Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1910-03-18
The Bluebells

w. NAA' ~ Nt1N'
situation, and although, naturally
iieadstrong he was determined not to
p~recipitate matters. He spoke slowly
and quietly, and his manner was that
of the perfect wooer.
MARY, dear, do you really want
those bluebells?'
The girl in the boat with him knew
that as she lay back in the pillows
she was a delightful picture. She knew
1t by reason of the mans face, for his
blue eyes displayed hunger and his
mouth was expressive of a desire to
please her.
She was right. She looked very
handsome as she indolently watched
the feecy clouds f~eeting by in the
azure above her. Her throat was warm
and delicately shaped, her skin was
perfect in curve and color, her hair
lazily moved to and fro in the sum
mer breeze, the soft. cooling breeze
which caused the clouds to flutter
overhead and their reflections to glide
amid the scintillating ripples of the
river.
Surely no quarrel could generate
amid such surroundings. Nature shone
at her ~fairest, in sky, in water. in YER
dure. but there was the suggestion of
something untoward as Mary Lilling-
ton raised herself with a gesture OF
boredom and said in a sweet tone
which carried also a suggestion of I'm
p~eriousness:
Il do want them; certainly I do"
William Curtis was reused: ne
could see that by picking the particu-
lar flowers, which grew some distance
up the bank, he would probably get
his clothes torn and dirty, and there
was a great risk Of falling into the
water, He mentally put the girls
wishes down to some erratic caprice,
which was calculated to excite her
vanity by showing her power over
him.
In her min Mary was asking her
self of what use was a lover if he
would not obey her every behest; tie
foolishness Of her request was moth
ing to her, it was the withholding Of
anything by her lover which ranked.
"Will you not get them, Will? l."
William Curtis heard the half-ap-
peal, h~alf-command, and felt a surge
OF anger pass over him. But he was
perfectly s~e1f-controlled and replied:
My dear little girl. you--"
II am not YOU dear little girl If
you will not do as I wish
The words were hasty. and even as
they escaped her Mary felt tina 1t
would have been better not to have
uttered them.
MARY, Mary, what is 1t you are
saying? Surely, my little girl does
no require me To-"
Merely to sacrifice yourself? Yes,
that II a1l." was her continuation.
Sacrifice myself? Or course I will
Hhen there is something to sacrifice
myself for"
Mary misunderstood him. What, not
sacrifice himself for her, not give up
Anything that he might please her:
Strange kind Of lover this; not like
those ancient knights who went
through fire and water for their ladies.
Her answer was snapped out, and her
taco was red with anger.
II want them!"
"Then, Mary was the firm reply,
= shall not humor you. You do not
3eed them, and / can get others far
better"
He knew he was right and felt that
pc should not show any weakness, see
ing he was convinced that the request
was an unreasonable one.
But he was not prepared for the I'm
mediate result of his attempt to dis
.cipline her.
"Mr. Curtis'-the tone was cold and
formal-"will you kindly row me to
the boathouse, please?" q
Mary"
She held up her hand in the imperi-
Gus manner which he had often adj
mired, but which now, stripped of its
romance. was cruel, and said:
"Mr. Curtis, will o please row me
to the boathouse?'
The man was angry but proud. He
was ready for an outburst of her self
ishness and unreasonableness, but he
said nothing; he rowed away from the
hateful bank and plunged his oars into
the stream with a vim and a CELEBRITY
which astonished the girl. Again she
misunderstood him; she imagined that
he was rowing fast to get rid of her
quickly, but he was not. 1t was his
method of working Off his temper, for
striking ~viciously at the water was
better, he argued, than showing his
feelings by speech. Besides, he thought
she would relent.
The banks of the river sped by
them; they passed the streamlet which
led to the weir with Its roaring and
Its foaming, for the current of the
river ran strongly: the trees skinned
past them, and soon they reached the
boathouse. With the utmost poiiteness
he handed her out of the boat.
rs 1t worth while quarreling-
He stopped, his speech frozen on his
lips by her features, cold and unre.
Sponsive. She e away. and he, re
turning to the boat. re-embarked. and
Cor In our sculled in silence. Then
- murmured: