Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1910-06-09


Elsa in possession OF the field and pro
pinquity is so much to man."
/ wanted TO come away. l wanted
to see if propinGuity, as you call it
was the stuff my midsummer dream
was made Of" and she laugh gayly
/ protesting that it was time she came
away as nearly all the boarders We're
gone. But Mrs Ayre offered to write
me now and then and said she NIGH
send for me to help her out if there
was wedding in the family before
long" Jeans merriment over this
sounded genuine, but Laura still
sighed that bones would break, anC
break at the wrong moment, too.
Jean trundled her sewing-machine
in beside Laura's bed next day, ex
planning that she was used now beins
always busy. And if we go to Bos
ton for the winter we shall need some
pretty clothes, so / may as we'll SET
about making them" she added
You may 9roan as loud as YOU can
when your pain grips hard she pre-.
sently remarked loosely, but if you
do not stop trying to read my soul
! through my face | shall move over
| to the window there and turn my
back" and after that Laura hid her
anxieties and tried no ito see how
eagerly Jean set forth each day for
the mail or with what brave affecta-
lions of cheerfulness she came smiling
back with nothing of especial interest
among the papers and magazines and
letters in her hands.
Slowly the bone knit together and
as slowly and surely the elastic joy
! BUSINESS in jeans nature turned to
silent usefulness when she was alone
while fitful gales of nonsense and
| drollery in Laura's room told of the
| brave stand she was making.
Soon | shall be able to get pen and
| paper for myself and even to walk to
| the pOst-office and mail letter any
where | please" Laura began telling
| herself, and then she would knit her
brOws and ask herself what she could
write to man who might already be
promised in marriage to Elsa Ross.
The day they let her bear her weight
upon the mended limb she sent Jean
off the long walks the girl had come
| to love. Go as far as the upper
falls if you want to, and will
mend the fires and buy the crullers
and write some neglected letters" she
had urged and now Jean had been
gone nearly an hour and probably
| that was ''the cruller man" at the door
She anticipated the old mans sur.
prise, but the establishment was all
her own.
Six foot, sunburned, homely and
difident, but with he kindest brown
eyes, she was repeating to herself as
| she showed the stranger in and noted
his quick and appreciative glance
about their little sitting-room, with it's
books and ferns and choice photo
graphs, its polished old mahogany ia
bic and evidences of refined living4
1T is Mr. Ayre, l am sure,' she ven
tured. when did you leave Bellayre
farm to reach here by so early a
train? But perhaps you are on your
way home from New York or some
where"
John Ayre shook his head. Il came
from home yesterday. | wanted to
look about among your foundries a
little this morning. And you think
Miss Jean may be in within a half
hour or SOP"
Laura found the occupation of the
next half very much to her liking.
She knew enough of life at Bellayre
farm to give her topics for CONVEX
sation, and as they talked her liking
for John kept obtruding itself upon
her consciousness.
He IN turn attracted by subtle re-
semblances of speech or gesture
seemed gradually to accept her as a
second and inferior sort of Jean, and
came to speak more and more freely
till, as she suddenly brought the talk
back to what he had thought of the
foundries in their village, he gave the
startling reply that he had liked them
sufficiently to spend the morning ask
ing at one after another to be taken
on as foundry hand.
Il begin tomorrow at the Old West
| Branch, ] think they call it, Your
| father worked there a good many
years, did he not? But | start in
| trudling a wheelbarrow," and Johns
| face wore a half-smile as he added
| 1T is as near the bottom as one can
get, / suppose, but it will answer for a
start"
you have left BelIayre farm.'
| gasped Laura.
John nodded. Il did not notice that
/ was telling that too" He turned his
| eyes to gaze out of the window but
| went on quietly: There are things
| IF iS NOT oocu IN ont IF IAN G