Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-03-09

/ beneath. and he had to look away from
that. too, to keep from telling her that
he meant to advocate law compelling
all women to wear crisp white gowns
and white kid slippers on moonlight
nights.
She picked long spear of grass
from the turf before her, twisted it
him slowly. Her lips parted as II to
speak Then she turned away again.
( The action was so odd, somehow, as
she did it, SO adorable, and the pre-
served silence was such a bond be-
tween them. that for his life he could
not have helped moving half way up
the bench toward her.
"What is it?" he asked, and he spoke
in whisper such as he might have
used at the bedside Of dying friend.
He would not have laughed If he had
known he did So She twisted the spear
of grass into little ball and threw it
at stone in the water before she an
swered:
do you know, Mr.. HAIRLESS, you
and have not met have we? Didn't
we forget to be presented to each
other?"
II beg your pardon, Miss Sherwood.
IN the perturbation Of comedy for
got
ut was melodrama, wasn't itY she
said. He laughed, but she shook her
! head
"Purest comedy" he said gayly, Eek
cept your part Of it. You shouldn't nave
/ done it. This evening was not arranged
in honor Of visiting ladies' But you
mNstn't think me comedian. Truly,
didn't plan it. My friend from Six
Crossroads must be given the credit OF
devising the scene, though you OWNED
| It,"
''It was little too picturesque, l
| think. l know about Six Crossroads.
| Please tell me what you mean to do"
Nothing. What should II"
"You mean that you will keep on let
| ting them shoot at you until they-until
you She struck the bench angrily
with her hand.
"There's no summer theater In SIX
Crossroads. There's not even church.
Why shouldn't they7' he asked grave
". During the long and tedious even
ings it cheers the poor Crossroaders
soul to drop over here and take q shot
at me. 1t whites away dull care Tor
him, and he has the additional exercise
Of running all the way home"
"Ahw she cried Indignantly. 'They
told me you always answered Nike this
"well, you see, the Crossroads efforts
have proved SO thoroughly hygienic for
me. AS a patriot have sometimes felt
extreme modification that such bad
Workmanship should exist in the eoun-
ty, but I console myself with the
thought that their best shots are, I'M
happily, in the penitentiGry.'
There are many left. Can't you UNI
derstand that they will organize again
and come in body, as they did before
YOU broke them up? And then, Il they
come on night when they know you
are wandering out Of town.
"You have not had the advantage OF
an intimate study Of the most exclusive
people Of the Crossroads, Miss Sher-
wood. There are about thirty gentle
men who remain tn that neighborhood
while their relatives sojourn under dis
cipline. IL you had the entree over
there, you would understand that these
thirty could not gather themselves into
a company and march the seven miles
without physical debate in the ranks.
They are not precisely amiable people,
even among themselves. They would
quarrel and shoot one another to pieces
long before they got here"
"But they worked in a company
once"
"Neyer for seven miles Four miles
was their radius. Five would see them
all dead"
She struck the bench again. "Oh. you
laugh at me! You make a joke of your
own life aud death and laugh at every
thing. Have Ave years Of Plattville
taught you to do that7'
Il laugh only ut taking the poor
Crossroaders too seriously. don't laugh
at your running int FIRE to help fell
low mortal
II knew there wasn't any risk. !
knew he had to stop to load before he
shot again"
"He did shoot again. II had known
YOU before tonight, t. His tone
changed, and he spoke gravely. Il am
at your feet in worship OF your divine
philanthropy. It's SO much finer to risk
YOUR life for q stranger than for a
friend"
THAT is mans point Of view, isn't
itY'
"You risked yours for man you had
never seen before"
ooh, no. saw you at the lecture.
heard you introduce the Hon. Mr.. Hal
loway."
..Then 1 don't understand your wish
ing to save me-"
She smiled unwillingly and turned her
gray eyes upon him with troubled sun
niness, and under the sweetness of her
regard he set watch upon his lips.
though he knew 1t would not avail him
long. He had driveled along respect
ably so far, he thought, but he had the
sentimental longings Of years. starved
of expression, eliminating in his heart
She continued to look at him wistfully,
searchingly, gently. Then her eyes trav-
eled over his big frame, from his
shoes Ga patch Of moonlight fell on