The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-03-25
MANkATO FREE PRESS.

garrulOus and noisy, but they two were
more richly alone together, to his appre-
citation. than if they stood on some far
satellite of Mars. He was not to for
get that moment, and he kept the pic
ture of her, as she leaned against the
big blue tent pole there, in his heart;
the clear. gray eyes lifted to his, the
| piuuant face with the delicate flush
stealing back to her cheeks and the
| brave little figure that had run so
straight to him out of the night shad.
ows. There was something about her
| and in the moment that suddenly
touched him with a saddening sweet
| ness too keen to be borne. The forget.
me-not finger of the flying hour that
could not come again was laid on his
soul and he felt the tears start from
his heart on their journey to his eyes
| He knew that he should always remem-
Der that moment. She knew it too.
She put her hand to her cheek and
turned away from him little tremu-
| lousy. Both were silent.
They had been together since early
morning. Plattville was proud of him.
Many friendly glance from the folk
who jostled about them favored his
suit and wished both of them well, and
| many lips, opening TO speak to Hank
| less in passing, closed when their own
ers. more tactful than Mr.. Bardlock,
| looked a second time.
| Old Tom Martin, still perched alone
on his high seat, saw them standing by
| the tent pole and watched them from
under his dusty hat brim. Il reckon
! it's ben three or four thousand years
sence | was young" he sighed to him
self. Then, pushing his hat still farther
down over his eyes, II don't believe I'd
ort to rightly look on at that" He
sighed again as he rose and gently
spoke the name Of his dead wife: Mar
lie, l reckon you're mighty tired wait
in for me. It's ben lonesome some
/ times
'sDo you see that tall old man up
there?" said Helen, nodding her head
toward Martin. II think should like
to know him. I'm sure like him."
'"That is old Tom Martin"
81 know
81 was sorry and ashamed about all
! that conspicuousness and shouting. 1t
must have been very unpleasant for
you. 1t must have been SO for stran-
ger. Please try to forgive me for let
ting you in for it,
! "But l liked it. 1t was all in the
family and it was so jolly and good
natured, and that dear old man was so
bright. Do you know" she went on in
q low voice, 81 don't believe I'm so
much a stranger-I think l love all
these people a great deal-in spite of
having known them only two days"
At that a wild exhilaration possessed
him. He wanted to shake hands with
every soul in the tent, to tell them all
| that he loved them with his whole
heart; but, what was vastly more i'm
portant, she loved them a great deal
in spite of having known them only
! two days.
! He made the horses prance on the
| homeward drive, and once, when she
told him that she had read q good many
of his political columns in the Herald,
| he ran them into fence. After this
It occurred to him that they were near
| ing their destination and had come at
q perversely sharp gait, so he held the
roans down to snail's pace Of it be
/ true that snairs natural gait is not a
! troD for the rest of the way, and they
talked of Tom Meredith and books and
music, and discovered that they diff
fered widely about Ibsen.
They found Mr.. Fisbee in the yard
talking to Judge Briscoe. AS they
drove up and before the horses had
quite stopped Helen leaped to the
ground and ran to the old scholar with
both her hands outstretched to him
He looked timidly at her and took the
hands she gave him; then he produced
from his pocket yellow telegraph en-
velope, watching her anxiously as she
received it. However, she seemed tt
attach no particular Importance to it
ward him, still holding one of his
| hands.
"These awful old menu Harkless
groaned inwardly as he handed the
horses over to the judge. Il dare say
he'll kiss her too" But when the ed
itor and Mr. Willetts had gone it was
Helen who kissed Fisbee.
They're coming out to spend the
evening, aren't they?" asked Briscoe
nodding to the young men as they Sc
off down the road.
"Lige has to come whether he wants
to or not" Minnie laughed rather con
sciously. Its his turn tonight to lool
after Mr.. Harkless."
81 guess he won't mind coming" sai(
the judge.
"Well," returned his daughter, glanc
ing at Helen, who stood apart reading
the telegram to Fisbee, Il know if he
follows Mr.. Harkless he'll get here
pretty soon after supper-as soon as
the moon comes up, anyway"
The editor of the Herald was late tt
his evening meal that night. 1t was
dusk when he reached the hotel. anG
for the first time in history a gentle
man sat down to meat in that house
Of entertainment in evening dress
| There was no one in the dining room
when he went in-the other boarders
| had finished, and it was Cynthia's
evening OUTPUT the landlord, Co
lumbus Lands, came and attended tt
his wants himself and chatted witt