Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1901-03-16
CHAPTER VIII.
Until Sunday evening, then, Hetty."
"vTptil SnuInv nrnp;nu 1ahn


the lovers at the close of that happy ride
from the spelling school. Commonplace
and unsentimcntal as a prOduce-market
report they look in plain, cold type, but
that Is simply because the material in
adequately shadows forth the spiritual.
Love decks dull speech with the evanes-
cent glamour of its own illusory charms.
A glance, a blush. a sigh, a trcmuous in
donation. a pressure of the hand give to
words such meanings as may not be
found in any printed lcxicons. Platitudes
become poetic sublinitics in the cstima-
lion of love, that cgotistical passion which
finds all things good wherein it may. In
fancy, see its own reflection. Even
twice two are four" may be, by loves
magic. lifted from its low estate MS an
uncxciting arthmctical axiom up to the
plane of glowing passion, and go, trem-
bling and thrilling with the power of a
kiss, from one fond heart to another. Per
haps the significance so bestowed upon
words may he wholly imaginary, but
there are philosophers who affirm that
the imaginary is the only truly real.
And now 1t Is Sunday evening: and
John, in pursuance of that engagement.
while Hctty Is momcntarily peeping out
of the window to learn IL he is yet In
sight. And is he thinking only Of her
occupied exclusively with thoughts Of
love? Hardly. He is nearing the imp
as well as the angel. While he is court
ang Hetty in the house. his horse and
cutter will be for hours at the mercy OF
Danny In the barn. and what dcviltry
MN mt hn nI ~ thnt l,nr lpp
such circumstances? Happily his horse
Is famous kicker, and II Danny at
tempts to shave the animals tail. there
are strong grounds for the cheering hope
that Danny will never smile again. OF
course, the mischicvous urchin will be
likely to take out the shaft bolts OF the
cutter and hide them, but John has an
other pair and wrench In his ovcrcoat
pocket, SO that will not be serious. Moth
Ing is more probable than that the imp
will saturatc the sleigh robes with wat
er, which will be solid ice by the time
John will want to 20 home. John de-
bates with himself the ACCESSIBILITY of car
rying the robes into the house, and con.
cludcs that 1t will hardly do. Mrs. Null.
veil might take oifcnse at the implied
suspicion concerning the safety Of visit
ors' personal property in her barn; and,
really, the robes would be no safer in
the House. unless he should sit on them
all evening. They will have to take their
chances. But what else might Danny
DOT That boys possibilities are not so
much To bc dreaded for what may be ex-
pected II him, rs because of the in
Enitc potentially Of unforeseeablc Gus
se,ncss latent IN him.
l.. ..-t.A 4.
discovery of II means for avcrting the
Danger. Not in vain had the Rev. Mr..
Mcleod preached from that text about
making friends with the MammOn Of
rnrightcOusncss.'
While John Is arriving at resolution
II make friends with Danny, at any rca.
sOnable sacrifice, that happy boy Is hav.
isg fun In the barn with u thin.skinned,
mettlesomc young mare, battered in one
Of the stalls. Safe In an adjoining stall,
he reaches out from time to time and
snaps against the mares unprotected
headquarters thin strip Of India rubber,
cut from WORKOUT 'gum.elastic" over
shoc--One OF the old-fashioncd kind we
had before the vulcanzing Of caoutchouc
was invented. The snap Is not particu-
larry painful, but the sensitive animal,
resenting 1t as an indignity and annoyed
by 1t until she Is half mad with nervous
rage, squeals and kicks frantically, to
Danny's unspeakable delight. The eli.
max Of his enjoyment comes when John,
leading his horse In on the barn floor,
passes behind the mare. and nearly has
his brains kicked out By her flying heels.
There would he bad quarter of an hour
for the sprightly youth. IL John Cameron
were not SO deeply and hOpelcssly In love
with Hetty. But lover Is a creature
devoid Of free will. Even Mt the con-
scious sacrifice Of duty and self'respect,
he turns his back upon Themis to kncel
before Eros. So John, instead of giving
the evil urchin the trOuncing he deserves,
speaks him fair, seeks TO win his good
will, and even bestOws upon him a silver
half.dollar. Words do not go far with
Danny, who shrewdly divines the situa.
ton, and feels himself master Of It, but
that princely gift Of coin wins his ale.
glance. Never before has he had, at one
time, SO large a sum Of money all his
own, and his good fortune fairly over
whelms him. Prone to be us impulsively
grateful as he Is mischievous, he Is hence.
forth an earnest partisan Of John, who
little realizes how effective an ally he
has 80 cheaply secured. The boy, whose
unconsciously adopted motto Is deeds,
not words" has little to say, but Hetty
may count upon trouble with him IL she
does not show proper favor, In his esti.
nation, to the young man OF his choice.
Dim is the brightness Of the big fire In
the sitting room crate, by comparison
with the light shining from Hctty's hap
ny soul through her beautiful eyes, and
cold It's glow beside her welcome; but her
mothers greeting of the young wooer Is
barely tolerant, nothing more.
John lays his big driving gloves on the
stand, beside the family Bible and the
lamp, takes the seat offered him near the
fire and makes some show Of warming
his fingers to cover his embarrassment,
for this Is his first plunge into real court
ing, and he Is somewhat at a loss for the
proper course OF procedure. 1t makes
him feel awkward to have that old wOm-
an sitting opposite, eying him so critical
ly. He remarks that the weather Is cold
and has seemed to be growing colder
since shutdown. Hetty evinces interest in
his observations, hut Mrs. Mulveil mere.
ly shifts what he feels to be her ineffable
contempt for such hollow conversation
al pretense. Striving to appear at ease,
he looks about him.
On the wall, fronting him, but too high
to reflect his face, Is a mirror. He Won
ders IL 1t would make him ,double-nOsed,
like the one in his bedroom at home, or
run his chin away off to the left and
end 1t with sharp point, as his moth
er's mirror does. All the mirrors he