St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1903-12-12


STOPPING over them that awoke those
mystic warnings; that it was the
moonlight and the quiet that sent him
off into those long, long reveries
wherein the big things dwindled and
! shrank and it seemed good just to live
on in silence at peace with all human.
kind Yea, truly, he thought it was all
a case of atmosphere, the poor artist.
Little dreaming that it would have
been the same in Broadway or Boston
had the incorrigible angel been there.
Like most men he shrank from analyz-
ing his emotions. But, Aspasi. the in
corrfgible angel. analysed them for
him. All, mails oui! Her eyes danced
when she beheld M lie artistic smoking
with his eyes on vacancy and her lips
quivered with suppressed smiles when
he stammered over the request to DO
allowed to chop her kindling.
Alas, he was better fitted to draw
pictures than to chop kindling, lie pau
vre artist, with his long, slim fingers.
AS Aspasi watched him she seemed to
see in contrast blue flannel shirt
straining over straight shoulders while
keen ak flashed up and down with
pOetical precision. But who would
have suspected that she saw such VII
sions, the deer-eyed maiden, as she
heaped the chips in her apron with a
shy:
Il tank you, sir"
Helm! It is the poets that tell US
the woods is the place to see visions
and dream dreams. VOLTA, Aspasi saw
many visions: ofbroad shoulders, as we
have said; Of fearless black eyes when
she looked at the artists gold-rimmed
glasses; of swift, strong strides when
she watched the artists strolling
steps; OF back-flung head and laughing
lips while she responded to the artists
well-bred smile. All, mon ami, beside
the machine-made man she kept seeing
the man primitive with the beauty of
sun god and the bravery of dumb
beast-and she could not comprehend
culture. But, yet; it was fun to have
a man who wore store clothes every
day for beau. It made the other girls
81 jaloux. -~f
And then the edge came up to the
artist, sharp and keen. 1t was letter
that did it. A cold, typewriter, die
tated ten lines. Helm, that this fugi-
tive from hustling world center"
should have found its way into that
delicious land of dreams and visions!
An offer which If accepted meant
cool thousand or so-and prospects:
but which, If rejected. or even nc
elected. was as door slammed in the
face of success.
The artist walked the night away.
How could he go and leave her. his
incorrigiDle angel? But how could he.
take her with him? In that dollhouse
atmosphere would she not droop and
All, he had meant to give it all up for
her. To have cottage on hillside
with flowers blooming about the door,
and now And now the incongruity
of it all struck a chill to his heart.
Broadway and this beautiful child.
Poor little incorrigible angel. And he
had deliberately taught ner to love
him-had wooed her wistfully, think
ing of that home upon the hill that
was not to be. Must he go away in
silence? ALI the manhood culture had
left with him rose in protest. At the
thought of those beautiful eyes darken-
ing with pain and those. perfect lips
dropping in sorrowful patience his
heart began to hurt him. He did love
her. She fascinated his fancy. All.
she appealed to his tenderness ten
derness he had not before suspected.
Srsh n
would be pitifully corrigible taken
away from the hills and the sunshine
that were as the very breath to her.
But he must do it. Must take her
away and train her to be proper
partner for his prospects He was man
enough to give small thought as to- |
what his friends would say, and before |
morning even man enough to rise
above the crushing Inconvenience OF |
this unexpected expense. The day wore |
to evening and, Ell bien. it was bigger |
man than the artist had ever planned
to be that sat down beside his host |
when that host had eaten his suppe.
and washed his feet and was feeling at |
peace with himself and Heaven. Very
honestly he told this honest man what
was in his heart and thought. and his
host, being slow-talking as well as
honest, said. reflectively::
"Yas?" He smoked cigarette and |
added: "Yas; das one beeg ting, ed
cation. l amt had none, me. But, !
know. Vas; das one beeg ting" And
then, unexpectedly. "Ou est-elle done
Aspasi. Aspasi! wien. chere.'
In mingled French and English he
told her Of the artists Intentions to-
ward her and Aspasi sat with demurely
lowered lashes. AS he watched her
color quicken the artist felt his heart
begin to swell. He was doing noble
how was he to know that
those divine bushes were for dark
eyed boy beyond the bayou who could
do his own love making. The old man
up gently:
''It's fo' you to say. chere. But me,
l t'ink vas"
The incorrigible angel raised her
lashes and swept the artist single
swift glance of still disdain.
But me-" she said, Il t'ink no..