Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1909-07-28
CHAPTER Vll.-continued.

life" he said. Il wanted to do some
thing-to have some part in the
worlds work. The law seemed to be a
respectable profession and I felt that
maybe I could do some good in poll
tics. I don't think the men of my
class take as much interest in politics
as they should. And then, I'd like to
make my own living"
Il have to make mine," said Maria
Greene.
But you never thought of teach
ing, or nursing, or-well-painting or
music, or that sort of thing, did you?''
''No," she replied; did you?"
Vernon laughed at an absurdity that
needed no answering comment, and
then he fastened on:
"Of course, you know I think it fine
that you should have done as you
have. You must have met with dis.
couragements."
She laughed, and Vernon did not
note the bitterness there was con.
cealed in the laugh; to him it seemed
intended to express only that polite
depreciation demanded in the treat.
ment of personal situation.
Il can sympathize with you there
said Vernon, though Miss Greene had
not admitted the need of sympathy.
Perhaps it was Vernon's own need of
sympathy, or his feeling of the need
of it, that made him confess that his
own family and friends had never sym.
pathized with him, especially with
what he called his work in politics; he
felt, at any rate, that he had struck
the right note at last, and he went on
to assure her how unusual 1t was Il,
meet woman who understood public
questions as well as she understood
them. And it may have been his curl
osity that led him to inquire:
How did your people feel about
your taking up the law"
Miss Greene said that she did not
know how her people felt. and Vernon
again had that baffled sense of her
evading him.
1--WE felt pretty much alone in my
work." he said. 1.-The women know
won't talk with me about it; they
won't even read the newspapers. And
I've tried so hard to interest them
in it,"
Vernon sighed, and he waited for
Miss Greene to sigh with him. He did
not look at her, but he could feel her
presence there close beside him. Her
gloved hands lay quietly in her lap;
she was gazing out over the prairies.
The light winds were family stirring
her hair, and the beauty of it, it's
warm red tones brought out by the
furnishing sun, suddenly overwhelmed
him. He stirred and his breath came
Aard.
DO you know" he said, in a new
confidence, that this has been great
day for me? To meet you, and to
know you as I think do know you
now! This morning, when l was
speaking, felt that with you to help
me, could do great things
Miss Greene drew in her lips, as if
TO compress their fullness; she moved
away on the seat, and raised her hand
uneasily and thrust it under her veil to
put back a tress of hair that had
strayed from it's fastening. Vernon
saw the flush of her white cheeks
come and go. Her eyebrows were
drawn together wistfully, and in her
blue eyes, that looked far away
through the meshes of her dotted veil,
~ ~Ek
caught her lip delicately between the
edges of her teeth. Vernon leaned
slightly forward as If he would peer
into her face. For him the day had
grown suddenly hot, the spring had de-
veloped on the instant the oppressive
heat of summer. He felt its fire; he
could see its intensity vibrating in the
air all about him, and he had sense
as Of all the summers voices droning
in unison. The reins dropped from his
listless fingers; the horse moped along
as it pleased.
II have always felt it, vaguely" Yer
non went on, his voice dropping to a
low tone, land this morning it was
suddenly revealed to me"
Miss Greene raised her hand as if to
draw it across her brow; her veil
stopped her.
Lets not talk about that now" she
pleaded. Lets enjoy the air and the
country. don't have them often
Her hand fell to her lap. The color
had gone out of her cheeks. And Yer
non suddenly felt that the summer had
gone out of the air; a cold wind was
blowing as over soiled patches of snow
left in shaded depressions of the fields !;
the earth was brown and bare; the
birds were silent. He jerked the horse
smartly. and it gave an angry toss OF