Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1916-08-31
One of These
Country Girls
BY PAUL SCOTT MoWRER
Copyright by the Frank A. Mum
sey Co.

thrown away his cigar so that all his
attention might be upon her.
There was no doubt she was-weu
let us say magic, as her cheek against
his shoulder, she gazed up at him with
parted lips and shining eyes halt Clos
ed. Once she asked shyly:
"You ain't-you amt glad, are you
Mr.. Blane?"
His answer was chain of hot kiss
es which he pressed about her throat.
And then he murmured foolish words
without meaning, as is the way OF men
when they are drunk of the scent OF
q woman's hair.
Suddenly there came faint sound
from the direction of the farmhouse.
The girl began to struggle in his arns.
"oh, you mustn't-stop!" she gasp
Cd.
He would have helped her. but she
was already on her feet.
Back from the roadside through the
bracken to the barbed wire fence she
bounded and stood listening, her fin
gers on the topmost wire.
They'll be wondering where l am
she whispered as he Joined her. 81
better be goin'."
mo, not yet! Haven't you forgot
ten something's
His throat felt hot, and his voice
sounded unusually hoarse to him.
"What?" she demanded quickly.
.''Why, I've got to leave day after
tomorrow"
1t was a potent argument.
When he reached out his arms she
let him have his way, until again
through the night came sound, shrill
this time, and unmistakable:
"Ger-tie-e-e! Oh, Ger-tie-e!"
"Quick! Lemme go!" pleaded the
girl, pushing from him. "Why Mr..
Blame, believe you're cold: you shiV-
ered.'
The man protested, but the girl PVT
her hands to his shoulders ant turneG
I'D the collar of his coat.
"Are you goin' out in the mornin'?''
she asked.
1--WE got to. came after ducks, you
know. I've got to have a few to take
home with me-"
"Yeu take keer you don't ketcf
more cold'' warned the girl. Now ain
you goin' to give me boost?
Blame helped her over the fence.
Tomorrow night?" he painted, keep
ing hold of her.
She nodded.
as that all you can say?"
She hung her head and leaning clos
to him murmured with evident reluc
tance the words his vanity wished tc
hear.
AS the last tremulous syllable hunG
en- her lips she broke from him anC
ran across the field in the directioc
of the barn.
Blame strobe back to the road. From
an inside pocket he drew handful o
cigars.
Two of them were crushed open
whereat he chuckled grimly; but {
third was smokable.
With it in his teeth he walked u
the road little way, for he did no
want to return until Gertie had tecl
In some time.
Presently with gesture of iIrita
tion, he threw away the cigar. Til
smoke had increased the burnin~ i
his throat
pm a fool" he exclaimed. "A dos
gored fGc,!"
AND h, was thinking now, not c
the cigar, but of the girl, the scent c
whose HAIR had intoxicated him.
When he entered the house tn
family were evidently in the kitchel
Mrs. Schneider had left lamp fc
him by the foot of the stairs, and h
ascended at once to his room. BefoI
going to bed he wrote dutiful not
to his wife.
He addressed it simply to "Elois
Blame" for he knew that when Cert
came in the morning to make his be
she would find the letter and cirI
It to her brother, Oscar to be male
In The village.
Gertie was an intelligent girl. 81
would likely have understood "Mr
Franklin Blane,r while "Eloise Blanc
that might mean anything: siste
aunt or even distant cousin.
He was glad he did not have
write much for his head ached: tir'
out, he guessed.
At a. m, in prompt answer
the rattle of his alarm clock,
dressed and after filling his whisl
flask from tall bottle, took his g.
and left the house.
The night, it seemed to him, W
unusually cold. He must have be
cold ever since going to bed, for
headache persisted and his feet we
like ice.
He stamped them on the sprin
earth as he made his way through t
woods back of the farm down to I
lake. Heavy clouds overcast the 81
deepening the darkness under
trees.
It was well that he knew the pa