The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1900-02-10
CUPID
In A
CYCLONE.

Vlasta looked wlstiully out OF her
small-paned window, deep-set in the
heavy sod wall, and sighed.
The piles of unwashed dinner dishes
over which she was at work hardly &C.
counted for that sigh and the view
without was pleasant rather than
otherwise.
It was q Sunday afternoon in the
late June, hot and unusually still for
that windy country, but the rolling
stretches of prairie grass and the
green fields of young wheat and corn
still held the freshness OF early
spring.
But the cloud mo larger than a
mans hand, "is always present in some
form or other.
One was at that moment rising
lazily on the western horizon, over
the low, green hills, just faint sum-
mer cloud, unseen by the girl, whose
eyes were fixed on q nearer and, to
her, much more attractive object.
This, as is apt to be the case when
maidens sigh, was a young man. who.
ON the other side of barbed-wire
fence, some little distance away, was
busily engaged in washing his buggy.
which was rolled in front of his own
little sod house.
He was Of middle size, dark-haired
and featured, like herself, and clad in
the careless costume of overalls and
Jacket of blue denim, and dingy from
exposure to sun and weather, and the
battered sombrero of light felt, which
we're usual in his everyday occupation
Of farming.
As any one familiar with that part
of the country could tell at q glance,
they were young Bohemians, members
of that great army Of hardy settlers
who have made homes for themselves
In the previously untitled west.
But hearts will be hearts in every
place and Juliet may pine for her
Romeo in ancient castle no more thai
Ia humble sod house, as did this com
monplace little heroine, with her plair
but kindly face.
Now. by custom immemorial Sunda..
Is the rural holiday everywhere and
is especially so among our foreign
born citizens, who on that day sail
forth, clad in their best, ready TO
visiting and merry making and seein
no incongruity between church an
mass in the morning and dance Il
the afternoon and evening.
So, considering this, it seemed ths
the Young settler, Albrecht Hollul
should be on pleasure bent, and tn
signs indicated to that SO he was,
soon should be. Herein lay the stin
which changed for her the sunshir
of that glorious June day to gloom.
For Albrecht was ''going riding"
his new buggy-going without ne
and, no doubt, with some other girl
when it really was her place on tn
seat beside him.
And bad she not proudly occupis
IL until that unlucky night not yet ~
weeks ago, but seeming half lifetim
as a girls short lifetime goes?
! Such little thing, too, as is gene
ally the case, to have caused all th
trouble. She was not sure he
Albrecht felt. Perhaps he was gil
10 ret rid of her-here two great tea
dropped into the dishoan at {
thought. Just o dance at a YOU
friends wedding-it being their Gu
tom for a bridal party to go to JUST
or country Judge to have the ceremo
nerformed, and then to return to t
brides home for grand ce'ebratio
which usually lasted all night. In
foolish quarrel, when Albrecl
heated up by excitement and be-
had insisted that she danced too Oft
with the brides elder brother. 3
had refused to listen to him, OF cour
with the result that he had walked
into the darkness and had never sc
her since.
Perhaps she had sought covert
and. no doubt, awkwardly, to find
opportunity Of making amends,
he had ignored or avoided her, thou
they lived on adjacent claims; hen
for her, at least. bitter days
nights. She felt vaguely, in her 9
ME fashion. the hardness OF
woman's code which bids her ~
and weep in silence. rule that
hrokaa many besides country hes