Las Vegas optic., 1912-07-26
Her Poet Lover
BY A. HOWARD
Copyright. 1919, BY Associated Literary
PreBs)


Copyright, 1919, BY Associated Literary
Press.)
Polly Whiting was the happiest per
son In the world. for she was to go
with Jaspar Slappey to the first picnic
OF the year. "And you know, mother" /"
she exclaimed, deIightedly. that
means that shall be the May queen I"
When Ephraim Slappey. the butcher
married Car0leen Carney, foreigner
from Ireland and member Of travel
ing theatrical company, everybody In
Bologee said that no good would come
Of It. Jaspar came Of It, and then the
pretty, mismated woman died and
Ephraim, who had always been God
fearing man. though rather hard at
driving a bargain, was left with this
queer child on his hands. The little
Jaspar grew up in his fathers shop. a
gay, irresponsible child, devoted to
the phlegmatic butcher, but no man.
ner Of help to him. Once, when he
was q tiny boy. Ephraim sent him to
deliver meat to Lawyer Hale and Jas.
par fed the chops to stray cur. Law.
yer Hale, he insisted, was fat and we'll
fed, whereas the puppy was starving
Ephraim demonstrated and scolded,
and then forgave his son. He knew
It was no way to bring up child, he
knew that he ought to whip Jaspar,
but he could not bring himself to
strike the boy, for Jaspar looked ex-
actiy like his mother Caroleen.
AS Jaspar grew older 1t became the
hope Of Ephraim's life to see the sign
"Slappey G Son" above his butcher
shop. yet he could not take the boy
into the business when he refused to
handle raw meat. After much trou-
bled cogitation the butcher decided to
break Jaspar forcibIy Of this squeam-
lshness, SO he took him with him to
the slaughter pen. The calf that was
about to be veal was led out, and Jas
Ear draped himself about the crea-
lures neck Pocahontas weeping for
John Smith was mild sight compared
with Jaspar Slappey pleading for that
call. Ephraim, however, was obdurate,
he calf was killed and Jaspar tainted
away The butcher was panic,strick-
en-; he carried the boy home in his
arms, and after that Jaspar had his
own way,
Jaspars way was to be poet, the
only poet in Bologee. When anybody
died or was married or was born In
the town Jaspar mounted Pegasus In
their behalf and produced touching
commentary In verse. Envious and
admiring friends had sought many
times to discover how he did It. but
the process, though simple, revealed
nothing. Jaspar would climb to his
fathers hayloft, SIT there quietly a few
minutes, and after chewing up guam.
tity Of hay intended for the horse--not
Pegasus, but old Dobbin- would evolve
poem. Many aspiring youths III
Bologee sat in lofts and chewed hay
but nothing came of It. SO everybody
knew that Jaspar was born poet.
One Of Jaspar's poems had been
written to Polly on her graduation day,
and she had adored him ever since.
The poem described her as the COX
eyed maiden" and, to Polly. that
seemed wonderfully appropriate from
the butchers son. she told Jaspar 90
and he laughed until he nearly fell
out of his chair, though Polly could
not see why She could not under
stand Jaspar but she was immensely
proud Of him, for he was tall and
handsome with violet eyes and curly
black hair. Moreover. he had the hap
piest knack Of making other people en-
10y themselves. and was always lead
er in the merrymaking. 1t was he
who planned the May pole dance each
year, and he who chose the queen N
Joyous anticipation Polly could already
feel that wreath Of roses resting on
her head.
All the town was at the picnic, and
Polly and Jaspar were welcomed bv
every group. They were in the midst
Of these greetings when suddenly Jas
par stopped talking and faraway
look came over his face, Polly fol.
lowed his glance and saw two stran-
gers coming toward them. One was 4
young man, a spick-and-span young
man, whose clothes and ways were
not Of Bologee. But 1t was the girl at
his side that attracted Polly's atten.
tion. She was a wonderful, radiant
girl, with a clinging green dress and
foppy green hat that rested on a
shining mass Of fluffy golden hair.
Jaspar stared at her in mute adnira-
tion, and Polly In her primly starched
white dress felt awkward and ugly
and lonely,
Evelyn Bibb was with the stran.
gers and she stopped a minute to fl.
troduce them. They were her cousins
from the city, Marietta and Morgan
Bibb. Marietta spoke, smiled, then
swept on her conquering path, but asl
she loated BY she carried Jaspar with
her. The little country girl was left
standing alone.
4 For a few minutes Polly was too
heartbroken to hide her misery har
eyes kept following Jaspar who
seemed to have forgotten her entirely
Presently, however. she noticed thai
some Of the girls were laughing at her
evident digc0m91fllra and rrfdn 49,.