Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1910-05-26

KNOWS he has 1t until he begins Il
lose 1t, but it's different with a girl
Something of the unconventional stu
alton began to dawn on her as she put
IN the last hair pin and patted some
stray locks to place.
Il have not told you my name,
she said abruptly. 81 forgot that be
cause know who you are, you know
nothing about me. | am Alison West,
and my home is in Richmond"
So that was it! This was the girl
OF the photograph on John Gilmore's
bedside table. The girl Mcknight ex-
pected to see in Richmond the next
day, Sunday! She was on her way
back to meet him! Well, what differ
ence dis it make, anyhow? We had
been thrown together by the merest
chance. In an hour or two at the
most we would be back in civilization
and she would recall me, IL she re-
membered me at all, as an unshaven
creature in red cravat and tan shoes,
with soiled Pullman sheet tied
around my neck. drew deep
breath.
Just twinge," I said, when she
glanced up quickly. IT'S very good
Of you to let me know, Miss West
have been hearing delightful things
about you for three months"
From Richey Mcknight" She was
frankly curious.
Yes. From Richey Mcknight" I
assented. Was It any wonder Nc
Knight was crazy about her? I dug
my heels into the dust.
81 have been visiting near Cresson,
in the mountains" Miss West was say
ing. THE person you mentioned, Mrs.
Curtis, was my hostess. We've
were on our way to Washington to-
gether" She spoke slowly, as if she
wished to give the minimum of expla-
nation. Across her face had come
again the battling expression of per-
plexity and trouble had seen before.
You were on your way home, sup
pose? Richey-spoke about seeing
you" / floundered, finding 1t necessary
to say something. She looked at me
with level, direct eyes.
NO" she returned quietly. 81 did
not intend to go home. well, it
doesn't matter; am going home
now"
A woman in a calico dress, with
two children, each an exact duplicate
of the other, had come quickly down
the road. She took in the situation at
a glance, and was explosively hospit.
able
You poor things" she said. IF
you'll take the first road to the left
over there, and turn in at the second
pigsty, you will find breakfast on the
table and a coffee pot on the stove.
And there's plenty Of soap and water.
too. Don't say one word. There isn't
a soul there to see you"
We accepted the invitation and she
hurried on toward the excitement and
the railroad. l got up carefully and
helped Miss West to her feet.
AT the second pigsty to the left"
repeated, I'VE will find the breakfast
l promised you seven eternities ago.
Forward to the pigsty!"
We said very little for the remand.
er of that walk. had almost reached
the limit OF endurance; with every
step the broken ends of the bone
grated together. We found the farm.
house without difficulty, and remem.
Der wondering If could hold out to
the end Of the old stone walk that led
between hedges to the door.
Allah be praised" said with all
the voice could muster. Behold the
coffee pot" And then l put down the
cup and folded up like jack-knife on
the porch floor.
When came around something hot
was trickling down my neck, and a
despairing voice was saying, "Oh, II
don't seem to be able to pour 1t into
your mouth. Please open your eyes"
But don't want it in my eyes," II
replied dreamily. 81 haven't any idea
what came over me. 1t was the shoes,
l think; the left one is a red-hot tor.
ture.' l was sitting by that time and
looking across into her face.
Never before or since have | faint.
ed, but would do it joyfully, a dozen
times day, if | could waken again
to the blissful touch of soft fingers on
my face, the hot ecstasy of coffee
spilled by those fingers down my neck.
There was a thrill in every tone of
her voice that morning. Before long
my loyalty to Mcknight would step
between me and the girl he loved;
life would develop new complexities.
In these early hours after the wreck,
full of pain as they were, there was
nothing of the suspicion and distrust
that came later. Shorn of our gauds and
baubles, we were primitive man and
woman, together; our world for the
hour was the deserted farmhouse, the
slope Of wheatfield that led to the
road, the woodland lot, the pasture.
We breakfasted together across the
homely table. Our cheerfulness, at
first sheer reaction, became less forced
as we ate great slices of bread from
the granny oven back of the house,
and drank hot fluid that smelled like
coffee and tasted like nothing that I /
have ever swallowed. We found cream
in stone jars, sunk deep in the chill
water of the springhouse. And there