The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1904-11-30
BY MARGUERITE srABLER.
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the rest of 'em, 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 Mto a ramrod erectness.
will you never realize, Mr.. MUIR
ply" she interrupted, with a chilling
accent on the mister, chat 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 I have ceased to like
Mr.. Murphy" the girl explained later
to one of the summer boarders, "but
before l went away had never met
any cultivated people, and didn't know
how impossible he is. 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.
faint no use, guess" he said to
himself, when hours later, remember
Ing it was milking time, he pulled him
self together aud started off stiffly 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 sh.
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 reproachful qualm strayed into
her conscience.
And Murphy, to be sure, was not
romantic figure as he swung along the
Grizzly trail. His hair was undeniably
red, and his face aggressively freckled,
his frame was loose ointed and sham
bling, and his usage of the kings Eng
lish-mcst objectionable of all his
faults in Lucy's ht-betrayed 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 young
bank cashier from the valley, cal
low, briefless 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.
It 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 man who unblushingly de-
scribed the swagger young cashier as
the Teller l 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 il Lou could have OWNED the
struggle Jim Murphy was making with
his unkempt English when he met her,
the next day at the spring, she might
not have fiouted him quite so cruelty.
Say, LOU he began, in the old ia
miliar way, but managed to correct
himself before the flexible shoulders
had reached the pinnacle of their dis
dain-"say, Miss Louise, yell go to the
dance with me Sat'd'y, won't We? An
say, now'-but fearing another word
might involve his syntax still more
hopelessly, and settle his fate forever,
he simply fastened his eyes upon her
and waited. dumbly.
"Thank you very much, Mr.. Muir
ply" the girl answered, in cool, SUI
perior tones, II can't give you a posi-
tive answer just now, but l will let
you know by Friday" Whereupon
Murphy gulped down a retort and
backed off down the road.
Friday was safe distance off, Lou
reasoned, to give either the cashier or
the barrister time to ask her. and as
she had only thanked Mr.. Murphy and
not told him he might hope for any IA
vor at her hands, she felt she had
managed the affair with rare di-
plomacy.
do you see how the little school
ma am is playing the fellow?" the
boarders began to ask each other as
they watched the play going on, and
cav tho big, good-hcarted fellow get.
ting the worst of it. And many there
we're who longed to take her in hand
and shake those flexible shoulders till
her teeth turned to castanets.
Everybody at the hotel was planning
to go to the dance, for the Divide was
only ten miles distant; so every cart,
spring wagon and blackboard was
hauled out the shed, creased and put
in order for the trip. AS the people
came to these dances from 20 miles
around, the trip had to be accom-
plished in daylight, SO the entertain