Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1903-09-11

ed, that a even triumph over a frocf
that is not quite fresh or a style t hair
dressing hat is not altogether suitable
But then, in her case, it was such
charming hair, SO bright. and so curly
that he told himself fashionable dress
ing, which would have reduced hel
head to the level of repetition of all the
other heads in the room, would have
been a mistake, a piece of vandalism
And as for the dress, that was, at any
rate, simple-although of the kind thai
is not expensive, or even particularly
tasteful-and he managed to overlook
it. Yet that was something of d feat
Ito his credit or not, as you looked a
the matter-for he had the reputation
of being one of the most fastidious
men in London. Moreover, the child
she was only a child, as he admitted
had absolutely no conversation.
And she was eighteen and badly
dressed, while he owned TO thirty-fye
and was we'll known as an accomplish
ed mali of the most sensitive, most ex-
quisite taste.
The woman wasn't born, his friends
had been in the habit Of saying, who
could entirely reach up to his stand
ard of perfection; among themselves
they had often pictured her, the near
est thing possible, the woman he
would surrender to, and she was eul-
tured and witty, d~elieately sympathetic
d~aintily beautiful, and certainly beau
tifully dressed t the last little detail
And it must be admitted hat he had
always SO pictured her himself.
After ALI" they said. so, after all
the usual thing attracts him, OF
course, she's sweetly pretty, and he'll
choose her ffocksl" They didn't fee,
any less pleasure in their idol because.
at last, they had discovered his feet OF
clay; they were, indeed, enthusiastic
cally inclined to applaud their newer
and more, homely view of him, and
they let The girl With the heaven
searching eyes absorb him, while they
looked on In an attitude distinctively
suggestive of hand-clapping.
After ALL" they would chorus, and
someone would invariably add, We'll
he'll know how to spend the money!
Yet it was common knowledge that
he was not overburdened with money
having been, apparently, too overbur-
dened with brains to acquire it in any
quantity.
And all the time he was with hel
he thought only of her eyes and his
W power to waylay them from
heaven. But when he was not with
her, many of his thoughts circled round
the cheap row of pearls she invariably
wore, and his mind, attuned to great
subjects, took TO itself a holiday anC
spent it in wondering why she tied &
knot in them.
Was 1T of set design or did she really
think they looked better knotted?
There had come into his mind, the frs
time he saw her, an old saying, Ions
forgotten, that a girl knots her pearls
when she wants a love letter. Now die
this girl of the innocent eyes in this
manner deliberately advertise d want
And was it simply a love letter thai
she wanted. as one might covet d rare
curio, or, say, a first edition? (Ht
said, a first edition.) Or was it not
perhaps, a letter from a particular per-
son she had set her heart on? Some
one who might see the touching little
indication of readiness to receive a ten
derby worded epistle; someone who, il
was hoped, would be ready, would be
eager to comply? Although this las
possibility undoubtedly put the girl in
the better light, tits noteworthy that
1t was not the idea he honestly favored
He followed the little story further
For if the knot was the result Of any
thing more than merest accident, O,
other than a clumsy device for keeping
the row tightly around her white
throat, then, since, as far as he knew
the knot was never united, also, as fan
as be knew, she did not get her letter
The blue eyes were sometimes pa
thetic; in time it grew to hurting him
that she should even possibly want
what he could have so easily supplied
The whole question. as childish as she
was, and as strangely engrossing
haunted and disturbed his leisure, and
n night, having just left her, he sal
down and wrote her the letter.
The bulk of the talents for which
people praised him were in the habit
of emerging from the point of his pen
and the letter was worthy OF his repu-
tation without being at all above Ser
power of appreciation-eyen ~supposine
she was in all things as young az she
looked. 1t was simple, in fact. as her
speech, and as beautiful, after its fash
ion, as her eyes: and. reading 1t over
he knew he had never done anything
better. But he wasn't as mad as he
might have looked-if anyone could
have seen him-and he only posted il
into his pocket. Having been written
to her, it was sacredly hers, and tc
have it about him gave him a feeling OF
pleasure he acknowledged with q
laugh, and for once did not try to ac-
count for in words.
After that he wrote her a letter every
time he saw her. and. but that some
thing happened about the sixth time
it is a matter to wonder at how far he
would have allowed his pockets tt
bulge.
What occurred was OF the most com
m~onplaee description. In hunting fol
something else, he dropped one of the
letters at her feet. She caught it or
with a little cry. Why, it's addressed
TO me" II he had not stopped her she
would have opened it there and then
But he couldn't prevent her keepins
It nor prevent himself seeing the laugh
IN her eyes-a stray g.eam that seemed
g East a new light ON the pathways tC
heaven.
If YOU like it. he said, there arr
more; and he took out the pack. turn.
ing il over.
But. il they're mine. | would much
rather have fhnfn ut nurnfr che rriom