The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1908-02-06
A MAYNARD FANCY.
BY Blanche Maude Heywood.

thrown IN as an extra blessing SAID
Inez Payson.
DO not joke, Inez. about so serious a
matter" and Mrs. Payson held up her
shapely hands deprecatingly.
Joke, l never felt more sedate-is
not a N~fe-important decision involved
for met" and she smiled bitterly.
How pretty Inez Payson was. Her
aunt felt her heart swell with pride as
she looked at her. Just so she mad
looked 80 years ago. She had had the
same violet eyes, full of purple shad-
ows, the same brown hair with a CLINT
of gold IN it, and the girl had her own
high spirit too, she sighed.
The lesson would ON soon enough.
she did not want her beautiful niece to
learn too soon that life had wilder
nesses-she did not want her to COM
NIT that GROWING folly that had
ruined her ltfe-a love match-a quiet
affection that would stand the wear
and e of years vas best. Friend
ship and esteem would live when love
lay bleeding.
"Tnez," she said In her soft pathetic
voice, your mother was going to say
that in all probability Mr.. Seymour will
speak to you h is afternoon, and a load
would be lifted from US If you could
give us just a hin of what your an
swer would be-"
My answer" said the girl, thought
fully, and she ent and caressed an An
CORA cat that purred at her feet. She
a known for a long time that Tom
Seymour loved her, and she had made
a desperate attempt to gain time. She
a a the nnurnerable advantages
Of such a match pointed out by them so
often that she knew precisely what was
expected of her.
She knew equally we'll how afraid
they were of any love passages between
her, and d~issipated, wicked Jimmy
Dale, as they called him., but still she
enjoyed keeping them in suspense, so
she dallied q bit longer with the soft
fur of the cat. and then said In a cold,
hard voice.
My answer-will be what you ex-
pect me to say. 1t will be yes, and now
if you please I will go"
She wanted to be alone, to stamp out
the present, and ace her future. 1t
seemed to her that all the lear old past
was gone.
And you. too, Jimmy, among the
rest" she moaned, "if you had only
spoken, only showed me that you
cared, l could have stood up and defied
them all. lust for your love I would
nave been content to let the world slip
by. But you did not speak, and now
I mean to cast all thought of you to
the wind, and live my life as other
women live theirs and il I find Tom
Seymour In a foolish enough mood to
ask me to marry him this afternoon L
! shall do it-and live a great lady. all
without love"
She looked like a wood nynph in her
green and white gown, as she wan
dered down TO the lily pond that after
noon, with Tom Seymour. a silence
had fallen between the two, and she
almost gave a start when he sang in
full round tones:
"'Oh saw We not fair Inez, who came
from out the West"
Il always hin of sunsets and clouds
and gorgeous effects when / see you
Inez,' he said, and 1 wonder if that
other Inez Of the old song was half as
fair or loved one half as well as l love
you."
You are so sweet, so gracious, so
kind, that you will not daily with me.
[ do not want you to think of my pos
sessions, but of me-, the man who asks
you to be his wife. Am I worthy? Let
Are you worthy? Tom, Tom, my
dear, I am not half good enough for
one like you. An honest heart is with
out money and without price. I like
you Tom and my answer is yes,' and
she burst into tears.
Tomorrow was her wedding day. and
1nez Payson stood looking down into
the lily pond for the last time.
Pretty blossoms I wait for my story,
Will the long years bring 1t such as I
wish it to be? You o your heads
lilies" she said. but you do not smile
up at me-"
Then she gave a start, and tried to
jump back from her own bright re-
Election in the water, for over her shoul-
der was another face, Jimmy Dale's
face, looking down into the water at
her.
She turned and looked straight nto a
pair of burning black eyes. The color
slowly mounted her forehead, until it
crimsoned her face and neck, but she
did not speak.
"Inez.' he said at last, ST can stand
this duel of glances no longer. Inez
tell me that 1t is all a lie, that you
will be my little sweetheart, for I
swear that this wedding shall never
Re. With my own hands I will choke
the life out of your pretty white throat,
rather than let you marry another. It
Is LIE you love, me-wicked, miserable,
poor, but % love me-"
Come with me now, and we will
marry ut the small church. the old
pastor is my friend. You do not speak.
you do hot move-then by heaven I
will compel you to come"
II have a little to say about thai YOU
mailman" rang out Tom Seymour's
clear voice. as he stepped into the
space. a tall man of gigantic mould, be-
fore whom the other seemed dwarfed.
ana common ana STOOD looking down at
them.
Inez Payson looked from one to the
other, and revulsion shook her. at last
she saw Jimmy Dale as he was.
stripped of every glamour, with the
seal OF vice and sin upon him. and
her pure heart cried out. "unclean. un-
clean.' -
II have nought to say about a fellow
who would steal an honest mans sweet
heart right under his w nose. but
l am here to protect his girl. If Inez
wishes to marry such as you" and
Tom Seymour's voice was full Of scorn.
II am not the one to stand in her
way. but she has no call to sneak off
to do 1t.
"Inez. my girl, you know what I am.
and 1t is to be presumed you know this
fellow, also. 1t is he or I-choose, girl
-choose!"
While he had been speaking her ewes
had never left his face, and her yoice
was very low and tender, as she an
swered:
IT have made my choice. It Ia vo,
Tom. You are the real man. he ~
! the counterfeit. 1t needed but his CON-.
ing to show me how much l love Won ..
Reflections eft a Bachelor.