The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-01-22


in an embarrassed voice: Il reckon il
might be little jingly. so had a fel-
Ter come up from Lexington and tune
it 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 ct 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 whippoorwiIls in the air. when
Anse presented himself again at the
school. He knew that he must break
OF 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
burning madness He would invent
some excuse tonight and go away.
Then he came to the open door and
stood on the threshold transfixed Dy
| 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 seen before. and
as he looked at her he felt infinitely
| far away from her. He was 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
dressI The shaded lamp shone softly
on ivory shoulders and a string Of
pearls glistened 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 dec
| laration of the difference between
them, emphasizing how unattainable
she was; how unthinkably remote
| from him own rough world.
Then. as she heard his steps and
rose, she was disappointed because in
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!" he burst out. then he
caught himself with something like a
| gasp. Yes he said DULY. - like
you"
For a while she played and sang.
and then they went out to the porch.
| where she sank down in the barrel
stave hammock which hung there
and he sat in a split-bottom chair by
her side
He sat very moody and silent, his
hands resting on his knees, trying to
repress what he could not long hope
to keep under.
She seemed oblivious to his deep alb
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-Iots. "
He dared not tell her how he had
missed her. and he did not recognize
the new note in her voice-the heart
note. There was strange silence be
tween them. and as they sat, so close
that each could almost feel the others
breath, their eyes met and held in q
locked gaze.
Slowly. as though drawn by some
occult power over which he held no
control. the man bent a little nearer,
a little nearer. Slowly the girls eyes
dilated, and then. with no word, she
suddenly gave a low exclamation, half
gasp, half appeal. all inarticulate. and
both hands went cropping out toward
him.
With something almost like a cry.
the man was on his knees by the ham
mock and both his arms were around
her and her head was on his shoulder.
Then he was kissing her cheeks and
lips. and into his soul was coming a
sudden discovery with the softness
and GOODNESS of the flesh his lips
touched.
1t lasted only a moment. then she
pushed him back gently and rose.
while one bare arm went gropingly
across her face and the other hand
went out to the porch post for sup
port
In voice low and broken she said:
You must go!"
mol" he exclaimed. and took a
step toward her. but she retreated a
little and shook her head
Yes, dear-piease." she almost
whispered, and the man bowed in ac-
Quiescence.
Good night" he said gravely. and
picking up his hat. he started across
the ridge
But now there were no ghosts in
his life. for all the way over that
rough trail he was looking up at the
stars and repeating incredulously over