The Newtown bee., 1899-11-03

Ts La twenty miles to Tahlequah, and l
used to drive her over there In the wagon
an go after her Christmas times an va
cations. When the school term was long
once or twice went mp in the States an
hustled an made little extra, but I
always come back in time to get her.
wished could tell you how she growed.
How she got pref, Ter every day an how
her face seemed to get brighter than the
faces roundabout here as she learned and
learned. She used To ask me questions
about everything. about the States an
the peopls an the towns. That was
when she d come home, and then some
times at school she'd write me lstters
with questions in 'em, an sit up o.
nights to answer 'em. Do yeu know, i
| kind got to longin' for them lstters an
watchin' for 'em? Yes. sir.n
Jim was thin king again. Once he got
down from the platform to the track that
ran by and kicked mechanically st the
cinders that formed the ballast. Then
ne picked up loose washer that was
/ there, and, like boy, sailed it off into
| the field. But he couldn't shake { ff the
heaviness Of bis mood.
| II don't know how It happened, but
when she WAS about II or Ii she quit
asking me questions shout Boston an
New Orleans an people, an begun to
tell me things-history am old stories. /
remember one about giIl named Char
lotte Corduroy, that XII led Frenchman
in bathtub. Did you ever hear that
Yes. Well, I guessed you bad, but there
was lots Of things like that, Anthem
then" @e~..a.
"what, Jim?''
'sThen-I was trying to think how to
Itell it-but when would try.to tell her
anvthing, instead of LICKING interested
like, an her brown eyes gettin' big, ike
they used to, I'd catch her lsughin', quiet
like, st as if she's read it 80 much better
than could tell her, an every vacation
she seemed so much bigger an 80 differ
1 emit that began to stand flike, an once
went to call her name, an called her
Miss Be aa, jest as II I'd never knowed her
when she was baby or carried her on
nay saddle when I went to b ing in the
cows, or nything like that"
4 t'You called her Miss Bella ~
"Yes, an ever since that, whenever
| I've for got to say miss, and it's only been
,nce or twice she Kind o. smiles In her
queer way an lifts her eyebrows like a
teller would IL he was askin' IL you hadn't
forgot something"
sWefi, that shouldn't depress you, Jim
That's way with all girls. There comes
time when they freeze their old friends
and have to be called miss"
'Or, faint that, sir! But / got IL
thinkin' about her, SO that couldn'
work, an when I'd take her back to schoo
felt like wanted to kill any Teller tina
looked at her. You see, sir, wac likin
her too much"
ST see, Jim.''
"Well, last summer I made mp my
mind I'd tell her about it an L did.
:, asked her one night to 20 with me, an W.
e sauntered down along the edge of tba
G holler where the timber Is. The evenin
seemed SO still that &C uld hear my hear
I beatin', and when one o. them meade
D lsrks whistled it sounded Ike the expires
e Co me. She would drop on her knee
J. every now and then to pull some, of th'
J. vioiets that grows over there, an one
f. she LATED an pinned some of them on t.
} ny shirt an l wouldn't stand that. tul
n hole Of her hands an she jumped kind c
e skeered like, but held 'em and locke
l. straight in her eyes an told her. l toll
her that loved her. an that I'd try T.
e make her happy all her life. told he
e I'd loved her ever since the was littl
e girl and used to set her on my knee"
Jim put his face in his hand and SCENE
Ie lost in the recollection, either of the
n evening or of the baby girl of whom
J. had talked SO tenderly.
b II tell you it was tough, sir. She sal
d she used to lie me once, but that sine
b she'd been goin' to school her learnin' ha
d made her dissatisfied with the Ipjun cou,
1t try an the people here. She said If SD
J. married it would hat to be man that Ia
Ie read heap an knew lots about book
in She said her idear of real man was a
he editor OF some young Teller that coul
ls write newspaper. She said l was
n Soil fv,1 III Or
l. liked me as frien', but to be even that
IN must never mention the matter to he
"A again. Then she walked straight back
ts the house. l watched her pass this d.
"A pot on them stones there am go in th
10 door, an then [ went down the hole
70 faint no use, sir; I've tried to brace u
- agin' it, but can't an the folks can't sc
At why l go down to Muskogee an get full
- an wrastle with the deputy sheriff"
why don't you 60 away, Jim? Leay
+ this quiet place-go up IN the State
I, You can't forget her when the is daily
x your sight,"
0, "Tll tell you. She's home now Q
"a what they call the Easter vacation, 81
Z. she won't graduate till June. See?'
D. "Hardly."
re "Why, she's set her heart on her edl
he cation. She's learnin' Latin an histor
{. an all about the stars. She's got 'em q
IL named. Well. it'd br aak her heart to gu
y now before June. Eff was to 60 ava
Is the ole man wouldn't keep her in schot
% day longer. There's so many things I
'e git. uer ma and ne has planned to q
y, to Kansas City to buy her fine dress I
= graduate in an all that kind of stuf
n Why, I've got to stay till then, al
tber-"
lie "And then?"
"Why, then I'm going with Fcrepaug
10 agin a-drivin' stakes an travelin,' tral
le elm"
II "Jim, does she-does Miss Bella kno,
q you ar doing this for her; that you al
paying her tuition and providing her e.
I. penses?"
=, "Why, bless you. no, sir. She thinl
~ fba oII Sc Jo;, 2