Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1902-09-24

OF green Win yellow spoVS Hhu
blushed.
Fairview holds but 80, 900 pee
pie, and il Mas easy to get her
name. She vas Ellice Dering, he
found, and her father was an ar
chitect.
There came one Of those char
table robberies for the relief OF at.
Aicted citizens Of some other com
munity in which people OF upper
and middle grades mingle' brought
together for once on the plane Of
humaneness. It took the form Of
a church fair, given in the town
hall, and Ellice Dering, in Quaker
costume, sold candies which every
body bought and nobody wanted.
Among the most reckless of her
customers was John Rodnvy, who
had not dared TO veal a dress suit,
but had put on a plain white tie.
He hung about her stand all OF the
evening, and had much converse
ton with her. She was surprisd
and attracted by his gentle accent
and bearing and found nothing I'M
natural in his declaration that an
honest American working man
was as good as anybody. Il r
father was of Virginian blood and
her mother a defendant OF New
York dotchmen, but she found
herself more than agreeing with
him. The test of her lack of pre-
Juice came, however, at the even
ing's end.
CATER 1 get through at the shop
Miss Dering,' he said, and scrpe
off the oil and CRIME, may l call
on you. You sing very beauti-
fully and l do not get much music"
She looked at him gravely with
her frank eyes. Through her
mind ran thoughts of what her
friends would say; of her father
she had no fear. Then she an
swered:
eyes, Mr.. Rodney, I shall be
happy to see you"
He bowed gratefully in ac-
acknowledgement. "Believe me,
Miss Dering, you make me more
happy than l can say. You en-
courage me to think that there
may be a time coming in this
country when a mans worth and
not his clothing will make or I'M
make him a gentleman"
He was too wise to take sudden
advantage of her liberality. At
first he called once a week only.
1t was toward the end of the sum.
mer that his visits became more
frequent. He found her in every
way charming, straightforward,
modest, we'll read. His heart was
gone before he knew it. PrOba-
bly, the contrast between her and
the things of his hard daily life
accumulated her personality. The
girl meantime was warning with
her companions and constantly on
the defensive.
She told Marye Agnus Simon
ton, daughter Of the leading law
yer: she is more of a gentleman
than any other man I know"
She told Mae Fannye Smythe,
daughter of the leading merchant:
"His hands are hard, but 1 do not
think that they lift many whiskey
glasses and they never stole any
thing"
She told Claryssee Lysbeth Per
kyns, daughter of the leading doc
tor. 81 would rather talk to q
real live man, even though be
does work in a factory, than
waste time on a dummy, all hair
and clothes"
The composite answer OF these
young women was this: "Well,
it's awiully ridiculous and awfully
silly and awiully bad form, but
you always we're such a funny
girl"
Ellice Dering was put to a sci
VeTer test on the night that be
asked her to marry him,
"I love you" he said, every
dearly. Yeu must have seen II
long ago. I am a working man.
but my people are good people.
and I will be true to you. IfyOU
would like it better, I will quit
the tools and start a plant OF M
own. Then I will be a man who
hires things made, instead Of max.
ing them myself, and so / suppose
higher up the social ladder. We
need not live here, You know, anG
I will take such care Of you tina
you viii hardly miss your father
and mother"
If she hesitated, who can blame
herf Yet, at last, she put bOtl
of her hands In his and said quite