The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1907-01-24

.-.s congratuIareo nerselr emmy. nss
thin, handsome face was set In lines OF
pain. The pounding steps behind
| changed their time abruptly. With a
squirt OF speed Johnny shot by her. and
faced her in the dusty road.
Jess, little girl" he said humbly
His good. brown face was wistful in
its pleading. You'll let me speak to
you a minute, Jess? A minute amt
much to ask, now, is itY'
mo, no; let me go past. Johnny. I've
got to. Granny's waiting for her tea,
and the little UNI
Must wait too. I'll make 1t up to the
little un, Jess. What I've got to say
is that IL love you, Jess. / do it as
honest and hearty as man ever loved
woman ever. The Lord Almighty
knows do. l want you to let me mar
~ you, Jess. l want to have a right
to take care o. you, Jess. Jess"
He had hurried over the little speech
as II time were precious. but the cry
at the end came from his soul. He had
bis hard brown hands out to her.
LET me go past. Johnny; let me go
pastv cried Jess fiercely. She could
was her only safe guard.
Answer me straight out, Jess Bin
neyw demanded Johnny. with stern
despair. Amt l got the right to be
answered same as other men? Amt l :?
Amt ! waited long enough for an an
swer? No. no; not that, Jess! Don't
say you don't love me. IL know that
But l want you anyway. I'll be that
good to you, little girl. I'll take that
care o you
Jess stared down the white roadway
unseeingly. Even the little un's bowed
figure, waiting, did not come within
her vision. She began to speak In
harsh. strained voice.
you want me to answer straight
out-ain't that what you said. Johnny?
Well. it won't take long. It's SO short"
For one instant Jess let her eyes
meet Johnny's. She lowered. straight
and pitiless. between him and the sun.
NO" she said quietly. Now let me
go past, Johnny"
The little I'll was whimpering softly
to himself. Jess held out her hand to
him with gentle Cancellation. She was
always gentle with the little un, and
too. He was tiny and weird, and his
little childish face peered out through
. tangle OF yellow hair. 1t was not a
misfit. this name. He would always
be little I'm in body and in mind.
"Pm hunger-y." he walled You'd
Just's lieves I'd be hunger-y-yes, you
would too! You-you want me to be
hunger-y.'
"Why. little un. Why, little unw
crooned Jess soothingly, the mother
sound in her voice. The little un could
not remember any other mother but
Jess. For six OF his seven years she
had mothered his misshapen, stunted
little body tenderly.
"Why, little un. and sister was goin
to give You such nice puddin today!
With
She bent over and whispered some
thing in his ear.
''Plumsw shrieked the little un
"Plums in it-plumsr'
Five Of 'en. little un-all In your
piece" Jess said. smiling in her pain,
for her heart was like stone in her
breast. She could look back and see |
Johuny slouching back along the white.
glazing road. She had sent him away |
from her. How could she mind the |
looms day after day without Johnny's |
tender words in her ears and Johnny |
to wait outside and walk home with |
her? How could she bear the unend- |
ing grind OF her young life without |
Johnny7
The vista OF years that opened be- |
fore her and reached into the dim per-
fpective of old age-old age like gran |
ny's-stided her and killed her courage.
Her feet stumbled heavily along be- |
side the little un's
Granny was waiting too. There was
ncaSca1x tina tn. nat TIA 1lsIa- iasAl.