Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1915-12-23

softly
But Bad Anse Havey only answered
in an embarrassed voice: Il reckon It
might be a little jingIy. so ! had a fell
Ter come up from Lexington and tune
1t up"
She went over and struck a chord.
then she came back and laid a hand
on his coat sleeve.
I'm not going to try to thank you
at all-now," she said. But you go
home and come back this evening and
we'll have a little party. Just You and
with music
"Good-by." he said. 81 reckon ye
haven't noticed it-but my rifles
standin' there in your rack"
1t was a night of starlight. with Just
a sickle moon overhead and the music
Of the whippoorwills in the air, when
Anse presented himself again at the
school. He knew that he must break
on these visits because while she had
been away he had taken due account
ing Of himself and recognized that the
poignant pain of locked lips would
drive him beyond control. He could
no longer endure the unlit lamp and
the ungirt loin." Now the sight of her
set him into a palpitating fever and a
burning madness. He would invent
some excuse tonight and go away.
Then he came to the open door and
stood on the threshold transfixed by
the sight which greeted his eyes. His
hat dropped to the floor and lay there.
He thought he knew Juanita. Now
he suddenly realized that the real
Juanita he had never seer before, and
as he looked at her he felt infinitely
far away from her. He was a very
dim, faint star in apogee.
She sat with her back turned and
her fingers straying over the keys of
the piano-and she was in evening
dress! The shaded lamp shone softly
on ivory shoulders and a string of
pearls g~listened at her throat. Around
her slim figure the soft folds of her
gown fell like gossamer draperies and,
to his eyes, she was utterly and flaw
lessly beautiful.
She had followed a within that night
and dressed up" to surprise him. She
had promised him a party and meant
to receive him with as much prepare
ton as she would have made for roy
; atty. But to him it was only a dec
laration of the difference between
them, emphasizing how u~nattainable
, she was; how unthinkably remote
! from him own rough world,
r Then, as she heard his steps and
, rose, she was disappointed because in
t his face, instead of pleasure, she read
, only a tumult whose dominant note
) was distress,
/, Don't you like me?" she asked, as
she gave him her hand and smiled up
} at him.
Like you'll" he burst out, then he
/ caught himself with something like a
gasp. YES" he said DULY, 81 like
you"
For a while she played and sang,
and then they went out to the porch,
) where she sank down in the barrel
t stave hammock which hung there
: and he sat in a %split-bottom chair by
[ her side.
b He sat very moody and silent, his
hands resting on his knees, trying to
+ repress what he could not long hope
t to keep under.
Q She seemed oblivious to his deep alb
I straction. for she was humming some
air low, almost under her breath.
But at last she sat up and laughed
/ a silvery and subdued yet happy little
laugh. She stretched her arms above
her head.
Its good to be back, Anse," she
said softly. I've missed you-lots.'
/ He dared not tell her how he hat
missed her, and he did not recognize
I the new note in her voice-the hear
note. There was a strange silence be
e tween them, and as they sat, so Close
n that each could almost feel the other's
it breath, their eyes met and held in I;
locked gaze.
Slowly, as though drawn by somt
~
occult power over which he held n,
control, the mar bent a little nearer
Y a little nearer Slowly the girls eye
o dilated, and then, with no word, sh,
suddenly gave a low exclamation, hal
gasp, half appeal, all inartieulate. ant
both hands went cropping out towar,
him.
nj With something almost like a cry
4 the man was on his knees by the ham
mock and both his arms were aroun,
her and her head was on his shoulder
Then he was kissing her cheeks an
lips. and into his soul was coming
sudden discovery with the softnes
and GOODNESS of the flesh his lip
le touched.
70 1t lasted only a moment, then sh
ut pushed him back gently and rose
ID while one bare am went gropingl
across her face and the other han
u, went out to the porch post for SUI
port.
In a voice low and broken she said
x you must go!"
a "Nol" he exclaimed, and took
as step toward her. but she retreated
o little and shook her head.
yes, dear-please," she almos
as whispered, and the man bowed in al
n ~quiescence.
ct Good night" he said gravely. an
a picking up his hat. he started acros
% the ridge.
be But now there were no ghosts !
his life. for all the way over ths
lg rough trail he was looking up at tn
SO stars and repeating i~ncredulously owe
and over to himself: "She loves me!
BY -
~ NnADrEp YxIN