The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1909-05-27
CHAPTER XII.
Iona HELLER.

CHAPTER XL.
Iona HELLER.
Even in the remotest mountain cabin
one may find neutrality-suspicious. of
figure, and lustre of eyes, m even
perfection of color and mould OF fea-
ture. But beauty is quite another
a contour and a color; Ii is q subtle
blending OF all things together; n 1t
is more. There is heredity In 1.-THE
cumulative charm Of a long line of fair
mothers and fairer daughters. The es-
sence of 1t eludes analysis; 1t Is the
boquet OF rare wine, indescribable and
indeinable. When one finds II in the
wilderness 1t whispers OF old tragedy.
1t is the full blown Ja~cqueminot among
the jungle thorns. There has been a
rude transplanting; there Is a romance
to tell, though perchance 1t has been
forgotten. -
No one could deny that Iona Heller
possessed beauty-a wild, barbaric type
Of beauty, perhaps, yet n that at
tracted attention instantly and held 1t
by a force that was little short 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
L w y Oh oAAa 9cAk gin us
tening in it's perfect blackness. With
the sun full upon 1t II was still an abb
solute black. The supple figure, 1.-the
and cat-Quick. the arms rounded for
the dance, for the fling of the tambou-
rine or the c~astanets, the feet and limbs
light as the daughter OF Herodias, the
neck and head for toss and coquettish
~pose-every line and feature wa 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 amid the Seven
Mountains.
No wonder that the valley folk, who
had caught only glimpses of this girl,
whispered among themselves, M no
wonder that Tom Farthing, alive and
81, went home from the Run I'm q f1ut-
ter. He spent a day in searching for
a pretext for seeing her again, and he
found one.
II would 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; h had been
self possessed n atLher ease: and
there had been in her every attitude
and in~tonation the stateliness of one
who is condescending g~raciously. He
vas the mental 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 Millers, In that
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 h 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 was joy
Gus and confident-he could win her
yet, for she loved him, 1t 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 one who 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 glittertng, 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
The could only stare at her.
Don't you like the dress?" she
called.
But what is it?"
Just a dress. Seel" 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 fiuttertng
streamers, flung UP her arms In joyous
abandon, and glided and flashed and
| SnIIn Dee Her aNyaa yUarn ft1Il Innnn him
They seemed unnaturally large and
brilliant, and always looking straight
into his. A moment and she sank upon
the rock. 49,.
Wonderful! wonderful" he burst
out, strangely exhilarated. He could
not take his eyes from her.
But what kind OF a dance is itT' he
asked eagerly. What Is it?" .
Its just a dance"
it?'
IT never learned It."
All, but you must"
It's in the blood. It's like breath
Ing"
THE blood ?-what do you mean?
What blood?" He leaned forward in
tensely.
See; here's another" Again he
watched the fash and weave of her
bare arms, the twinkle OF her feet, the
cling and swing OF her garments. The
rhythmic thump, thump and clatter
seemed beating in his throat. The
streamers floating and circling about
her head n throat and breast, or
leaping In exultation above her, dazed
him. He began sto feel strange and
unreal, infinitely far of, and ever those
eyes were full upon him. They seemed
to be growing larger and more black,
When she stopped he drew q Ions