Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1909-05-28

Iona HELLER.

Iona HELLER.
one nay find comeliness-roundness OF
figure, and lustre OF eyes, and even
perfection OF color and mould OF fea-
ture. But beauty is quite another
thing. 1t is an atmosphere rather than
a contour n a color; it is a subtle
blending of all things together; and 1t
Is more. There Is heredity In 1.-THE
cumulative charm OF a long line OF fair
mothers II fairer daughters. The es-
sence OF it eludes analysis; il is the
boquet OF rare wine, indescribable and
in~definable. When one finds 1t In the
wilderness II whispers of old tragedy.
1t Is the full blown Jacqueminot among
the jungle thorns. There has been a
rude transplanting; there is a romance
to tell, though p~erchance ii has been
forgotten.
No one could deny that Iona Heller
possessed beauty wild. barbaric type
OF beauty, perhaps. yet one that at
tracted attention instantly n held IL
by a force hat was dttle shor OF un-
canny. A single glance marked her as
an exotic, a child of the South, of the
Latin lands-with cheeks OF pale olive,
with eyes such as only the daughters
of the Mediterranean ever possess, and
with hair abundant n soft and glis-
tening In it's perfect blackness. With
tttV odt IolA bHOAi ~ IL was oNitt al dON
solute black. The supple figure, 1.-THE
and cat-quick, the arms rounded for
the dance. for the fling OF the ambou-
rine or the castanets, the feet and limbs
light as the daughter OF Herodias, the
neck and head for toss n coquettish
Se-ev line and feature was of
this earth, a Joy to see. but of the mo-
ment alone. A curious type for old
Poppy Miller's cabin in the Run, a type
clearly not evolved mid the Seven
Mountains.
No wonder that the valley folk. who
had caught only glimpses of this girl.
whispered among themselves, and no
wonder that Tom Farthing, alive and
81. went home from the Run in a flut-
ter. He spent a day In searching for
a pretext for seeing her again, and he
found one.
II woul require tact, he unused. to
conquer her shyness. Doubtless he
would find difficulty in seeing her at
all: for she was wild as a forest crea-
ture and as timid, But the evening
changed the face OF things. She had
not avoided him at all; she a been
self possessed and at her ease; and
there had been I'm her every attitude
and information the s~tateliness of one
who is condescending graciously. He
was the menia and she the daughter
OF the house. 1t mystified him and
haunted him. AS he walked home
through the twilight he could think of
nothing else. How could a woman like
that live at Poppy Miller's. In that
squalid cabin?
That was the beginning Of visits. He
went almost every night. He carried her
water from the creek: he sawed her
wood; he walked with her in the twilight.
Then all In a moment she changed like
an April day. As by an impulse she
dropped her aloofness and reserve and
made a comrade OF him.. 1t took his
breath away. 1t sent him home power
less to Danish her from his thoughts.
He was as wax In her hands; he
changed with her every mood, and her
moods were infinite. Now he vas joy
Gus n confident-he could win her
yet, for she loved him, II must be: then
swiftly he would despair, for she was
Infinitely far away and he was but
an episode; then for a tense moment
he would feel like n VINO awakes in
a grip that holds him rigid, fight as he
may-but 1t was only for the moment.
Once he found her dressed In a
strange, clinging costume OF yellow,
brilliant and glittering. her arms bare
to the shoulders, and her feet In curious
sandals. Her hair was knotted In wild,
gypsy fashion. A dash OF color at the
crown, a sparkle of beads at the throat
-he could only stare at her.
Don't you like the dress3'' she
called.
but what Is ite'
''Just a dress. Sect" She sprang
up and spun around till the short skirt
stood out like a bell. You never saw
me dance. Look. She caught up a
~tambourine- like thing with fiuttering
streamers, flung up her arms in joyous
abandon. and glided n flashed and
pun. Her eyes were full upon him.
They seemed unnaturally large and
brilliant, and always looking straight
into his. A moment and sank upon
the rock.
Wonderful. wonderful" he burst
out. strangely ~exhilarated. He could
not take his eyes from her.
But what kind OF . dance Is it," he
asked eagerly. What Is IT."
ITS just a dance
But where could Q have learned
itg"
II never learned IT."
"Ah, but you must"
TITS In the blood. IT'S | k breath
ing"
sThe bloodg-what do you mean?
What blood?" He leaned forward In
tenseiy.
"See: here's another" Again he
watched the flash and q OF her
bare arms. the twinkle OF her feet, the
scling and swing Of her garments. The
rythmic thump, thump and CHATTER
seemed beating In his throat. The
strearncrs floating and circling about
her head and throat and breast. or
t1eaping In exultation above her. dared
him. He began to feel strange ana
unreal. snilniteiy Tar "a. and@ever those
eyes were full upon him. They aeen1ed
TO be growing larger n more black
When she stopDed ~ drew Ions