The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-05-29


for the last time and fired across the
sea with a vague notion at the back of
his head that he was protecting Maisie
from all the evils of the world A pud-
die far across the mud caught the last
rays of the sun and turned into a
wrathful red disk. The light held
Dicks attention for moment, and as
he raised his revolver there fell upon
him renewed sense Of the miraculous,
in that he was standing by Maisie, who
had promised to care for him for an in
definite length of time till such date
as A gust of the growing wind drove
the girls long black hair across his
face as she stood with her hand on his
shoulder calling Amomma "a little
beast" and for moment he was in the
dark-a darkness that stung. The bull
let went singing out to the empty sea.
Spoiled my aim," said he, shaking
his head. "There aren't any more car
tridges. We shall have to run home"
But they did not run. They walked
very slowly arm in arm. And it was a
matter Of Indifference to them whether
the neglected Amomma, with two pin
fire cartridges in his inside, blew up
or trotted beside them, for they had
come into a golden heritage and were
disposing of it with all the wisdom of
their years.
"And shall be- quoth Dick valiant.
ly. Then he checked himself. Il don't
know what l shall be. l don't seem to
be able to pass any exams, but l can
make awful caricatures of the master.
Ho, ho!"
BE an artist, then,'' said Maisie.
you're always laughing at my trying
to draw, and it will do you good"
"I'll never laugh at anything you do"
he answered. "I'll be an artist, and I'll
do things"
ARTISTS always want money, don't
they"
give got f12O year of my own. My
guardians tell me Pm to have it when
come of age. That will be enough to
begin with"
"Ah, I'm rich,' said Maisie. "Ive
got $500 a year all my own when I'm
twenty-one. That is why Mrs. Jennett
Is kinder to me than she is to you.
wish, though, that had somebody that
belonged to me-just a father or a
mother"
"You belong to me-" said Dick, "for
ever and ever
81 know I do. It's very nice" She
squeezed his arm. The kindly darkness
hid them both, and, emboldened be-
cause he could only just see the profile
Of Maisie's cheek, with the long lashes
yelling the gray eyes, Dick at the front
door delivered himself of the words he
had been boggling over for the last two
hours.
"And II love you, Maisie," he said
In whisper that seemed to him to ring
across the world-the world that he
would tomorrow or the next day set
out and conquer.
There was a scene, not, for the sake
of discipline, to be reported when Mrs.
Jennett would have fallen upon him,
first for disgraceful unpunctuality, and
secondly for nearly killing himself with
q forbidden weapon.
81 was playing with it. and it went
off by ITSELF said Dick when the pow
der packed cheek could no longer be
hidden, "but if you think you're going
to lick me you're wrong. You are never
going to touch me again. Sit down and
give me my tea. You can't cheat us
out of that anyhow
Mrs. Jennett gasped and became
livid. Maisie said nothing, but en-
couraged Dick with her eyes, and he
behaved abominably all that evening.
Mrs. Jennett prophesied an immediate
Judgment of Providence and descent
into Tophet later. But Dick walked
in paradise and would not hear. Only
when he was going to bed Mrs. Jen-
nett recovered and asserted herself.
He had hidden Maisie good night with
down dropped eyes and from a dis
lance.
eff you aren't a gentleman, you
might try to behave like one," said
Mrs. Jennett spitefully. you've been
Quarreling with Maisie again"
This meant that the regulation good
night kiss had been omitted. Maisie,
white to the lips, thrust her cheek for
ward with a fine air of Indifference
and was duly pecked by Dick, who
tramped out of the room red as fire.
That night he dreamed wild dream.
He had won all the world and brought
it to Maisie in a cartridge box, but she
turned it over with her foot and in
stead of saying, "Thank you," cried:
"Where is the brass collar you prom
Used for Amomma? Oh, how selfish
you are"