The Sauk Centre herald., 1903-06-04

Copntght, 1908, by 4. C. Mcclure

l.
skirts and waved her bunch of Ameri.
| drove off.
| Cornelia turned to the man beside
| her. !
DID you hear what she said?'' =
Yes" he answered absently. his
eyes OH the futtering bit of white veil
| far down the road.
We'll, she needn't have said it. !
| Ghan't let her know" T.
Thr man turned, his sunburned face
showing his surprise. ....-.
81 thought you liked Miss fremont"
80 did, and do yet, but tell you
| now. Dave Clinton. that if mother
takes boarders again next summer l
shall go away and stay" Her voice
| was fierce. p.
An uneasy look came into the blue
eyes of the young farmer.
"And leave me?" He tried to ask the
question easily. but his voice was not
| steady. q +: u' ...
She laid her hand on his arm. with a
kind of doubling appeal.
Would you care If l went-if she
| was here?" Il d.. - .',a' .
The man shifted his position uneas-
fly. II don't see that you are called
upon to ask me that question. Nelie,"'
he said. 49,. .H, p. e : tnr.,~,. =:
"But do ask it." Her fingers were
locking each other. neryously., II did
like her." she went on. ''for she Is so
beautiful. and she interested me-until
you began to notice her.. III -
He tried to take her hand, but she
flung herself away from him. Then for
| L moment there was tense. silence, J..
II love you, Nellie, he said at last.
"You don't. you don't! You love herr
she cried passionately. "And wish we
had never seen her." She ran swiftly
up the path and shut the door of the
| house behind her. "!@::' q 't''>., zig VIA
That night the family sat down ut
| small table in the big kitchen. The din
ing room had been restored to its origi-
nal position as living room, and the
parlor was closed. The supper of
! warmed over potatoes and eggs, with
one kind of preserve. announced the
return Of plain. living.
After supper Nellie washed the dishes
in the big pantry just outside the
kitchen. Her mother was in the milk
| room. skimming, so when Dave came
| and stood beside her they were alone.
whats the matter, Nellie" he said.
"Are you mad at me-"
She raised her blue eyes.
mo. Dave" she said quietly. .. 49,
She poured some hot water into her
pan so reeklessly that her fingers were
burned. and she uttered an involuntary
cry. T.
Dave reached over and took them.
red and wet as they were. 49,.
Poor little fingers!' he said. -.
Nelies eyes blazed. II went have
your pity, Dave Clintonr' Her voice
! was hushed, but vehement.
Without another word the man turn
ed away, but she called him back in a
| whisper. 81 -..s
Il want to see you when I finish. I'll
come down to the orchard seat"
The orchard was spicy with the scent
| Of apples. and under the moonlight the
great red globes showed dark in the
shadow Of the leaves. Dave sat on
| natural bench made by the gnarled
trunks of two old apple trees and
| watched Nellie come down the path.
He rose to meet her and put his arm
around her, but she thrust him aside
with little, impatient gesture. f.
Then she sat down and looked up at
him as he stood in front of her.
''It isn't that 1 am jealous" she be-
gan, as if their conversation of the aft
ernoon had not been interrupted, "but
| it's because l can never be the same
to you, no matter if you do think you
love me. You have seen Miss Ire
| mont, and now, always, she will be,
the most beautiful woman in the world
to you.'
"She is a beautiful woman he as
sented gravely.
eyes, and before she came you
thought my hands were pretty-my
little, red, rough hands'-her voice
broke-"and you admired my hair and
the little dresses made myself. / am
not blaming YOU" she went on, "but
you had never seen woman like her.
hadn't, either, and you were carried
away just as /. was. But don't you
see that I want to be first with you?"
"You are first, Nelie," he said grave
ly.
"But I haven't wonderful eyes like
hers, and can't use them as she does.
can't say the right thing as she does
In her soft voice. And her perfumes!
Will you ever smell violet again,
Dave, without thinking Of her? Will
your"
He smoothed her hand soothingly and
said nothing.
did you ever see such dresses and
beautiful shoes? l was ashamed all
the time, and wore my best slippers ev-
cry day. She was like rose one ct