Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-07-03
The Daily Short Story
LOVE THE STUBBLE.

&~rON~-~NNr~NOr
The girls face was young. plump.
shiny. Her hair-russet hair-had been
drawn tightly away from the face with
n damp brush. 1t eliminated In a tight
knob under the hat. There were free
kles In groups on each side of her squat
nose and in semicircles under her blue
eYes-steady eyes. Her humorous
dIlouth was slightly open, expectant.
Her teeth daZzled. Her wrists above
her white cotton gloves were brown,
browner than her face.
The girls eyes We're fixed upon the
stiIe I'm the far corner. About her
mouth there played Impotence, an
ficipation, a little nervousness, lots OF
self satisfaction. She had waited for
him on this haystack every Sunday
evening for two months. Every Sun
day evening he had come. walked
round the field without looking at her
and followed her home without Il word.
This evening silence must end. She
had put her purse on the path 10y the
stile where he could not fail to see it.
Her Sunday frock was new.
She ran the thumb and fOrefinger Of
her left hand firmly down each con-
secutive finger Of her right hand, press
ing the tip Of her first finger finally be-
tween each. Her eyes never left the
stile. Then, with more firmness, with
some spite, she changed thumb and
first finger and proceeded down each
consecutive finger Of her left hand.
The its very nice and cool in here
oh what dear old church 1 am" had
ceased But the world was full of
Hover whispers, the stirring of leaves,
the gatherings OF birds and insects.
Then the girls mouth closed and
turned quickly up at each corner. A
CLEAN OF delight few up to her eyes.
A head appeared on the other side of
the stiIe, a head with a cap on the
back OF IL, a lathered lock shining in
the distance, then brown, broad Shout
ders, which dipped slowly left-right.
A great leg was swung over the top
bar. and a heavy boot, patterned with
cleaning nails, made a scrunch on the
step. Another followed it, then the ST.
muItaneous wump on the dry field of
both. The head bent slightly forward.
the left-right OF the dipping shoulders
came slowly up the path.
The girl opened her first sunshade-
white. Her heart swung without beat
ing.
The man stopped, stopped eagerly,
picked up the purse and glanced under
his eyelashes toward the haystack. The
girls heart resumed beating like a
stick duet, allegro, upon a carpet. She
moved more TO the end OF the ledge OF
the haystack, crossing one hanging
white foot over the other. There would
be ample room for two. uneomfortably.
A green insect dropped on her white
knee. She tipped IL carefully on.
The l. fright crunch, crunch was on
the stubbIe She lowered her head and
watched him under the big brim Of her
poppy crowned hat He was coming
slowly toward the haystack.
II he saw her watching, he would GER
tainly stop. She lowered the white sun
shade to cover her face. She would see
him much closer soon. Besides, she
could dab her face with her handker
chief
Her smile faded. The steps were
passing. Impereeptibly, as the corners
of her mouth dropped, she peepeG out
this side of the sunshade. He had once
come within ten yards of the stack and
had then turned of to go round il.
oh. if God had but made her a mani
He trudged once round-and passed;
twice. whlstling the air OF hymn, a
scattered Whit of which came to them
at times-and passed. Tho third time
he stopped.
She held her breath. All her senses
were aInaISamated into one-hearing.
The sunshade longed to rise. A chat
finch chirped in its sleep. The rich
notes of the ORGAN wavered by. Anoth-