoot him. AS you're so dreadful
friendly toward Melville Wright, you'd
| Il WILL said Elvlra, emphatically, and
| went out in a white heat.
She had her choice. On one side was a
weak, exacting woman, in whose plans and
| ambitions she had no faith, no interest. All
| she saw before her was lifetime OF same
ness hedsed in by cornfie|ds. isolated by
vast, dreary prairies. On the other were his
youth and strength, his rollicking DISPOSE
ton. his broad and obvious wit.
And after all, in spite of the F'ulsons and
| the MaJneys. he was Just about her size
When Elvira went for the cows that night,
she did not come back. Bobbie sneaksd
| them into the corral, and then crept in
among the morning glory vines, between the
fence and the corn: and felt very small and
mean. He heard Mrs: Fulson coming down
| the road. her four milk pals jang!Ing on her
arms. He heard her call Elvira. Then she
put down Of the bars of the corral and
| craw,ed through. She called Elvira again.
! After a pause, Bobbie heard her speak
such a hurt. tired voice: She's gone Off
work. She don't care any more
! The milk made a noisy sound against the
| pail, and then gradually became ynUffied in
| its own Increasing depth. Bobbie, among
| the vines, felt his sense of hearing becom-
| ing painfully acute: Perhaps it was the
! throbbing OF the blood against the drums
| the flowing milk. he heard softer, un-
| measured sound a sound of sobbng.
If | was two toOls,' thought Bobbie,
| Indignantly, ibid marry each other
| Clinging closely the ground, he wiggled
some distance from the corral, then jumped
up and ran.
| Soon his lately acquired whistle, some
what shaky in places. came across the
| dusky prairie TO herald his coming "She
| don't want t'see nobody, now-not unless
| she knows they're comm and gifts ready"
thought Bobble.
| Good evenin'. Mis- Fuson." he called.
as he neared the corral. II jest happened
to be gon' by hyer, an | thought / seed
! you in hyer a-milkin'. I.eme have one o.
fbau1 nails FuiSon. | know them