The Jennings daily record., 1902-12-24

AVsAAAO " ~ UssSksSAeS Sssse Ast<AS u0SA-
woods beauty could dance. She didn't
hop. nor "scrape matches" nor stifIen
like poker In his arms; she danced
with that 1.-the free grace with which
bird dies, or q 1lsh swims, because It
was the natural expression Of her
bubbling, Mghtsome spirits.
But, all too soon the music was
stopped, and there was a mad stam-
pede for the counter, over which pink
lemonade and cookies were sold. The
leggined fellow, however. led the ra-
diant little girl out into the moonlight.
which had transformed the denuded
redwood hop-p0les into endless colon
nades. Regardless Of her slippers and
fiOunces, everything but the dominat-
ing presence of the man beside her, she
strOlled down the row on the rough
bare ground. When they regained the
ball room pro tem., the music had
struck into the long, swinging strains
of "Creole Belles.' Again they circled
round and round, never pausing for q
breath until the music stopped.
Happy little Mollie! This was her
brief hour Of triumph, and she carried
it off with high hand. Her Coon
Greek friends, who were not too
dazzled by her airs and graces, came
up as usual and asked her for a dance,
but the next one was always engaged.
Nolan looked a moment longingly in
her direction when he caught the first
bar of ''The Honeysuckle and the Bee,"
but having heard of the treatment ac-
corded the other fellows. he turned
and consoled himself with the Hen
esq. girls. :.
When at last the dance was over,
when the accordion had wheezed out
the plainsive strains of "Home. Sweet
Home" and the happy dancers paired
off in tHcs for the best part Of the
evenings fun-the walk home in the
moonligbs--Mollie wondered, in her
simple listse soul. if heaven could be
any better than this.
Her companion did not tell her that
he was going away the next morning
until they had reached her own tent
door. He had fancied she might be
sorry, but mad not imagined she would
care so much. He was sorry the moon
was not brighter, for he knew he was
missing much of the tell-tale play of
expression in her eyes and cheeks. And
when, after repeated protestations of
remembering her until his dying day.
and promises of coming up to Coon
Greek to visit Uncle Sy's dairy ranch
the very first chance he got, he took
her hand to say "goodby'' and bent so
low her cheeks famed up as red as
her lips. But she could not have been
so angry as she pretended to be- be.
cause, after the lights We're out all up
and down the line, they were still
saying 'good-by."
1t was not long walk to Hoptown
station, and next day the tall young
fellow, again in tweeds and a Panama
hat, tramped up and down the plat
form. impatient to be back into the stir
and hustle Of the life he had left .and
recounting to himself for the hun
dredth time his chances of getting on
the varsity team as halfback.
"Hello. old man. he shouted. as he
jumped on the step. wondering at this
gathering Of the clans.
"Hello! Hello" yolley of voices
echoed as he entered the car "Just
coming down from Shasta one Of the
fellows explained; my sister and some
friends of hers in the car Come on!''
The train moved slowly when it
crossed the trestle. Mollie had counted
on that. and hurried TO the end of the
hop-field so she might get last smiling
adieu from the car window. -Four. five
.1i t,r-
began to fail, but at the eighth, there
he was, looking toward her, too. The
black eyes widened as the window
came abreasS of her fence-post. Yes,
his head was turned in her direction,
but why, oh why. did he not see her
waving wildly at him?
The next moment brought into view a
fair-haired girl in the seat behind him,
and the same look, the same smile she
had lived upon all these weeks Were
bent upon the new face. 1t could not
be possible that he had forgotten her
already! Still. trusting little NIollie
waved her handkerchief. and then her
bonnet. His head was turned in her
direction, but he had eyes for no one
but this trim-looking girl with the
dotted veil. A moment more and the
train was gone, the rear end Of the
baggage car grew smaller and DINNER.
till it was out of sight ".
When the forlorn little figure turned
back to the hop-field, great, dry sob
IN her throat and an empty ache in her
heart, the one or two Coon Creek peo-
pie she met let her see they had learned
they We're not expected to speak to her.
AT turn in the road she passed
hilarious group of pickers exchanging
tin-types with hearty promises of meet.
ing again next year. Pinny was there,
lavishing peanuts and gum on the
crowd and though he saw her. he did