Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-04-17

w dul, you ueeUu {, tncn. but IL was
jest like say. never dreamed of
maxim love to her."
But you stopped there with her and
hung over the fence and talked to
herr"
WAL, s'pose did. couldn't help
myself. Icouldn't jest walk on an leave
her while she was talkin, could IY'
Certainly not when her talk was SO
sweet and interesting. You must have
found 1t real pleasant to have her as
sure you that didn't love you. but
that she knew some woman who did,"
81 didn't find 1t pleasant, an II had
l wouldn't "a done the way did"
Wouldn't have staid to listen to
herr"
81 wouldn't have let on that didn't
understand what she meant an discour-
aged her ever way could"
by hanging over the fence and talk
Ing back to her?"
III did hang over the fence an talk
back to her, never said nothin out Of
the way an nothin to be ashamed of,
nary word"
"some people haven't very Keen
sense of shame"
Sim paused for moment. Then he
said very soberly:
Loueesy, you don't love me. II you
did, you wouldn't never believe the lies
somebody's gone an told you when l
tell Won they are Hos A 1vonon <hof
loves her man amt never a-goin to be-
lieye some old long tongued tattler as
agin him. It's gospel truth, IL ever
spoke one In, my life. when l say new
er made love to Mary Mann, an I'd
swear to 1t on stack Of Bibles hun
dred feet high. You amt got no right
70 accuse me OF any sich thing
but you nave right to accuse me
OF something just rs badT
amt never accused you OF nothin,
i1oueesy. IN you know IT."
NOT exactly IN 80 many words, per-
maps, put you have intimated 1t pretty
plainiS
Me intlmated that you made love to
some other man besides met"
Something like that. You remem-
Der. suppose what you said about
that note r.
never said an never meant that
you loved somebody else"
= know what you think"
III thought SIGH thing as that,
would a told Mary Mann yisteddy
tnat sne was allyn when she said what
sue dial AN INST night when Jim
lnorn ninted at the same thing. DO
you KNOW what done TO MINT Jist
knocked nlm down plumb nat on his
PACK, an II they hadn't a held me I'd
a stamped the very daylights outen
hlIn.
Louisa looked up. a surprised and
panied expression on her face.
DID Jim Thorn dare to say such a
thing as that OF me!" She cried.
He did," Sim replied. and. feeling
sure OF her gratitude at least. he added:
But he amt never goin to say 1t no
more, lTbet. done settled him for
that"
YES" she said; but you've gone and
set everybody else to talking. wish
you had let jim Thorn alone"
Sim was amazed. and the look on his
lace showed 1t. -
why, my land. Loueesy. he ex-
claimed, you amt amin to say done
wrong In knockin Jim Thorn down,
are your
"You had better not have done It."
she replied, land I wish you hadn't"
WAL. I'll be blamed! Why. Pap
Sampson an Hicks an Jason an all the
rest. they all lowed done Jest right,
an ever one Of 'em said he'd "a done
Jest like l did II he'd a been in my
place. Lord. was countln shore on
you bein pleased cause tuck up for
you that AWAY, m now you don't
think ! ort a. done II! Pears like can't
nothin do please you. Loueesy. an
ever time try to do somethin for you
l seem to make mess of IT.
Sims voice. was SO pathetic and his
disappointment so evident that. in spite
Of her Ill hnmor. Louisa was touched.
She looked at him. and there was an
expression Of pity and something like
sympathy In her eyes. Slowly and
sadly she said:
"Sim. II is sad thing to say. and
you may think 1t cruel, hut God knows
1t is true. 1t would have been better
for US both II we had never met"
"Loueesy!'' Sim exclaimed fearfully,
starting to his feet. all in a tremble.
What is that you say7 Surely you
don't mean them words"
81 do. and what say Is true. 1t
would have been far better for US both
II we had never. never met"
He stared at. her a long time in ST.
lence. and he noticed that her face was
painfully white and drawn. His. too.