Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-07-10
DAILY SHORT STORY
How 1t Began.
IOriginal.l

y v
pap say how his potatoes air comm
out this yearT'
They're all little and mighty few in
q hill"
Henry put out one hand and rested
it on the top rail very near Jenny's
elbow.
ours is pretty good" he said
Reckon We'll have fair crop of EN-
81 hope " Will"
Henry put his other hand on the rail.
His position was face to face with
Jenny, his hands inclosing her elbows.
''Air v afeerd of fallln' backward? p
she asked.
''Waal, it's kind o humpy underfoot
here. A plowed field IS no place to
stand 'thout holdin' on ter somep'n."
Notwithstanding Jenny's covert init
nation that Henry was edging rather
close she stood her ground.
''They say Mabel Haines is a-goin' to
be married" she remarked.
''Waal, that's material. I'd like to find
some gal willin' to marry me-"
81 s'pose any of 'em would suit y'?'
''No, they wouldn't. The gal 1 want
has blue eyes, yaller hair and mighty
trim figure"
Half the gals bout here has blue
eyes and yaller hair"
There's only one got the right shade
for me-"
Henry continued to pull himself for
ward at intervals, each time drawing a
tri1e nearer TO Jenny's face.
"Y' better stop that" she said.
"Why?"
"'Cause"
Although Jenny spoke very mildly.
she frightened the bashful swain. He
leaned as far back as his arms would
let him and looked at her obviously.
He saw no encouragement. 1t did not
occur to him that Jenny might stand
farther from the fence. But Jenny's
mild admonition was her only effort
to prevent his touching her rosy lips
with his whenever he had mustered
the necessary courage.
Jenny he said. II b'lieve y're
Altered I'm goin' to kiss y"
mo. amt. Y wouldn't dare do
that"
Would y mind?'
"Henery Dorm, v jist stop talkin'
bout SIGH things"
Henry started. He wondered how he
could have been so bold. He let so his
hold on the fence and stood back.
"Our brindle cow" he said, had
calf last night
To this bit of information Jenny
made no reply. She dropped her arms
on to the top rail and looked far be-
yond the easily discouraged Henry.
Eyre mad at me fer talkin' about
kissin' y" he said.
81 amt mad about y're talkin' about
kissin' me-" she replied.
'Y're mad from somep'n. 1 reck-
oned that was it."
what v say?"
Henry repeated.
"Oh. y're standin' so fer away /
couldn't hear "
Henry pondered upon this remark,
and q glimmer of encouragement pene-
trated his sluggish brain. He ap-
preached the fence and after a few ir-
relevant remarks put his hands on the
rail again, inclosing Jenny's round
arms. though his were unbent. keep
ing him at a distance from the lips he
coveted.
"If y think v kin drive me away
from this fence" she said, ''y're
mighty mistaken"
81 amt a-tryin'."
Henry began a process of swinging
backward and forward. Several times
he approached within a few inches of
her lips. She neither moved nor spoke.
Finally the temptation was too great
for him, and as a bit of metal placed
too close to q magnet will suddenly
click against 1t he got within an ire
sistible attraction, and their lips met.
Henry drew back abashed.
"That was an accident" he said. 81
wouldn't "a done it fer a quarter Sec
ton o. land if / could "a helped it,
'And wouldn't "a had v done it
fer another quarter section" replied
the girl. coloring. by think want
to kiss me as feels that
a-way?'
"Air y goin' to forgive me, jenny"
mo"
The word was spoken in a very non
committaI tone, but Henry did not so
it. He stood very near the |
pouting lips that had tasted so sweet. |
and bit of recklessness came to him.
Jenny" he said, II reckon that If v |
air not goIn' to forgive me fer takin i
one 1 might as well have a Dozen"
To this Jenny made no reply She |
looked out toward barn that doomed |
up on the crest Of distant hill and |
waited.
"How much madden would v be If |
took a dozen than If took oneT' he |
asked
Lots"
Henry was beginning to discover
that the penalty he must pay for q kiss |
was not very severe. Jenny's lips were |
still pouting within a few inches of |
his, and he was thinking If one kiss |
had been so sweet that dozen must |
be twelve times sweeter. He slowly
drew nearer and nearer. giving her
plenty of time to draw back. She did
not move. and at last Henry was revel-
ng in another kiss. though whether 1t
was one long kiss or dozen short |