The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-02-22
Heart and Cross.
A STORY.
BY Lawrence Boone.

For nearly ten years Dixie had been
carving on the trees a fanciful design
Of his own contriving-a heart, in out
line. with a sort of plus sign cut in the
middle. 1t looked more like a religious
symbol than anything else-a mystic
hermit mislaid in this steam-and-trol-
ley age Of ours.
But to Dixie it had quite another
significance. It was a love token-lit-
tie less than an open declaration in
this callow youths own estimation.
And indeed, it was open enough to
those who knew him. For DiXie's full
name was Hendricks Hart, and hers
was Jennie Cross; so the riddle was
easily read.
Hen" Hart the boys had called the
clumsy, shamed-faced youngster when
he first came to the village school, af-
ter his father sold the rather unprofit-
table farm up among the hills, and
started a grocery store. Then some
Juvenile wit tried to improve upon it,
and nicknamed the little fellow "Chick-
en- Hart; but this he resented, proving
the Appropriateness of the title with
such hardness of fist and vigor of
thrust that his mates soon dropped it.
They compromised upon Dixie" and
this style persisted. He was scarcely
twelve then. Now he was a well-grOwn
young man, and not an unattractive
specimen, either; but that boyish trick
of carving his valentines upon h
trees had persisted, too-until, one
dreamy October afternoon, Stella Gay
laird floated into Meadowville and be-
gar the upsetting of all it's traditions.
Then the suffering NAPLES and beeches
got a respite.
How Jennie Cross had regarded the
hieroglyphic propensities Of her eccen-
trio admirer is not definitely known.
1t is probable of late years they had
caused her some modification of spirit;
but there is no manner of doubt that
she was far more deeply annoyed at
their sudden cessation. Although she
had never formally accepted DriXie-
for except through the medium of his
jackknife he had never p~roposed-she
had naturally come to regard his de-
votion as one of her belongings. That
she rather liked him, in spite of his
odd ways, was evident enough. At the
academy they used to "get their les
sons" together; that is, Drixie mostly
got the lessons and humbly presented
her with the fruits Of his toil-which
was very nice, for with her girlish
quickness she often made. a better
recitation than he did, n even got
credit for helping him along. On holt
days they had many a romp together;
and since they had grown to an age
demanding more ceremony, he was her
constant escort to parties of every
description. The gossips had long ago
decided that it was "a match" and
their comments were singularly free
from disapproval. Drixie's freaks
were still a favorite topic, but both
these young folks were generally liked.
The gossips, however, stuck quite
another note when Stella appeared and
all the young men went trailing after
her-Drixie leading the van; yet I
doubt that the faithless lover suffered
half as much from their caustic criti-
cisms as did poor Jennie from their
~Outspoken sympathy. What differ
ence does it make to me anyway"
she protested almost tearfully; but in
vain.
Stella was a city girl and an inter-
loper. For my own part, I can't admit
that she was Jennie'S equal in beauty:
but she was d~istractingly pretty, and
she had that wonderful gift Of fasci-
nation which in most cases avails far
more than beauty uninspired. If her
golden hair was less abundant than
Jennie's lark t~resses, it was done up
with more "style." If her features
were less regular, luey were CudI llllS
ly piquant. If her eyes had less depth
and earnestness, they were full Of ami
nation; and that her conversation was
the brightest ever heard in Meadow
willie is out Of the question. This last,
which rather daunted the rest Of her
infatuated train, was to DriXie the
greatest attraction Of all; and his ap-
preciativeness won him, if not her
heart, at least considerable favor.
AS for her dresses, they made a SEN
sation among the women; they were
the envy Of the young and a scandal
to the old. AS a matter of fact, they
were perfectly correct and extremely
becol ling. To the men they were
merely an imperfectly understood ele-
ment in her general attractiveness.
Really, though the sewing circle
shipped up all her actions and with
vindictive needle stabs made a verita-
BILE crazyquilt Of her character, Stella
was not a bad girl at all. I don't con-
slider that according to her opportuni-
ties she was any more OF a firt h the
rest of them; but her opportunities
were large, and with a feminine lack
OF cle-aency she made the most OF them
neither giving nor asking nor receiving
quarter.
That .>oor Drixie made a pitiable
spectacle Of himself, and furnished the
local gossips with plenty-of choice ma
terial. must be conceded. Ultimate
Nv he made himself a nuisance, and had
to be snubbed. All through the fall