Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1910-04-28
The Home
of a Heart
BY Martha Mccuuoch Williams

Copyright, 1909 by Associated Literary
AS the black fiddlers swung with a
Grand flourish into Trenton" Eliza.
beth set up an airy balancing, though
the prompter had not opened his
mouth. John Lane, her partner
touched her hand lightly, saying:
wait! What makes you in such a
hurry?"
"You can dance when you like! You
don't have to run away! And you
don't love dancing! Not as l do"
Elizabeth pouted.
She was always pretty, the prettiest
girl in the neighborhood. To-day in
her crisp blue frock, her eyes spark
ling, her cheeks of a wild-rose red,
she was simply enchanting.
John Lane felt it, without exactly
knowing that he did. He had always
admired her distantly, always liked
her in careless, youthful fashion. But
he had told himself always, likewise
his mother, that when it came to mar
rying it would be to more than a
pretty face His wife must be above
the average way. Then, further, she
must have some money; not a fortune,
but dowry that would save her from
the suspicion of being mercenary. The
Lanes were rich. John, only son and
heir, was plain plodding fellow, with
a sense Of human values. He could
never, he told himself, quite believe
that a very pretty and very poor girl
would love him disinterestedly.
Now behold! Elizabeth, who was
very pretty and very poor, was tang
ling herself in his heartstrings to a
degree that made him uncomfortable
Worse than the poverty was the fact
that she carried weight-the weight of
blind child, born of her dead faith.
er's luckless second marriage. Com.
passion had given her the place of
schoolmistress, as it had likewise won
for her the shelter of the Walker
home, at a nominal cost Old Miss
Abby Walker was very charitable;
also she was very narrow. 1t was
from her that Elizabeth had run away
to the barn dance-a reckles proceed
ing that might cost her dear.
Balance all SWING Corners!
Partners! Forward and back! Swing
three" chanted the prompter.
Elizabeth glowed and thrilled II
was year since she had danced-in
stinctively her mind flew to last years
partner. Would she ever see him
again? She had met him away from
the neighborhood, upon her one heav
emily but brief vacation. He had
danced with her only, all through the
long afternoon, and at the very last
waltz since the days of dancing
school But she had not thought o.
him as a lover while they floated to
gether-of nothing, indeed, save az
the component OF something too ex
quisite to last Afterward-at part
ing, he had kissed her hand, and
looked down into her eyes. Evei
since, she had been dreaming Of tn,
wondering If her own eyei
had said to him as plainly: Il leW
you, love you, love you!"
Tranced in memory, she A0ateI
through the first dance, the second
the third. She was hardly conscious
that John was waving away othel
partners. But presently, when h,
drew her away and sat down with hei
upon a big messy ledge, she awokt
with start to a sense of something
impending-it might be crisis in he
fate.
\ Intuition did not deceive. Briefly
haltingly, yet with ring of deep feel
ing, John told her of his own awaken
ing, and asked her to be his wife. Fo
minute after he ceased speaking shl
could only look at him helplessly, he
wild roses fading to white At last shI
said breathlessly:
Don't, please. Things are-harl
enough already. LIAM"
"What?" John asked a little unI
steadily, as she stopped, choking.
She locked her fingers hard. II an
u Jlh6 W bCC Sll di6nlJ SAO Sdlu
you can't know the temptation, whel
enc is tired and burdened, tO-tO lei
go-everything- the right"
"T don't see" John Began, bowl
derSdly.
/ She had turned away her face
{now she flashed round upon him, a
her struggle gone. "NO-and yo
never will understand" she said
most saucily. you see, you are
both a temptation and an opportunit,
TO take you or to leave you-is yer
uDssttihg. Either way I an RouAd u
Be SorTy. whatever made yOa Do it.
Strf As isAS - knew there was nc
osOapO I worked without whining"
Therefore rs my duty - say-you
sat- keep q working" JoAa said
masterfully, possessing hinsslf Il the
looked hands. She blushed beautifully,
but did net draw them away. He got
up, saying still more nasterfulIy,
Nov I'm going to take yOu back 20
me arbOr-but mind, yeH sre net to