The Marshall republican., 1911-09-14
A FFTIEM ANNIVERSARY WAR sTcRY
f A Mitchell.

please do"
! Mark would have done well to let the
"ode to the Spirit q Nature" alone;
but with n beautiful girl beside him,
the half o o sinking in the west and
all nature in repose, he m~omentarily
forgot his assumed character entirely.
Suddenly he awoke to the conscious
ness Of having given the whole poem
In his natural tone and with his ordi.
nary accent.
"Mr. Slack" said his listener when
he had finished, did you learn that
from a man in Jasper"
"No-no-I-wnnI," he stammered. "1
read IL IN q book"
He stole n glance at his companion.
but failed TO detect any unusual ex-
pressiop on her face. He took courage.
"what do you raise on your plnntn.
tionT" she asked.
"oh. we put In some potatoes and
corn and straw this year."
straw"
mo. no: not straw" Mark was rs
little conversant with the farmers art
rs he was familiar with the poets. IL
mean hay"
The girl looked at him and smiled.
The wheat was all gotten in early
this summer. ! nm told" she remarked
casually.
"yas. we got In ourn early. We Jest
finished up before KEN away"
"Why, Mr.. Slnckr'
Mark knew that he had blundered
again.
"whcnt Is gathered in July" sho In.
formed the young farmer.
II mean the corn" he said wildly.
"The corn later. II is ripen.
ing now"
Mark felt Il was all up with him 20
far us d~cceiving Miss Fain no to his
being a farmer. but he struck out
boldly & undo somc OF the mischief.
"wanl. you see. Miss Fain. 20 tell
the whole truth. dad he don't reckon
much on my farmer. He says I
oughtcr be n professor or somep'n O
that sort"
~ gentleman. for instance"
Mark made no reply. For the nrs,
time he detected irony In her tone.
MIR. S%lack-if that Is really your
name. which ! don't b~elieve-you are
certainly not very complimentary q
my sense of perception"
"How sol"
"In trying to make me think you are
not an educated gentleman"
Mark sa the futillty Of keeping up
the sham with Miss Laura Fain any
longer. He resolved 10 give her so
much OF his confidence rs was neces'
sary TO keep her from b~etrnying him.
II win be frank with you. ! am moi
what ! have pretended. but I am moi
here to injure you or yours"
"Are you a Union manf"
eyes"
"a northernerf"
Eyes; but lot that sufice. You would
regret Il II ! should connde anything
more to you. Yet from this brief inter
view I have learned to trust you sum
cientiy to place my life in your keep
Ing"
ouc ouk uiou1cuN. iuiut ouUu
der passed over her.
81 don't want to know your secret"
"wnl you tell your mother what yos
have ~discoveredf" asked Mark anx
iously.
mot for worlds"
you suspect He paused an,
cooked at her i~nquiringly.
Eyes. yes. Don't say any more
Don't breathe another word. Only 9
away from here as soon as possible"
II shall go tomorrow morning.
shall always hold you In grateful re
membrance. You are a Splendid
lovely woman. I owe you
Eyes. yes; go-go early"
She rose and went into the house
In a few minutes a colored boy cam
out and told Mark that he would sho'
him to his room As Mark had bee
there before. he knew this meant tina
he was expected TO retire for the nigh
As he went by the parior he glance
In. The mother sat by a lamp on
"center table" reading. Miss Fain'
face was also bent over a book.
was white as the margin OF the pag
she pretended TO read.