The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-08-10


wish you wouldn't go round looking
like sich craven image, she ejaculat
ed. You won't catch any feller at all
if you don't look out. You better make
some ginger water to take down too.
It's awful hot today, an, mind you, If
you ask Gus Sanderiy up to tea toner
row I'm goin to ask Joe Sampson too, "
and then nothing more was said as Eu-
dora took down her old sun hat from
behind the kitchen door and, taking the
pail in one hand and the pitcher IN the
other, stepped slowly out into the warm
light of the glowing summer noon.
When the house WIS hidden behind
the turn of the little lane, she stopped
moment and set her burdens down. But
she rose again, stretching out her 1.-the
young figure with a feeling of utter
freedom and relief. She focnd her head
we'll up in the low hing boughs of
starch old apple tree, whose twigs slap
ped saucily at her cheeks and sent the
big hat flying rakishly down over the
tip of her determined nose.
She gave an angry little cry, and as
she disentangled herself her face flush
ed hotly.
"That's it, she cried, always my
height-my awful height! What other
girl is there in this whole state who
has to walk around with her head up
into the trees? And it's just so every
way-I wish ma would be sensible
about Gus Sanderly. Goodness knows l
dom t think he's much to brag of either,
but can't she see he's the only fellow
round l don't look silly with? If there
was only an inch or two difference be-
tween Joe and me now-but a whole
foot, % and as she picked up the pail
and pitcher once more she gave really
tragic little groan, for Joe Sampson, the
only son and heir of their next door
neighbor, was generally acknowledged
to be the handsomest, "smartest" and
best young man in the county, and
devoted admirer Of Eudora Stebbins
only, and it was a very big only, too,
as Eudora was the tallest girl for miles
around, so he was the shortest man,
measuring but feet in the very high
est heeled boots that he could by any
means buy or wear.
Eudora had remarked after he had
taken her home from party one night
that she felt very much like picking
him up in her arms and telling him
"not to be scared of the dark-she'd
carry him safe home,'' and after that
night she Systematically refused to walk
or dance or ride with him under any
circumstances, by daylight or by dark,
SO causing the poor little man great an
guish of soul. He knew just as well as
she did how ridiculous they looked to-
gether, and his height was even a greater
cross to him than hers was to her, but
he was quite willing to sacrifice these
personal feelings on the altar Of his
love, and he thought she might be too.
But Eudora was firm and drove both
Joe and sher family nearly frantic BY
her evident preference for the lazy
bones of the town-gigantic Gus San
derly, who allowed his mother to sup
port him from the proceeds of her little
candy store and accepted the worship OF
silly young women as if it had been his
by divine right. !
At present he had really done Eudora
the honorsto fall slightly in love with
her. and she was not at all surprised
when at the next turn Of the winding
country lane a tall, broad figure rose
from the corner of the snake fence and,
dofHng its correct straw hat, come quick
ly toward her:
''I thought you'd be coming down
today he said in his soft, deep voice.
"Let me carry those things for you
we'll, the pitcher anyway" and as she
let him take it from her she looked up
into his lazy blue eyes with feeling OF
pleasurable relief 1t was SO good to bo
able to look up at anybody at all. He
was the only person she knew with whom
she could do it, aud even if he had been
the worst kind of a bad fellow, which
he was not by any means, she would have
enjoyed his company for that reason
alone.
They made magnificent pair as they
walked on side by side-both so straight
and tall, so handsome and so healthy,
and poor little Joe Sampson realized it
with sickening catch in his throat as
he stopped to push his broad hat from
his heated forehead and saw them COM
ing toward him.
He had made his father very angry
that morning by insisting upon going
over to help the Stebbinses with their
belated hay instead Of going into town
with load of their own, and he had
done it simply because he knew the men
1ould rot De likely to leave the distant
field for dinner and that in that case
Eudora would bring it down to them
and wait until they were through. to
carry back the pail and cups again, and
he knew from former experiences how
considerate Mr. Stebbins and the boys
would be about leaving them alone and
that under these circumstances away
from all prying or joking eyes, Eudora
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