The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1903-07-31

LA"tH
Copyright, 1903, by w. r. Hearst.)
IL was not her first love. SHE had
loved before, but never in this way.
She looked with a certain plying scorn
on the heeting attachments OF two
years, a year, six months ago,
"I was very young then" she
thought, looking up through the apple
blossoms under which she lay.
She was 10 years old now. Ten just
the day before yesterday. And the
day before yesterday was the first time
she had seen HER. 1t had cost her
a great deal to go to school that day.
1t was her birthday and the sun hone.
But she had gone. Things are very
hard at times, but now how glad, how
glad she was!
Now, lying under the apple blossoms
she made a great resolve. 81 will wash
the dishes every day, every day, with
out being asked" she thought.
If her legs were only thin. SHE had
such lovely thin legs. And blue eyes,
truly blue. instead of all colors mixed
UP. And HER hair was long and
braided and had a little point at the
end instead of twisting up and crump-
ling up, especially in church, until you
simply must take your hat Off or die.
Perhaps SHE would LAY spoken
that very morning II her hair had been
different. No one understood, nc n
cared. She had not seen HER for two
days, and just that morning she was
looking in the glass to see if she had
not changed at all, or grown very pale.
when her mother began to twist the
end of her braid around and around,
and there it was all turned up again.
No n understood-no one in the
whole world.eXcept God. He must.
How near the blue sky seemed beyond
the apple blossoms.
Suddenly she saw her brother come
out on the piazza, look around and
then steal softly back of the house.
II is after my things" she thought,
and she sprang up and after him, but
stopped In the midst of her run, hest
tated, turned back. and then ran eager
ly after him again.
Il will show him where I have hid
the treasure, and I will let him have
my bower In h tree" she thought.
She ran on, tripped and tore her
dress. Her brother saw her coming
and fled hot haste yer the fence. Then
che leaned her head against a tree, and
looked down at her torn dress, and a
great wave OF sadness came over her.
Mamma will scold, too. I suppose.
No n knows how changed I am. I
am going to die pretty soon, I think
The next day she went early to
school and laid an armful of apple
blossoms on HER desk. Then she
crept softly out and fingered at the
school gate, watching.
But when SHE came near, walking
quite slowly-not running at all, or
even skipping-with her geography,
under her arm, with her truly blue
eyes, with her hair which did not rum-
PIE or twist, with her thin legs, the lit
tie girls courage failed her. She
turned back and walked slowly up the
school walk. Her heart beat fast as
she walked into the school and hid
herself behind the cloak room door and
watched through the hin to see if
SHE would see the apple blossoms.
-Ihe desk was covered with them. so
SHE broke off several twigs. all pink
and white and taking up the others
threw them out Of the window.
Ihey We're just common things. I
ought to have brought lilies or roses"
moaned the little girl in the cloak
room. h did not venture in until the
others came.
e she rushed on to her w desk.
from where h could see the thin legs
coming down below the seat, and
above. the lovely braid, all but the lit
Tie point and her heart sank. She
realized now how the deformed man in
her street felt.
Why does God make some people
50 nice n some SO horrid," she
thought In despair. At recess. how
ever. she had to pass HER desk often.
At last the bell struck and as she went
- her seat she said to HER:
~Hello!" said the other little girl.
The next day they became ntimate
friends. The new scholars name was
Rosalie. The little girl was not sur
pr7sed. she a known from the be-
ginning that it must be that or Violet,
Her own name was only Jessie.
ihere was another girl Of the same
age whose name was Lillian. These
three used to walk home together arm
in arm. talking very fast and ul1ite oh
uvtous of the existence Of any other
human being.
Rosalie and Lillian lived in adjacent
streets, Jessie further on, so they sep
arated n by one.
one day Jessie asked Resale to walk
on to the next corner. SHE did It.
Ihen Jessie walked back again. That
Rosa1ie's mother had told her to come
straight back from the school.
some people were so different from
otner people. Resale was never bad.
never. Lillian vas lovely, too, though
sne sometimes did things, and some
people were So bad. They did nor
mean to be, 1t just came.
She looked around with grave ewes
Near her was a half-built house with a
quantity of waste wood lying around Il.
Suddenly Jessie sprang toward it and
began to gather a big bundle. as m,1ch
as she could carry. I'll take It to the
poor woman across the BRIDGE she
thought. Se
There was no one in sight at the poor
Woman's house. Jessie laid her bun
die down at the door very softly. and
then ran away as fast as she could.
he shoes Gathering on the board side.
walk as she ram.
The days slipped past. The three
girls had been intimate friends four
weeks. Resale and Lillian studied
their geography together, Jessie rved
too far away. They knew each others
inmost souls n were closely united
BY a common passion for the teacher
Ihey invented a cipher, the e~xplana-
tion OF which each kept hidden away in
the most secret part OF her desk. 81
worked beautifully, for each one was
permitted to add a new sign wheneve
It seemed necessary. Then thew would
read the accumulated notes on the
way from school and laugh, and It
made the other girls simply wild.
They likewise gathered long thorns.
and sWore to prick their fingers and
write all very important noes in their
~ DlH10 nvpn yny $40 ~ - - -.