The Minneapolis journal., 1902-08-04
CHAPTER VIII.

CHAPTER Will. |
Glad Aftcrnoon, The Girl by the
Blue Tent Pole.
They walked slowly back along the pike to-
ward the brick house. The white-ruffed fen
mel reached up its dusty yellow heads to touch
her skirts as she passed. and then drocped,
satisfied, against the purple ironweed at the
roadside. In the MONDAY silence no cricket
chirped nor locust raised it's lorn monotone;
the tree shadows mottled the road with blue
and the level fields seemed to pant out diz-
zling breath, tho transparent "heat-waves'
that danced above the low corn and green
wheat 81 i
He was STOPPING very much as they walked;
he wanted to be told that he could look at her
for a thousand years. Her face was rarely
and exquisitely modelled, but, perhaps, just
now the salient characteristic Of her beauty
for the salient characteristic seemed to ce
q different thing at different ttmes) was the
coloring a delicate glow under the white skln'
that bewitched him in its seeming reflection
of the rich benedction of the MONDAY sun
that iblaZed overhead.
Once he had thought the way to the Briscoe
homestead rather long walk; but now the
distance sped Indignantly; and strolled they
never so slow, it was less than young
birds futter from wood" With her acqui-
escence he rolled cigarette, and she began
to hum lightly the air of song, song OF an
ineffably gentle, slow movement
That, and reference of the morning, and,
perhaps, the smell of his tobacco mingling
with the fragrance of her roses. awoke again
the keen reminiscence of the previous night
within him.. Clearly outlined before him rose
the high, green slopes and cool cliff-walls Of
the coast of Maine. while his old self lazily
watched the sharp little waves through half
closed lids, the pale smoke Of his cigarette
blowing out under the rail Of a waXen deck
where he lay cushioned. And again woman
pelted his face with handfuls of rose petals
and cried: up lad and at 'em! Yonder is
Winter Harbor." Again he sat in the oak
raftered Casino, breathless with pleasure and
heard young girl sing the "Angels Sere-
nade,' a young girl who looked so bravely
unconscious of the big, hushed crowd that
listened, looked so pure and bright and gentle
and good, that he had spoken OF her as Sir
GalahaG's little sister" He recollected he
had been much taken with this child; but he
had not thought OF her from that time to this,
he supposed: had almost forgotten her. No!
Her fece suddenly stood out to his view as
though he saw her with his physical eye-a
sweet and vivaclous child's face with light
brown hair and gray eyes and short upper
lip. And the voice. -
He stopped short and struck his palms to-
gether. You are Tom Meredith's little
cousin"
The Great Harkless!"- she answered, and
stretched out her hand to him.
~ remember you!''
isn't it timer
"Ah, but never forgot you" he cried
~ thought I had 1 didn't know who it.
was I was remembering. l thought 1t was
tancS and it was memory. l never forgot
your voice, singng-and remember your
face, too; though 1 thought I didn't" He
drew deep breath. That was why
tom Meridith has not forgotten you," she
said, as he paused.
more?' he asked. '
She gave him her hand again. with all
my heart. Why?"
I'm making record at 1t. Thank you"
''They called me Sir Galahad's little sister
all one summer because the Great John
Harkless called me that. You danced with
me in the evening""
'+Did II"
'Ah," she said, shaking her head, 'you
were. too busy being in love with Mrs Van
Skuyt to remember waltz with only me! I
was allowed to meet you as a reward for sing
ing my very best, and you-you bowed with
the Indulgence of grandfather, and asked
me to dance"
Like grandfather? How young l was
then! How time changes us!'.
I'm afraid my conversation did not make
great impression upon you,' she continued,
'FBut it did. I am remebering very fast II
you will wait moment will tell you some
of the things you said.
The girl laughed merrily. Whenever she
laughed he realized that 1t was becoming ter
ribly difficult not to tell her how adorable
she was II wouldn't risk it, IL I were you, -
she warned him, because l didn't speak tc
you at all. l shut my lips tight and trem
bled all over every bit of the time 1 was
dancing with you. I did not sleep that night
because I was unhappy, wondering wha
the Great Harkless would think of me.
knew he thought me unutterably stupid be-
cause l couldn't talk to him. wanted t
send him word that knew had bored him
] couldn't bear for him not to know that
knew had. But he was not thinking of M
in any way. He had gone to sea again in
big boat the ungrateful pirate, cruising will
Mrs. Van skuyt.'
'tHow time does change u.s. said John
''You are wrong, though; did think of you
/ have al"
Yes" she interrupted, tossing her head Il
airy travesty Of the stage coquette, "yo
think SOL mean you say so-now. Ava
with you and your blarneying!'
And so they went through the warm noon
tide, and little he cared for the heat tha
wilted the fat mullen leaves and made th
barefoot boy, who passed by, skip gingerl
through the burning dust with anguishe
mouth and watery eye. Little he knew q
the locust that suddenly whirred his mill
of shrillness IN the maple tree, and sounde
so hot. hot, hot; or those others that raile
at the country quiet from the dim shad
around the brick house; or even the rain cro'
that sat on, the fence and swore to them i
the face Of a sunny sky that they should Sc
rain ere the day were done.
Little the young man rocked of what he al
at Judge Briscoe's good noon dinner: chicke
wing and young roas ear; hot rolls as ligt
as the fluff OF a summer cloud!et; and hone
and milk; and applet butter favored wit
spices of Arabia; and fragrant, faky cherr
pie and cool, rich, yellow cream. Lge WI
let's was lover, yet he said he asked 4
better than to just go on eating that cherr
pie till sweet death overlook him; bl
railroad sandwiches and restaurant choI
might have been set before Harkless for a
the difference it would have made to him.
At other time is mans feeling of com
he sits at table with her-not at "deco1
eted and becatered and bewaitered tabl,
but at honlely, appetizing, wholesome hcn1
table like old Judge Briscoes. The vtr
essence of the thing Is domestcity, and tn
implication Is utter confidence and liking
There are few greater dangers for bachelo
An insinuating imp perches on his shoulde
and, softly tickling the bachelors ear wit
the feathers of an arrowshaft. whisper:
''Pretty nice, isn't 1t, eh? Rather pleasa1
to have that girl sitting there, don't 70
think? Enjoy having her notice your butter
plate was empty?, Think it exhilarating
hand her those rolls? Looks nice, doesn
she? SAYS Thank you rather prettily