The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1913-02-15
CHAPTER XIV.
Billy. RilIv. Evorw,vher

'Jp ,ousy1 eVoTyWUSC0s
Bartlett nodded. He had been watch.
Ing Henrietta through halliday. half.
closed lids. leaning against fallen
log. Somehow out there in the cool.
ness and sweetness Of the summer
night, in the open country, with only
the drumming Of the insects and the
shrill clamor of frogs to break the
silence, nothing seemed to matter. to
be worth struggling for. He felt that
he hardly cared what was happening
IN his absence. back there in the hot,
crowded, dirty city. A few more mil.
lions added to the useless many he
already owned. what did it matter1
What amount could buy the night. the
peace and sweetness and content?
You're right. General" said he,
watching the play on Henrietta's thin,
white hands in the lamplight, az she
and Billy arranged the evening meal
"A mans not q man in the city
nothing but a dirty, money.grubbina
proposition. Dollars and cents, dol
lars and cents. the only reason of his
being"
II know" agreed Henrietta, noddtng
Il sometimes wonder why 1t was sc
arranged-the world, you know. Why
couldn't love, courage. honor have
been made the medium of exchange
the most vital necessity Of life? Ev
cry one has to have money, so every
one has to struggle for it. Why
couldn't things have been started diff
ferently?"
Potatoes. two kisses a peck" sug
gested the Watermelon.
Three" said Bartlett, "if the pur
chaser ia young and pretty. A smile
would be enough, If sho were old anG
wrinkled and unwed."
"A motor-car would probably neces
state wedding" said the general.
mo, no. no." protested Henrietta
"How silly! You don't understand me
at ALL"
Il would hate to be clerk at
bargain SALE" said the Watermelon,
pilfering O cracker from the box Billy
held
eyes," agreed Bartlett, think of the
microbes"
"Microbes?" asked Billy who had
not been following the conversation.
"Where?"
I'm kisses, Billy" said the general
II should think you would have found
1t out by this time. Everybody you
kiss"
II never kiss anybody" protested
Billy. blushing delightfully."-.
Father used to say" began the
Watermelon.
Look here" interrupted Bartlett
that father of yours was Il minister
you say. vow he could know nothing
about this subject"
He married more people than you
have" said the Watermelon.
Eyes," said Henrietta kindly, "he
must have known all about 1t. Do tell
us what he said"
HE used to say that kissing was
Just the reverse OF poker"
Poker" cried Bartlett. mo won.
der your father left the ministry"
ut says in the papers that your
father was policeman" declared the
general.
"A policeman of souls" said Henri.
eta softly.
Surely" persisted the general. I'll
your father we're minister"
The Watermelon looked up from the
key of the sardine tin he was labori.
ously turning and glanced gently at
the general. his woman's eyes amused
and plying. tho expression they al.
ways wore for the general.
"Why, you see that is just what
always fancied. He used to preach
and have a church-but If the papers
say he was cop, he probably was"
TITS wise child that knows his
own father" said Henrietta. "Come
to supper everybody"
Supper over, the general conceived
the sudden inspiration of tinkering
while with the cars. Alphonse stood
by to assist and the others wandered
off down the road before turning in
for the night.
Billy and the Watermelon soon drift.
ed away by themselves up tiny COW
lane, fragrant with sweetbrier. They
wandered up 1t side by side. like two
children. neither saying thing, con.
tent to be together. At the end of the
lane they leaned for a while on the
pasture bars.
The two stood side by side, their
elbows on the top rail, their hands
before them. They said nothing.
There was nothing to say. just the
night and they two, alone, among the
sweetbriers and the flreflies.
Now and then Billy sighed, uncon.
sciously and happily. A great silence
had enwrapped Billy for the last two
days. silence in which she was con-
tent to dream and in which words
seemed superfluous and uncalled for.
Without warning the bushes at her
side parted and COW with great,
gentle eyes peered out at them, so.
near that Billy could feel the breath,
warm and sweet, upon her cheek.
With little cry. she shrank close to
the Watermelon.
He felt her slender hody soft and