Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1909-06-11

ms-ie his grandiloquent announcement
about the wonderful act about to be
seen, and her eyes wandered to the
distant church steeple. The moonlight
seemed to shun 1t tonight. 1t looked
cold and grim and dark. She won
dered whether the solemn bell that
once called Its flock to worship had
become as mute as her own dead heart.
She did not hear the whir Of the great
machine inside the tent as 1t plunged
through space with its girl occupant.
These things were a part of the daily
routine, part Of the strange. vague
dream through which she must STUN
BILE for the rest of her life.
Jim watched her in silence. Her
face was turned from him. She had
forgotten his presence.
"star gain, Poll2' he asked at
length dreading to disturb her reverie.
II guess was, jim" She turned to
him with little, forced smile. He
longed to save her from Barker's
threatened rebuke.
"How you feelin, tonightT
'I'm all right" she answered cheer
fully.
anything you want?"
"Want| She turned upon him with
startled eyes. There was so much
that she wanted that the mere men
ton of the word had opened a well of
pain in her heart.
II mean can do anything for you?"
ooh, of course not" She remem-
bered how little any one could do.
"What is it. Poll?" he begged, but
she only turned away and shook her
head with sigh. He followed her
with anxious eyes. "What made you
cut out the show today? Was 1t be-
cause you didn't want to ride afore
folks what knowed you-ride afore
him mebbe?"
"Him?" Her face was white. Jim
feared she might swoon. "You don't
mean that he was"-
"Oh. no." he answered quickly, 'of
course not. Parsons don't come to
places like this one. was only fgur-
In that you didn't want other folks to
see an to tell him how you was rid
in'." She did not answer
"Was that it. Poll?" he urged.
"Idon't know" She stared into space.
"Was it?'
II guess 1t was" she said after a
long time
81 knowed itv' he cried. 81 was a
fool to "a brung you back! You don't
belong with us no more"
ooh, don't, Jim! Don't! Don't make
me feel I'm in the way here too!'
"Here too?" He looked at her in as
constituent. You wasn't in his way,
was you, Poll?"
yes, jim" She saw his look Of un-
belief and continued hurriedly: "Oh,
tried not to be! tried SO hard. He
used to read me verses out of Bible
about my way being his way and my
people his people, but it isn't so, Jim.
Your way is the way you are born, and
, your people are the people you are
born with, and you can't change it,
Jim, no matter how hard you try"
"You was changin' It," he answered
savagely. you was gettin' jes' like
them people. 1t was me what took you
away an spoiled it all. You oughtn't
to "a come. What made you after you
said you wouldn't?" \
She did not answer. Strange things
were going through the mind of the
slow witted Jim. He braced himself
for difficult question.
"Will you answer me somethin'
straight he asked.
"Why. Of course" she said as she
met his gaze.
do you love the parson, Poll?'
She started.
as that til"
i Her lids futtered and closed; she
caught her breath quickly, her lips
apart. then looked far into the dis
lance.
Yes, Jim, I'm afraid that's It," The
little figure dropped, and she stood be
fore him with lowered eyes, unarmed
Jim looked ut her helplessly, ther
shook his big, stupid head.
"Ain't that h-l?"
1t seemed such short time to jim
since he had picked her up, cooling
babe, at her dead mothers side. He
watched the tender, averted face
Things had turned out so differently
from what he had planned.
"An' he don't care about you-like
that?' he asked after pause.
4 "No. not in that way" She was anx
ious to defend the pastor from even tn,
thought Of such a thing. ''He was
good and kind always but he didn'
care that way. He's not like that"
II guess I'll have talk with him.
said Jim, and he turned to go.
''Talk" she cried.
He stopped and looked at her IL
establishment. 1t was the first tim,
that he had ever heard that sharp not
in her voice. Her tiny figure wa.
stiffened with decision. Her eyes wer'
blazing.
. ''If you ever dare to speak to him
. about me, you'll never see me again."
Jim was perplexed.
II mean 1t. Jim. I've made m.
! choice. and I've come back to you. l
you ever try to fix UP things between
J him and me. I'll run away-really an,
truly away--and you'll never. never ge
me back"
I He shufiled awkwardly to her sid
and reached alphabetically for the lit
tie clinched fist. He held 1t in his BIZ
rough hand. toying ncrvously with tn
tiny fingers.