The Minneapolis journal., 1902-08-02
The Gentleman From Indiana
BY BOOTH T4RK1NG7ON
Copyright by Doubleday & Mcclure Co., 1899

above their heads and watching the small
sails catcn the breeze; land so you can make
little batteries in the morning, too. 1t Is
another courtesy you should be having from
me, If it weren't for the dustiness of it. Wait
till we como to the board walk"
She had some big pink roses at her waist.
I'm the meantime" he answered, indicating
these Il know very we'll a lad that would be
blithe to accept pretty token of any lady's
high esteem"
But you have one, already, q very beauti-
full one." She gave him a genial up-and-
down glance from head to foot, half Quizzi-
cal, hut so quick he almost missed It, And
then he was glad be had found the straw hat
with the youthful ribbon, and all his other
festal Vestures. And very becoming flower
white rose ds," she continued, though am
bold girl to be blarneNng with young
night"
But why shouldn't you biarney with a gen.
tleman, when you began by saving his life?"
"Or, rather, when the gentleman had the
politeness to gallop about the county with
me tucked under his arm?" She stood still
and laughed softly, but consummately, and
her eyes closed tight with the mirth Of 1t.
She had taken one of the roses from her
waist, and as she stood, holding it by the
long stem, it's petals lightly pressed her lips.
''You may have it-in exchange" she said.
He bent down to her, and she began to fasten
the pink rose in place OF the white one On
his coat She did not ask him, directly or
indirectly. who had put the white one there
for him, because she knew by the way it was
pinned that he had done it himself. WHO
Is it that ev'ry morning brings me these
lovely fow'rs?" she burlesqued. as he bent
over her.
"'Mr. Wimby," he returned. II will
point him out to you. You must see him,
and, also, Mr. Bodefrer. the oldest inhabi-
tant-and crossest.' .-..
will you present them to met" :.
mo: they might talk to you and take
some Of my time with you away from me-"
Her eyes sparkled into his for the naerest
fraction Of a second, and she laughed half
mockingly. Then she dropped his lapel, and
they proceeded. She did not put the white
rose in her belt, but carried it.
The square heaying with jostling,
good -natured, happy, and constantly increas-
ing crowd that oyerfowed on Main street in
both directions. and the good nature OF this
crowd was augmented in the ratio that Its
size increased. The streets were confusion
of many colors, and eager faces filled every
window opening on Main street or the square.
Since 8 o'clock all those OF the courthouse
had been occupied, and here most OF the
damsels congregated to enjoy the spectacle
of the parade, and their swains attended,
galantly posting themselves at cognes OF
faces that peeped from the dark, old court
house windows were pretty, and some OF
| them were not pretty: but nearly all Of them
! were rosy checked. and all were pleasant
| to see because Of the good cheer they showed.
| Some of the gallants affected the airy and
| easy, entertaining the company with badln-
| age and repartee; some were openly bash
| full. Now and then one Of the latter, after
long deliberauon, constructed laborious
| compliment for his inamorata, and, after ad-
| yancing and propounding half OF 1t. again
retired into himself, smit with a blissfu
palsy. Nearly all Of them conyersed In tones
that might have indicated that they were
separated from each other by an acre lo
| or two.
Here and there, along the sidewalk below
| a father worked his way through the throns
| q ucorice- bedaubed cherub ON arm, his
coat (borne with long enough) on the other
| followed by mother with the other children
| hanging to her skirts and tagging exasperat
ingly behind, holding red and blue toy bal
looms and delectable batons of spiral-stripet
peppermint in tightly closed, sadly stick!
fingers.
A thousand cries rent the air; the strollint
mountebenks and gypsying booth merchants
the peanut vendors; the boys with palm-lea
fans for sale; the candy sellers; the pop
corn peddlers; the italian with the toy bal
looms that float like a cluster OF colore
bubbles above the heads OF the crowu
and the balloons that wall like baby; tn
red lemonade man, shouting in the shril
voice that reaches everywhere and endure
forever: 'Lemo! Lemo! Ice-cole lemo! Fiv
cents, q nickel, haif-a-dime, the twentieth
potofadoMah! Legno! Ice-cole lemo!" - al
the yociferating harbingers Of the circus cry
, ing their wares. Tinid youths, in shoes GOV
cred with dust through which the mornin
polish but dimly shone. and unalterabl
hooked by the arm to blushing maidens
: bought recklessly Of peanuts, of candy, {
, popcorn, Of all known sweetmeats, perchance
and forced their way to the lemonade stands
! and there, all shyly, silently slipped the Grim
! son-stained ambrosia. Everywhere the hawk
ers dinned, and everywhere was beard th
8 platntive squawk Of the toy balloon.
r But over all rose the nasal cadence Of th
Cheap John. reeking oratory from his bi
i. wagon on the corner: Walk up, walk II,
walk up, ladies and gents! Here we ar.
Q Here we are! Make hay while we gather tt
q moss Walk up, one and all. Here put tn
r solid gold ring, sunptuous and golden, eigI
4 teen karats, etgteen karats Of the pricele.
o mothers Of metals, toiled fer on the vii
e Pacific slope. eighteen garnteed, I put tn
9 golden ring, rich and golden, in the packat
: with the hangkercheef, the elegant and blu,
u ruled note-paper, self-writing pens, pencil ar
y penholder. Who takes the lot? Who takes
r ladies and gents?" =
l. His tongue curled about his words.
seemed to love them. Fer a quat- do
g lah! Don't turn away, young man-you fell
n In the green necktie. there. We all see tt
1t young lady on your arm Is a-langrishing I
n the golden ring and the package. Faint hea
,! never won fair wummin.' There you ar
sir, and you'll never regret it. Go-and
"a happy! Now, who's the next man to s
IL solid with his girl fer a quat- -dolla]
IS Life is unysterus and unvlolable shadde
" my friends; who kin read its orgeries? T
70 day we are here-but tomorrow we may
10 IN jail. Only a quat-of-a-dollah! We q
a Seventh-Day Adventists. ladies and gents,
givin' away our belongings In the awful ia
t. of Michael, fer a quat-of-a-dollah. The saI
50 price fer each-and-every individual, lady a
~ gent, man, wummin, wife and child, a
TO happiness to one and all fer a quat-of-a d,
IS lah!"
Down the middle OF the street, kept on
4 between the waiting crowds, ran baref<
ee boys, many of whom had not slept at hon
10 but had kept vigil in the night mists for I
IL coming of the show, and, having seen
er muffled pageant arrive, swathed, and vi
ne no pomp and panoply, had returned to tov
a. rioting through jewelled cobwebs in
n morning fields, happy in the pride OF kno
H. ledge of what went on behind the seen
~ Tonight, or tomorrow, the runaways wo'
ls face a woodshed reckoning with outrae
n ancestry; but now they caraco1ed in the d.
lib with no thought of the grim deeds to be dc
Oh upon them.
Int he courthouse yard, and so SHINING