The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1909-12-16
ROMANCE OF A LEG,
BY s. HUNTER HALsEY.


guage. Ii is something TO be felt, but
not spoken. The old. the middle aged,
xhe young may experience it. ii is
not confined to any class. 1t is seri-
Gus. pathetic, yet there arc times when
1t is ridiculous.
When Mary Ann. who had served
us faithfully for twenty years. an
nounced that she was about to TIC
married to Peter, the hired farm hand
we were astonished. Never had we
seen the couple spooning CIR incoming.
On the contrary. we had observed
what we considered evidence Of ami
mostly. They were continually max
ing complaints Of each other. But we
knew Mary Ann was good woman.
and we had little interest in Peter, for
he was with us only for the harvest
season.
How long. Mary Ann" we asked,
'have you and Peter been engaged"
''Since yesterday at sunset"
"And had you thought much about
marrying before that:"
81 had and hadn't" replied Mary
Ann. THAT was because l didn't
know what Peter was a-goin' to do
But week ago when | gave him
piece of pie | bad made and he said.
Mary Ann. have you the receipt for
it, so that If you should leave the
farm you could make il Without the
cookbook? I knew there was mean
ing In the observation. And when !
said, Never fear, ! have the receipt
firm in my head saw by the look,
in his eye it wouldn't be long before
he'd ask me-
One would suppose that in such A
genuine case the course Of true love
would run smooth, but it didn't. Peter
walked with a halting gait Being "A
woman, l am blessed with woman's
traits. including animosity. Mary
Ann" said to her one day, what
makes Peter walk so queerly?"
I'm sure don't know" was the
reply.
oh" l added Il supposed you
would know. of course
From that time | noticed there was
something wrong between the lovers.
asked Mary Ann about it. ITS the
leg" she said. II axed him. He said
there was something on his mind about
it. l begged him to confess. but he
wouldn't and he Wouldn't, till ut last
lost patience with him."
You shouldn't have done that"
lose our patience with men. We have
only to keep at them and they are
sure to come our way at last They
are not us enduring as we. But it
would not be prudent for YOU to marry
Peter with secret between you and
him. 1t may be there is story con.
nected with his limp. He may have
been doing something unla wful and
got caught in trap
I've thought that myself" said
Mary Ann. Il panied expression cross
ing her face.
After his the relations between Pc
ter and Mary Ann went from bad to
worse. l said nothing more to her. for
knew that when Il woman makes MP
her mind to learn a secret she'll know
IT in time. l noticed Il bounded look on
Peters face. but | did not realize the
depth of his tribulation IL there WAS
nothing disgraceful connected with his
hating walk. why should he not tell?
If there was. Mary Ann would best be
rid of him.
One morning ! was standing on he
porch looking down toward the rail
road which runs past the other end
Of the apple orchard The express
WIS due in a few minutes. and | a.
ways liked to see II go by There Is
something about Il passing train 10
wake Hs country penplt. from our nr-
custometl leihnr@y. Presently heard
n distant whistle and Il moment lnlrr
saw Peter walkin" briSkry as his halt
would permit toward tie track He
climbed the fence dividing fl from The
farm. dragging his stiff LEG ever after
him and stood between rhc Fails. At
I hat moment the train shot ont If the
wood. heard a succession of sharp
whistles and saw Peter instead of get
ting out Of The trains WHY He down
on the ties shricked and covered
my eyes with my hands. hut before
shutting out my vision caught Il
glimpse of Mary Ann wildly running
toward the would be suicide
heard the train stop. II kissing Of
! steam and Il confusion of voices. One
1! of he farm hands came along. and
| when | asked him if. Peter had been
killed he told me that he would prob
J ably die. since he had lost a leg. He
! had tried to get off the track at the
/ last moment and had removed all OF
! his body except one leg. which had
| been crushed under the wheels.
ooh. that leg!'' I groaned. 1--we been
sure it would ruin Mary AIMS happi:
!, ness hope he's lost the one that
has been the cause Of the trouble"
saw an opening in knot of people
cr0wdng around something beside the
train. and two men emerged carrying
another on stretcher. Mary Anr
walking beside them wringing hel
hands. They were bringing Peter tt