The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1907-05-02

she placed above one ear three or four
large artificial roses, taken from an old
hat Of her mothers, which she had
found in a trunk in the storeroom.
Possessing no slippers, she carefully
BACKED and polished her shoes, which
had been clumsily resoled, and fasten-
ed into the strings Of each small
rosettes Of red ribbon, after which she
practiced swinging the train of her
skirt until she was proud of her ma
nipulation of it, She had no powder,
but found lin her grandfather's room a
lump of magnesia that he was in the
habit of taking for heartburn and pass
ed it over and over her brown face and
hands, Then lingering gaze into her
small mirror gave her joy at last. She
yearned SO hard to see herself charm
ing that she did see herself So Adj
miration came, and she told herself
that she was more attractive to look at
than she had ever been in her life and
that perhaps at last she might begin to
quite as abruptly and re-entered the
room whence she had come. She laugh
ed again to her fat friend as she passed
him and, still laughing, went toward
the fatal chair, when her eyes caught
sight of Eugene Bantry and Mamie
coming in through the window. She
went to the window and looked out.
The porch seemed deserted and was
family illuminated by few Japanese
lanterns. She sprang out, dropped upon
the divan and, burying her face in her
hands, cried heartbrokenly. Presently
she felt something alive touch her foot.
and, her breath catching with alarm,
she started to RISE A thin hand, issu-
ing from a shabby sleeve, had stolen
out between two of the green tubs and
was pressing upon one Of her shoes.
"Sh!' said Joe. Don't make
noise! What were you crying about?''
Nothing" she said, the tears not
ceasing to gather in her eyes.
81 want to know what it was" he
insisted. Didn't the fools ask you
to dance? Well, what do you care
about that for?"
81 don't" she answered; 81 don't"
Then suddenly, without being able to
prevent it, she sobbed.
She gave way all at once to gust Of
sorrow and bitterness. She bent far
over and caught his hand and laid it
against her wet cheek. ooh, joe" she
whispered brokenly. 81 think we have
such hard lives, you and 1! 1t doesn't
seem right while we're so young! Why
can't we be like the others? Why can't
we have some of the fun?"
He withdrew his hand with the en-
barrassment and shame he would have
felt had she been boy. Get out!' he
said feebly.
She did not seem to notice, but, still
STOPPING, rested her elbows on her
knees and her face in her hands. Il
try so hard to have fun, to be like the
rest, and it's always mistake, al
ways, always, always!' She rocked
herself slightly from side to side. 81
am a fool, it's the truth, or 1 wouldn't
have come tonight. l want to be at
tractive. want to be in things. I
want to laugh like they do"
"I'll tell you something" Joe whis-
pered, chuckling desperately. Scene
made me unpack his trunk, and don't
believe he's as great man at college
as he is here. l opened one of his
books, and some one had written in it,
'Prigamaloo Bantry, the Class Try-to-
Be- He'd never noticed, and you
ought to have heard him go on! You'd
have just died, Ariel. l almost bust
wide open. 1t was mean trick in me,
but 1 couldn't help showing it to him"
Joe's object was obtained. She stop
ped crying and, wiping her eyes, smiled
family. Then she became grave.
you're jealous of Eugene" she said.
He considered this for moment.
eyes," he answered thoughtfully; II
am, But I wouldn't think about him
differently on that account. And
wouldn't talk about him to any one but
you"