Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1907-02-07

please" she cried. Take me away
anywherc! This is dreadful"
II vas. indeed. dveidful. If could
have had my way at just that mo-
nent. it would have gone hard with
Mrs. b" and "Alie'-and heavy
voiced Joe, too. But I hid nay feel
ings, There's owns else - go"
sand L. except the brousham.
she sank into her chair.
A few minutes more of silence. and
there was Il r~ustling on the stairs. she
started up. trembling, looked round.
rs II secking Some way OF escape or
some place to hide. joe was in tho
doorway holding ASIDE one of the cur
tains. There entered in u beribboned
and ~heflounced tea gown, a pretty if
rather ordinary. woman OF 40. with II
petulent baby face. She was trying
To look reserved and severe. She hard
~ glanced ut me before fastening
SHARP. suspicious eyes on Anita.
Mrs Ball" said |. this is Miss
lillcrsly."
Mss ElIersly." she exclaimed. Nor
face changing. AID she advanced and
took both Anita's hands. VI Ball
amusinsly affected accent which is the
Sunday clothes of speech.
Il don't catch the name, nay DEAR
Joe stammered.
& off, said i. aside, to hirn. &c
the nearest preacher. and hustle him
here with his tools"
| had one cye on Anita all the time.
and | saw her gaze follow Joe as he
hurried out. and her expression made
my heart ache. I heard him saying in
the hail. Go In. Allie. It's o.. n"
heard the dGor siam. knew We sfIOu1l
soon have some sort of minister with
US.
Allie" entered the drawing room. 1
had not seen her i'll six years. re
meinbered her unpleasantly as Il great.
fArtT ty,si1 alAfll tnaI1A tA ..-.1
still or To sit still. or to keep her
tongue still. full of aimless questions
and Eiggles and silly remarks that she
and her mother thought fun: =. l saw
her now. grown into a handsome young
woman. with enough beauty points for
an honorable mention, If not for q
prize-straiSht and strong and round-
cd. with Il brow and a keen look out of
the eyes which it seemed Il pity should
be wasted on a woman. Her mothers
looks. her fathers good sense. IL per-
sonality apparently got from neither,
but all her own. and unusual and in
tercsttng- NO wonder the Balls felt
toward her mitch as Il pair of barn
swallows would feel If they were to
hatch out an eaglet. These quiet.
tame American parents that are al
ways finding their suppressed selves,
the bold fantastic. unadmitted dreams
OF their youth startlingly confronting
them in the flesh as their own chill
dren.
From what Mr.. Ball said"-Mrs.
Ball was gushing affectedly to Anita
Il got an idea that-well. really, 1
didn't know what to think"
Anita looked as If she were about to
s%uffocate. Allie came to tho rescue.
Not very complimentary to MIR. Black
lock. mother" said she good humored-
~. Then to Anita, with a simple
friendliness there was no resisting:
Wouldn't you like to come up to my
room for a few minutes"
"Oh. thank you!" responded Anita,
after a quick, but thorough inspection
Of Alva's face, to make sure she was
like her voice. l had not counted on
this: l had been assuming that Anita
would not be out Of my sight until we
were married. 1t was on the tip of my
tongue TO interfere when she looked
at me-fo permission to go! Don't
keep her too long" said l to Alva, and
they We're gone.
You can't blame me-really you
can't. Mr.. Blackjack" Mrs. Ball be-
gan to plead for herself. as soon as
they wero safely out OF hearing. Aft
er some thlngs-mere hints. you UNI
~derstand-for I'm careful what l per-
NIT Mr.. Eall to say before me. l think
married people cannot be too respect
full OF each other. / never tolerate vul-
garity."
n doutt, Joe has made me on. u
very vulgar person." said l, forgetting
her lack OF humor.
"Oh. not at all. not at all. Mr.. Black
lock" she protested, in a panic lest
she had done her husband damage with
me. II understand. men will be men,
though as n pure-minded woman I'm
sure i can't imagine why they should
be-"
How far of Is the nearest church"
I cut in.
"Only two b!ocks-that is. the Meth
O1iSt church" che cap1ia1 Hpuf I
know Mr.. Ball will bring an Episco-
palian."
why. l thought you were a devoted
Presbyterian" said !, recalling how in
their Brooklyn days h used to insist
on Joe's going twice every Sunday to
sleep through long sermons.
She looked uncomfortable. 81 was
reared Presbyterian" she explained
confuscdly, but you know how
got out OF the habit of churchgoing.
And all Alva's little friends were Epis-
copaltans. So l drifted toward that
church. find the service SO satisfying
~-so--elegant. And-one sees there the
people one sees socially"
How is You culture class?" In
anired. deliberately malicious. in my
!mpatience and nervousness. "And do
you still take conversation lessons ?"
She was ~furtously annoyed. 'Oh
tilUSc oIu jokes CI Joe 8, she SAID, az
fe.ting disdainful amusement.
In fact. they were anything but jokes
On Mondays and Thursdays she used
to attend n class for women who. like
Z herself. wished to be up to date on
culture and all that sort Of thing" They
hired n teacher to cram them with odds
and ends about at n politics and the
, --latest literature. heavy and light" or
Tuesdays n Fridays she had an in
digent gentlewoInan." whatever thai
may be. come to her to teach her how
> to and otherwise conduct her