Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1916-09-21

peering at her above the heather not
twelve feet distant.
Don't put it up," said the man
1--WE never seen a woman's hair loose
in the wind before. Why, the sunligh;
creeps all through it doesn't lt?"
Miss Mitford's hands fell and were
folded primly in her lap. She blushed
little, too.
"Have you been here long?" she
inquired with conventional politeness.
II didn't see you before"
81 was asleep he admitted.
Miss hitford's cheeks again be-
trayed her easy manner, while the
man stood up and, moving over, sa;
down at her feet. He was a tall man,
broad and blonde as viking, tower
ing over her though she had the ad-
vantage of the rock on which she sat.
She held her breath as size watched
him. For all his bulk of body his face
was pale, like one i'll, and the fair hair
was cut so short it was difficult to tell
1t curled.
He stretched his hand out toward
the purple distances.
ut must be wonderful to just 60
and go and have no one to stay you I"
His voice was plaintively sad, but
with no bitterness, as in mild wonder
at the scheme of things possessed him
only And she with her great disco,-
cry fresh in mind, leaned down excit.
edly, intent with the wealth of her
secret.
But you can go If you want to
you can. I've just foul.d it out"
He shook his head soberly.
There is no goin' nowadays, with
none to stay you, what with one thing
and another, and the laws sayin' this.
and the church sayin' that. and hayin,
to eat when you are hungry"
"There is a spell that will brea6
every SPELL" she insisted. II know
because l belonged to witch for a
long time, and then she sold me to
dragon"
They smiled at one another with
sad understanding and he settled back
against the rock to hear.
WLdl hli.u d WHICH WAS
"Just a regular witch, ugly and
cruel, who lashed me with her tongue
and beat me with her cane'
The big man stirred uneasily and
knotted his hands.
mo one would beat me-" he whis.
pered.
II minded her tongue moro than her
cane, and would have stood the
drudging and the beatinss if only she
had spoken soft and words with low
in them. 1t is hard when one is young
not to hear sweet things and see and
feel them. The witch made my life
hard and gray and bitter, and when
she sold me ~ dragon it was just
he same again."
what kind of a dragon was itI
"Oh, very small dragon. l could
lift it easily. but if | angered it WIS
afraid l would starve. So day after
day ! heard it chatter, chatter, chatter,
and day after day felt it sucking UP
my youth and giving nothing in re-
turn. All l wanted was love, and I'd
have slaved happily if cSuld have
had that, but there was no love in 1t.
II was only a dragon of iron and ink"
The man knotted his hands again.
81 wouldn't slave for any dragon.'
mot even for love?"
NO"
She sighed just little, but he prcb-
ably did not hear, for he went on:
THAT might do for woman, a soft
woman like you, but l must have
that" nodding at the far horizon. Il
can't live without 1t. There was
dragon that tried TO make a slave out
of ME, and when / rebelled he punish
ed me. Then fought back, which an.
gered the dragon, for he was 80 pow
erful none dared to oppose him. He
swore l should never escape him
again with my life.' \
He kicked his heel into the stony,
loan and sat looking at the moist
earth. raOJ .Jhiaantl 4aSv ia
"IIl die first, he whispered. "If
can't escape I'll die before I'll be b