News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1913-03-05

81 should think you would have found
it out by this time. Everybody you
kiss"
81 never kiss anybody" protested
Billy, blushing delightfully."-.
Father used to say" began the
Watermelon.
Look here" interrupted Bartlett,
chat father of yours was 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, che
must have known all about it. 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"
at says in the papers that your
father was a policeman" declared the
general.
"a policeman of souls" said Henri.
eta softly.
Surely" persisted the general, "if
your father were 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, the expression they al
ways wore for the general.
why, you see that is just what I
always fancied. He used to preach
and have church-but if the papers
say he was a cop, he probably was"
cts a wise child that knows his
own father" said Henrietta. Come
to supper everybody"
Supper over, the general conceived
the sudden inspiration of tinkering a
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 it side by side, like two
children, neither saying a thing, con.
tent to be together. At the end of the
lane they leaned for 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 firefiG$.
Now and then Billy sighed, uncon.
sciously and happily. A great silence
had enwrapped Billy for the last two
days, a silence in which she was con-
tent to dream and in which words
seemed superfuous 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 body, soft and |
nesting against him, smelt
the fragrance of her curly hair, and |
suddenly great tide of longing, of
passion, of desire welled up in him
and choked him. He wanted to crush
her to him, to cover eyes and hair
with kisses, to hold her so tightly that
she would cry for release. All the
feelings of the past few
years surged over him and threatened
20 carry both forever out of sight of
and and decency. But, blindly, not
knowing what he did, he turned from
ler and picked up stick to hurl at
he COW. She had turned to him In
Ter fear, and with the honor Of his
clerical father, he controlled himself.
Billy laughed and Strengthened up,
Is the COW, grieved and surprised.
packed off in the dark. I'm not afraid
If cows, Willie" said she. Don't you
know it? She just came so suddenly
was startled"
Eyes," agreed the Watermelon
lully. $50 was I. Why did you call
ne Willie?"
Short for William, and William is
'our name, goose. Don't you remem-
yer your own name?" crooned Billy,
Gaming toward him in the dark.
eyes, surely" said the Watermelon.
But l hate my name. Call me Jerry.
That's what the boys call me-"
He did not add that his name was
Teroboam Martin. He being the sew
nth young Martin to arrive, his dis
racted parents had turned to the
Bible for help in names as well as
n the more vital necessities.
"Jerry?" laughed Billy question
ngly.
EYES," said Jeroboam gravely, and
Idded abruptly, Lets go back"
They turned and retraced their
teps, Billy all athrill with she knew
lot what, singing foolish little song
beneath her breath, the Watermelon
staring angrily before him, denying
lotly to himself what would not be
lenied, that he loved Billy. He loved
Ter, not as he had loved other women,
lot as careless, lazy tramp, taking
what offered, good, bad or worse, with
TRY Indifference, but as the son of
lis poor, virtuous mother and of his
,entle, reverend father would love and
.herish the one woman.
But who was he to love like that?
The past few years had branded him
is thing apart from Billy. A COM
,anion of Mike and James, who was
lie to talk of love to Billy? God!