The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1914-03-11
LAUREN STOUT

impatient frame. Like steel from flint
1t struck out crisp oath that brought
an answering bovine snort from the
fenCc-corner.
Wormlng like lizard to freedom,
his eyes puckered shut with tho
wretched pang, John Valiant sat up
and shooH his grimy fist in the air.
You silly losfng idiot" he cried.
"Thump your own crazy-bone and see
how you like it! You-ch. lord!"
His arm dropped, and a flush spread
over his face to the brow. For his
eyes had opened. He was gesturing
mot at the bull but at a girl, who
frorted him beside the road, haughti-
ness in the very hue Of her gray-blue
linen walking suit and, in the clear
cut cameo face under her felt cavalry
hat, myrtle-blue eyes that held
smoldcr Of mingled astonishment and
indignation. An instant he gaZed, all
chagrin.
II beg your pardon he STAN
mered. Il didn't see you. I really
didn't. I was-I was talking to the
bull"
The girl had been glancing from the
flushed face to the thistly fence-corner,
while the startled dignity Of her feat
ures warred with an unmistakable ten
dcncy to mirth. He had struggled to
his feet, nursing his bruised elbow,
irritably conscious Of his resemblance
to an emerging chimneysweep. Il
don't habitually swear" he said, but
Id got to the point when something
had to explode"
oh" she said, don't mind met"
Then mirth conquered and she broke
foHth suddenly into laugh that
seemed to set the whole place aQuiver
with a musical contagion. They both
laughed in concert, while the bull
paved the ground and sent forth
rumbling below Of affront and chal-
lenge.
She was the first to recover. You
did look so funny" she gaSpcd
Il can believe It," he agreed, max
ing vicious dab at his smudgcd ell
bow. The possibilities of motor for
comedy arc simply stupcndous."
She came closer and looked curious
ly at the quiescent monster-at the
steamer-trunk strapped on the carrier
and the bulging portmanteau popping
over the side OF the tonneau. rs 1t
broken?"
Merely on strike, imagine. Are
we far from the yillage?"
About mile and half"
I'll have to have 1t towed after me.
The immediate point Is my traps.
wonder II there is likely to be team
passing"
I'm afraid It's not too certain" an
swered the girl, and now he noted the
liquid modulation, with It's slightly
questioning accent, charmingly South
ern. There is no livery, but there is
a negro who meets the train some
times. I can send him II you like"
You're very good" said Valiant, as
she turned away, land I'll be enor-
mously obliged. Oh-and If you see a
white dog. don't be frightened If he
tries to follow you. He's perfectly
kind"
She looked back momentarily.
"IIe-he always follows people he
likes, you see"
THANK YOU" ahe said Tho tone
had now hint-small, yet percepti-
ble-of aloofness. "Im not in the least
afraid Of dogs" And with little nod,
she swung briskly on up the Red Road.
John Valiant stood staring after her
till she had passed from view around
q curve. "Oh. glory!" he muttered.
"To begin by shaking your fist at her
and end by making her wonder If you
aren't trying to be fresh! You poor,
profane, noundcring dolt!"
The girl walked on up the highway
with a lifting stride, now and then
laughing to herself, or running few
steps, occasionally stopping by some
hedge to pull leaf which she rubbed
against her cheek. smelling It's keen
new scent, or stopping to gaze out
across tho orange-green belts OF sun.
ny winddimpled fields. one hand push.
Ing back her mutinous hair from her
brow, the other shielding her eyes.
Farther on the highroad looped around
strip Of young forest, and she struck
into this for q short cut. IN the depth
she sat down to rest on the sun.
splashed roots Of a tree. Leaning back
against the scanned trunk, her felt hat
fallen to the ground, she looked like
ono sea-woman emerging from ru
oarth.hued pool to comb her hair
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