The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1916-12-08

for possible evening conquest, A}uA
was playing tcnnis with her brother
''AIothcr. DEAR said Lewis, as they
phssed up the quiet street in the vii
lage bus. lets have things all 10 our
selves tins summer. I've time only for
you and for my book, and the fewer
functions we have TO attend the better
il viii suit us both, | fancy"
II do want TO make the most Of our
first opportunity in years TO be to-
gcthcr, and even bc a little selfish, I'm
afraid but the people in town are
quite astir With expectancy over your
visit" The mothers proud smile made
the big, dark.eyed man at her side
flush under his tanned skin.
Invitations to teus, garden parties
and dinners made Lewis Pennington
fear that he would either have to am
tagonize the villagers or give up ALI
hope of making any headway with his
book.
Early on the morning Of the Fourth
Of July, Lewis took his portable type
writer and some blank paper and
camp stool and made for the wooded
banks of the small river half "A mile
from town. He found q delightful
spot under a big oak tree that stood
ON the river bank.
"Gee." he muged, "I could shut my
eyes and expect 10 open them upon the
sight of lovely indian maiden glid-
ing down that stream IN canoe" He
closed his eyes and let the picture
stamp itself on his mind. Wien he
opened his eyes, moment later, he
saw vision lovelier than the one he
had been picturng to himself, for
Lydia Robb was drifting down the
stream in a canoe. The beauty Of thc
face and neck That showed above the
open neck of MILDLY blouse had not
been dimmed by its coat of sunburny
and the dark brown hair that crowned
the shapeiy head was FURNISHED almost
TO bronze i'm the morning sunlight Her
blue eyes looked straight before her,
hut suddenly frightened as she threw
| her hahds wide at either side, while
fller. soprniini- faieaf,lng clearly out:
NV native country, thee,
Land Of the noble free,
Thy name / love-
Lewis Farmingt0n felt thrill even
more intense than any that had come
to him ut sight of his country's flag
in a faraway land, and, thanking his
stars that he had a fairly good voice
he ioit1ed in the song as Lydia reached
these lines:
I love thy rocks and rills, 4
Thy woods and tempted hills,
My iicart with rapture thrills,
| Like that above.
"Bravol NV courtrywomunw called
out Lewis, MS the song ended. "Your
Fourth of July celebration is worth
whie-far more 10 my liking than the
one they're to have on the public
square tonight
"But | thought you were going to
make speech tonight" The words
came abruptly from Lydla's red lips.
"Not ]. I never speak in public un-
less compelled TO. I'll admit, though.
that the committee did urge me TO
speak"
"Thcy asked me to sing, too, but
refused" said Lydia.
"Well. I'm glad TO be the one privi-
legged person who heard you sing just
now. hut don't you think you owe me
that much for having been so unneigh-
| hOflN NuflllE an tliS liblths ~ ii'NN
only block from you? Mother has
spoken Of YOU lot but you've some
how eludcd us except that morning
YOU brought her the ruspberrles, and
half believe you thought then that l
was out hiking"
eyes, did or l wouldn't have como.
I haven't meant to he unneighbOrly,
hut was determined not to join in the
general pursuit of YOU"
Both Lydia and Lewis were mOmen-
tarily embarrassed hy her frankness,
but moment later thcy were laughing
over the whole situation, and he was
climbing down the bank at her invita-
ton to be taken aboard the canoe.
A week later. when it became known
throughout the village that Lydia had
outdistanced all the other girls in town
In Lewis Furmngton's regard, the VIII
lage wng felt lmpelled to voice his
T opinion about 1t.
Every man wants the prize that's
hardest to get" he chuckled, "and the
rest of the girls might have known that
/ n real live diplomat would rather use
his skin IN overcoming the indifference
I of one girl than in dodging the devO-
tion of a dozen"
(Copyright 1916. by the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.)