The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1904-09-10

III AMT 'towin' I'm any better n
| the rest Of EN-, but now say,
Lou, | mean Miss Louise, amt We, that
is, can't ye'
But with each shambling word the
straight shoulders Of Miss Louise was
Strengthening into a ramrod erectness.
"Will you realize, Mr.. Muir
ply" she interrupted, with a chilling
accent on the mister, that where there
Is no congeniality there can be no
ahem, esteem?"
And Murphy. whose plea had been
just plain, old-fashioned love, noted
the naughty shoulders before him, and
his heart went into his boots.
ut isn't that | have ceased to like
Mr.. Murphy" the girl explained later
to n of the summe boarders. but
before | went away l had never met
any cultivated people, and didn't know
how impossible he is. I was too young
anyway to be engaged. and you can't
think how his ungrammatical CONVEX
sation CRATES upon refined sensibili-
ties"
Murphy, meanwhile, had stamped
around by the kitchen. out to the barn
and through the corral to the canyon.
"'Taint no use, | guess" he said to
himself, when hours later. remember
ing it was milking time, he pulled him
self together and started off stifHy up
the trail. Murphy had felt ever since
Lou had gotten her certificate that the
times were sadly out of joint for him,
but could not quite fathom the cause.
He could not see himself as Lou saw
him in contrast with the people she
had met at the normal school. the
teachers institute and the oddly as
sorted guests who filled the little Buck
Valley inn. ''The pity of it is that |
ever encouraged him to think | cared
for him" she repeated to herself when
ever a reproachful qualm strayed into
her conscience.
And Murphy, to be sure, was not a
romantic figure as he swung along the
Grizzly trail. His hair was u%ndeniably
red, and his face aggressively freckled, |
his frame was loose-jointed and sham
bling. and his usage of the kings Eng
lish-most objectionable of all his
faults in Lucy's sight-betrayed a con-
tempt not bred of familiarity. That
many of the visitors who came up
from the city found pleasure in his
companionship for his keen wit, good
hard sense, and woodcraft, had never
touched Miss Lou. There was a young
bank cashier from the valley, a cal
low, briefess barrister from the city,
a Well-set-up engineer from that, to
her. vague and mysterious region
called back east" who lounged on
the porch, fished up the canyon and
supplied her ideals of manly dignity
and quality.
1t had been hard enough to bear
with Jim's crudities when she first
TOOK the school, but when the vacation
season opened and people from the
towns sought out her mountain fast
ness, she felt it inconsistent with her
calling to be followed everywhere by
Jim; by a man who unblushingly de-
scrloed the swagger young cashier as
the Teller | had took up the stream
onct or twict last year" and announced
loudly enough for every one on the
porch to hear that the barrister was
the FUNNIEST shot l have ever saw
But If Lou could have OWNED the
struggle Jim Murphy was making with
MS unkempt English when he met her,
'he next day at the spring, she might
not have f1outed him quite SO cruelty.
Say, Lou" he began, in the old ia
niiiar way, but managed to correct
himself before the flexible shoulders
nad reached the pinnacle of their dis
aaln-'say, Miss Louise. yell go to the
lance with me Sat'd'y, won't ye? An
say, now"-but fearing another word
might involve his syntax still more
nopelessly, and settle his fate forever,
simply fastened his eyes upon her
and waited. dumbly.
Thank you very much, Mr.. Muir
the girl answered, in cool, su-
perior tones, Il can't give you a posi-
1--WE answer just now, but | will let
you Know by Friday" Whereupon
murphy gulped down a retort and
backed off down the road.
Friday was a safe distance off, Lou
Feasoned, to give either the cashier or
ne barrister time to ask her. and as
me had only thanked Mr.. Murphy and
lot told him he might hope for any ia
TOT at her hands. she felt she had
managed the affair with rare d.
DO you see how the little school
ma am is playing the fellow" the
,oarders began to ask each other as
.ney watched the play going On, and !
the big, good-hearted fellow get
ing the worst Of it. And many there !
we're who longed to take her in hand J ]