The Washington herald., 1915-10-17
O. HENRY'S MASTERPIECES 2@] The Head Hunter
horsehair sofas and currant wine as dross. To
them. even the calculated incubation of your

ulcIl cNcH ulC SdISuiolCO HlOOuduOQ OF your
well-trimmed talk sounds like the dropping of
rotten plums from tree in the night They are
the maidens who walk back and forth in the
villages, scorning the emptiness of the baskets
at the doors of the young men who would win
them One such as they" | said. is waiting.
Only fool would try to win woman by drool-
ing like braggart. in her doorway or by wait
ing upon her whims like footman They are
all daughters of Herodias. and to gain their
hearts one must lay the heads of his enemies
before them with his own hands. Now. bend
your neck. Louis Devoe. Do not be coward as
well as chatterer at lady's tea-table."
There, there!" said Devoe. falteringly.
You know me- don't you, Raybun?"
''Oh yes" | said. 81 know YOU know you.
know you But the basket is empty. The
old men of the village and the young men. and
both the dark maidens and the ones who are
as fair as pearls walk back and forth and see
its emptiness Will you kneel now. or must
we have scufle9 1t is not like you to make
things go roughly and with bad FORM But the
basket is waiting for your head"
With that he went to pieces had to catch
him as he tried to, scamper past me like scared
rabbit. | stretched him out and got foot on
his chest, but he squirmed like worm. al
though appealed repeatedly to his sense of
propriety and the duty he owed to himself as a
gentleman not to make row. But at last he
gave me the :hance, and Iswung the machete
1t was not hard work. He Topped like a
chicken during the SIX or seven blows that it
took to sever his head but finally he lay still.
and tied his head in my handkerchief. The
eyes opened and shut thrice while walked
hundred yards was red to my feet with the
drip. but what did that matter9 With delight
felt under my hands the crisp touch of his
short, thick. brown hair and close-trimmed
beard
reached the house of the Greenes and
dumped the head of Louis Devoe into the basket
that still hung by the nail in the door-jamb.
sat in chair under the awning and waited.
The sun was within two hours of setting. Chloe
came out and looked surprised.
Where have you been. Tommy" she asked.
You were gone when came out
Look in the basket" | said, rising to my
feet She looked. and gave little Scream
of delight. was pleased to note.
'Oh, TommyI" she said 1T was just what
wanted you to do. It's leaking little. but
that doesn't matter Wasn't | telling youa It's
the little things that count And you remem-
bered."
Little things! She held the ensanguined
head of Louis Devoe in her white apron. Tiny
streams of red widened on her apron and.
dripped upon the floor. Her face was bright
and tender.
Little things. indeed!" | thought again.
The head-hunters are right. These are the
things that women like you to do for them.''
Chloe came close to me. There was no one
in sight She looked up at me with sea-bue
eyes that said things they had never said before.
@'You think of me" she said You are the
man was describing. You think of the little
things. and they are what make the world worth
living in. The man for me must consider my
little wishes. and make me happy in small ways.
He must bring me little red peaches in Decem-
Der if wish for them. and then will love him
till June. will have no knight in armor slay-
ing his rival or killing dragons for me. You
please me very we'll. Tommy"
stopped and kissed her. Then moisture
broke out on my forehead. and | began to feel
weak. saw the red stains vanish from Chloes
apron. and the head of Louis Devoe turn to a
brown. dried cocoanut
There will be cocoanut pudding for dinner.
Tommy. boy" said Chloe. sayy. and you ,
must come. | must go in for Ntle while"
She vanished in delightful Autter
DR.. Stamford tramped up hurriedy. Hs
seized my pulse as though it were his own prop
erty that | had escaped with.
YOU are the biggest fool outside of any
asylum!" he said, angriy. why did you leave
your bed? And the idiotic things you have been
doing no wonder. with your pulse going
like sledge hammer
Name some of them." said l.
"Devoe sent for me" said Stanford He
saw you from his window go to old Campos'
store. chase him up the hill with his own yard