The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1900-10-20

taanus tuSkS0 9Ouprettesfa1h1On IN the
tiny pockets Of her apron, gazed at
him with a mischieyous amiie.
y was impossible not to smile back
as he nibbled the crisp Mexican cake
and drunk the old mission wine. And
Susy''s tongue trilled an accompani-
mentt to his thanks.
Lord! 1t seems so nice to he here
just You and me, Clarence-lke in
the old days-with noboy naggin' and
snoopin' round after you. Don't be
greedy, Clarence, but give me a cake"
She took one and finished the dregs
of his glass.
Then, sitting on the arm Of his
chair, she darted$ a violet rny OF half
reproach and half mischievousness in
to his amused and Retrospective eyes.
There used to be room for two in
that chair. Klarus.N
The use of the old childish diminn-
tive for his name seemed to him as
natural ms her familiarity, md he
moved a little sideways to make room
for herewith an instinct of pleasure,
but the same sense Of Irresponsible
ty that has characterized his reaec-
tions. Nevertheless, he looked crit
icaliy into the mischievous eyes and
said, quietly:
Where is YOU husband?"
There was no trace of embarrass-
ment, apology or even of conscious
ness in her pretty face, ms she re-
piled, passing her hand lightly
through his hnir:.
"Oh, Jim?--l'ye packed him off,"
Packed him off. echoed Clarence,
slightly nstonished.
"Yes-Tto Fair Plains-full tilt after
your wife's buggy. You see, Clarence,
after the old cat-that's your wife,
please-left, / wanted to make sure
she had gone, and wasn't hangin'
roundt to lead you off again. with your
leg tied to her apron string like n
chickens! No!J said to Jim: Just
you ride after her until you see she's
safe and sound insthe down coach
from Fair Plains, without her know
in it. and If she's inclined to hang
back or wobble any, you post back
here and let me know!' I told linn 1,
would stay and look after you, to see
you didn't bolt, tool" She laughed
and then added: But I didn't think
i should fall into the old ways SO
soon, and have such a nice time. Did
you, Clarence"
She looked so irresponsible sitting
there with her face nea his, and SO
childishly or perhaps thoughtlessly
happy, that he could only admire her
levity, and even the slight shock that
her fippant allusion to his wife had
given him seemed to him only a
weakness Of his own. all was
not hers the true philosophy? Why
should not these bright eyes see
things more. clearly than his owna
Nevertheless. with his eyes still fixed
upon them. he continued:
And Jim was willing to go?"
She stopped. with her fingers still
lifting u lock of his hair. why, yes,
you silly-why shouldn't he? I'd like
to see him refuse. Why, Lord, Jim
will do anything i ask him" She put
down the lock of hair, and suddenly
looking full into his eyes said:
''That's Just the difference between
him and me and you and-that wo-
MANI
."'Then you love him?"
".sbout as much as you love her."
She said, with an unaffected laugh,
"only he don't wind me around his
finger"
mo doubt she was right, for all her
thoughtlessness, and yet he was GO
ing TO fight about that to-
morrow! Noble forgot-he was go-
ing to fight Captain Pinckney be-
cause he was like heri
(, Susy had put her finger on the
crease between his brows which this
superstition had made, and tried to
ruh it out.
you know it as we'll as | do, CLAIR
cnce," she said, with "a pretty wrink-
ling os her own brows, which was her
nearest approach to thoughtfulness.
"You know you never really liked her,
only you thought her ways were
grander and more proper than mine,
Z and you know you We're always a lit
tie bit of a snob and a prig, too, dear
boyl And Mrs. Peyton wus-bless
/ my soul!-a Benham, n a planters
daughter. and IL was only a picked
up orphan! That's where Jim is bet
ter than you. Now, sit still, goosey!
even if l don't like him us much.
Oh, l know what you're always think
ing-you're thinking we're both ex-
Hggerated and theatrical-ain't you?
| Don't you think it's II heap better
to be exaggerated und theatrical
about things that are just sem
timental and romantic than to be
lSSa-N1 -FPSSSSSSSI dlQ OVER
come about things that are only real?
There, you needn't stare at me so.
| LIS true! You've had your I'LL Of
grandeur and propriety, and-here
you are! And,'' she added, with a lit
tie chuckle, as she tucked UP her feet
and leaned a little closer to him,
here's mel"
He did not speak, but his arm quite
nnconsciously passed around her
small waist. "You see, Clarence she
went on, with equal Inconsistencies
of the act, you ought never to have
let me go-neyer! You ought to have
kept me here, or run away with me.
And yon oughtn't to have tried to.
make me proper. And you oughtn't
10 have driven me to Airt with that
horrid Spaniard, aud you nughtn't to
have been so horribly cold and severe
when 1 did. And you ouglltn't to
have made me TAKE up with Jim, who.
was the only u who thought me his
equal. ! might have been very silly
and capricious; | might have been
very vain, but my vanity isn't a bit
worse than your pride-my love Of
praise and applause in the theater
isn't a bit more horrid than your
fears of what people might think Of
youo or me. That's gospel truth, isn't
it, Clarence? Tell me! Don't look
that way and this--look at me! 1
amt poisonous, Clarunce. Why, ono
of your cheeks is redder than the 9TH
er, Clarence-that's the one that's
turned from me. Come, she went
on, taking the lapels Of his cont be-
tween her hands, and half shaking
him, half drawing him nearer her
bright face. .Tell me-isn't it strue9!''
was thinking of you just now
when IYfell asleep, Susy," he said. He
did not know why he said it; he had
not intended to tell her-he had only
meant to avoid a direct answer to her
question, yet even now he went on.
And thought Of you when / was
out there in the rose garden waiting
to come III here
you did?" she said, drawing in her
breath. a wave of delicate pink color
came up to her very eyes-it seemed
ITO him as quickly and as innocently
as when she was a girl. ".And what
did you think, Klarus.-she half
80 4. sLEL.-- - "A lEN 81 t4b Ny