The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1908-01-10

AAS sIOhllt III liz uDuol DiIlllS IdoilDl,
developing appetites, until it occurred
TO Red to liven the performance by
showing them the art of roping as
practiced upon an old cow found in
the woods. AS q spectacle, it was Il
failure. The combined efforts of all
the hooting small boys could not make
that cow run. She ven stretched her
neck toward Red, as though saying:
Hurry up with your foolishness. |
have q cud to chew and can't stand
here idle all day" So Red golloped
by and threw the moose Over her head
as an exhibition of how the thing was
done rather than how it ought to be
done. Nevertheless picnic parties are
not hypercritical in the matter of
amusement, and the feat received
three encores. The last time he missed
his cast through overconfidence, where
at the old COW tossed her head and tail
In the air and tore off ut an eIephan-
tine gallop, with a bawl that sounded
to Red nightly like derision.
burned if she amt laughing at me!.'
he cried. But as Il matter of fact it
"do al Iioi net lu u uLlltStdkdDlc
sting that injected this activity into
her system.
1t was all very pleasant to Miss Mat
tie. as ones first picnic in many years
should be. She enjoyed the crisp green
sod, the great trees standing around.
parklike. with the sunlight falling be-
tween their shade like brilliant tat
tiers of cloth of gold, while from the
near distance came the tiny shouting
Of cool waters. They had a camp fire
at night, making the moonlight stn
more mysterious and remote by COLI
traSt. The quartet of strings played
for the ears of those who cared to
listen and for the legs of those who
chose to take chances ON tripping their
light fantastic toes over tree roots in
the grass.
Red loved music, and he loved the
night. The poetic side of his memo
rieS of watching the Dipper swing
around PoIaris while he sung the COWS
to sleep came back to him. In his
mind he saw the vast prairie roll on to
~infinity. saw the mountains stand out,
Il world of lie peaks, rising from q
sea Of darkness. Again he heard the
p%laintive shrilling of an Indian whistle
or the song Of the lad down creek,
made tuneful by the charm of dis
lance.
Having Il good time, Mattie?" he
asked, with a smile.
"The best I ever had, Will she an
swered. smiling back unsteadiIy.
Poor lady! The size of an occasion is
so many StGndards, whether the stand
ard be inches or feet or miles. Miss
Mattie's events had been measured in
hundredthS of an inch, and it took Il
good many of them to cover so small
an action as a successful picnic on a
beautiful night. Her eyes were hu-
mid; her mouth smiled and dropped at
the corners alternately. Red felt her
happiness with a keen sympathy, and,
as he looked at her, suddenly she
changed in his eyes. Just what the
difference was he could not have told, |
nor whether it was i'll her or in him.
A sudden access of feeling, undefin-
able, unplaceable, but strong, pos
sessed him. There is a critical tenn
p%erature in the life of a man, when
no amount of pressure can ever make
the more expansive emotions assume
the calmer form of friendship. There
was something in Miss Mattie's eye
which had warmed Red to that de-
gree, but he didn't know it. He only
knew that he wanted to sit rather un-
necessarily close beside her, and that
lie would be sorry when it came time
to go home. And he was very silent.
During the drive back to the house
he spoke Il, fronosylIables; he went
straight to the barn with Lettis after
ward, and made no attempt to take
the usual frank and hearty good night
kiss.
You're as glum as an oysterr,' said
Lettis, when they reached their quar-
tiers. whats the matter, old man."
Il don't know, Let; l feel kind of
quiet, somehow"
''Sfck? Or something go wrong?"
"NO; nothing of the kind. It's Just
sort of an attack of stiffness, but I
feel durn good"
Lettis laughed. IF it wasn't you,
Red, I'd say you were in love-" he
said.
1t was well the barn was dark, or he
would have seen a change wonderful
to behold come over the ex-puncher's
face. THE lad has hit it." he said
to himself in establishment; aloud he
grunted 'hunh' scornfully, and
aroused himself for an unnecessary
joke or two.
Miss Matte had noticed the attack
of stiffness" and Immediately tried to
fasten the blame upon herself. What
had she done? She couldn't recall
anything. She remembered she had
said something about the way his hair
looked with the moon shining on it.
Perhaps he had taken offense at that.
The remark was entirely compliment
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