The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1897-04-21

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gether.n
There was jar of candy on shelf
behind him and above his head, and,
turning, he reached up a long arm and
took it down. 1t was translucent stick
candy with red stripes round it-just
such candy as every fortunate child
knew twenty years ago, and some know
still. In the piney woods it has not
been superseded as a standard of de-
light, and the children expect to re-
ceive it gratuitously after any extern
sive purchase. Near the coast, where
creole words have spread, it is asked for
by a queer, sweet name-iagnappe
lsomething thrown in for good meas
ure). The man who worked for Col
lister handed the jar across TO the girl,
making her free of it with gesture.
"Do you reckon Mr.. Collister would
want me to take 'some?' she asked,
posing her slender brown hand on the
edge of the jar. "You know, they say
that when he first come hyar, an the
children asked him for lagnappe, he
pretended not to ondersian' 'em, and
said he was sorry, but he hadn't got it
yet in stock. Is that true?"
"Yes," the man answered. "that's
true"
"Well, did he onderstan'?" she ask
ed.
He lifted his shoulders in way he
had learned i'm the South. 'To be
sure" he said. AZ told him at the
time that it was mean thing to do,
but lie said he simply couldn't help
himself; young ones kept running there
from miles around to get five cents
worth of baking-soda and ask for a
stick of candy. But take some; he
won't mind, for he's always good to
me-"
She drew back her hand. mo"
she said, pouting: ''I'm goin' to come
in some time when he's hyar, an see if
he'll give some lagnappe TO me-"
"Tll ask him to-" the man said.
"Well, you are bigotyP' the girl re-
peated.
"IfI was to tell him to-" the man
persisted "who should / say would
ask for it,"
She looked at him deiantly. "Pll
do the telling" she said; 'but while
we're talking about names, what's
yours?"
"Well," he answered, "if you're not |
naming any names, l don't believe L
am. You know considerably more |
about me already than do about you"
"On, just as you please, she said" To !
be brought blankly against the fact |
that neither knew the others name |
caused sense of constraint between |
them. She picked up her bonnet, and |
put it on as if she might be about 10 go; |
and though she did not rise, she turn |
ed her face out of doors so that the |
bonnet hid it from him-and IL was
such pretty face!
'Say, now" he began, after one of |
those pauses in which lives sometimes |
sway restlessly to and fro in the bal |
ances of fate, "I didn't mean to make |
you mad. Pll tell you my name if |
you want to know"
''I'm not so anxious" she said. One |
of her brown hands went up officiously |
aud pulled the bonnet still farther for
ward. is it true" she asked, that |
Mr.. Collister says he will marry any |
girl that can make good light bread?"
The man formed his lips as if to
whistle, and then stopped. YES" he |
said, eying the sunbonnet; sits true"
She turned round and surprised him.
al can make good light bread" she |
announced.
"Your' he said
"Yes," she answered sharply; "why |
not? 1t ain SO great trick"
bat" he paused, meeting the
challenge of her face uneasily-"but
did you come here to say that"
you've heard me say it," she re-
torted.
He rose, and stood beside her, look
ing neither at her, nor at the fields,
nor at the encircling forest, but far over
and beyond them all, at the first touch
es of rose-color on the soft clouds i'm the
west. He seemed very tall as she look
ed up to him, and his face was very
grave She had forgotten long ago to
notice his bare feet and tattered cloth
ing. 80 that MEANS" ne said slow
ly, ''that you came here to Offer to
marry a man that you never saw.n
She did not answer for a moment, |
and when she did her voice was stub |
born. "No,' she said; "t came hyar |
to say that l know how To make light |
bread. You needn't be fauIltin' me for
his saying that he would marry any |
girl that could"
"But you would marry hima''
"I allow If he was to ask me / |
would"
The man looked down squarely to |
meet her eyes, but he found only the |
sunbonnet.
"What would you do it for" he ask
ed-''a lark?''
"a lark!p she echoed; "oh, yes; a
lark"
He stopped toward her and put his
hand on her shoulder. Look up here"
he said; ''L want to see if it's lark or
not
81 JUS said it was,r she answered,
so low that he had to bend a little |
closer to be certain that he heard.
THAT won't do" he said firmly;
''you must look up into my face"
"I-wOn't ~ she declared.
He stood gazing at her downcast |
head. There was something that shone
in his eyes, and his tongue was ready |
to say, "You must" He closed his |
lips and Strengthened himself again. !
The girl sat perfectly still, except that |
once in a while there was catch in |
her breath. He kept looking off into
the empty, signing reaches Of pine
country, which could make people do |
strange things 1--WE haven't known |
each other very long," he said at last;
'but few minutes ago thought we
knew each other pretty well, and per-
haps you don't have any better friend |
than am i'm this desolate hole. Won't |