Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-01-27

curity.
You'll promise to be very careful.
while I'm gone. won't your" she de-
manded, as they sat together the night
before she left
''Tll try to last till you get back" he
smiled. He was sitting with a pipe In
his hand-a pipe which had gone out
and been forgotten.
In the darkness Of the porch every.
thing was vague but herself She
seemed to him to be luminous by some
light of her own. She was a very
wonderful and desirable star shining
far out Of reach of his world.
Suddenly she laughed, and he
asked:
What is it,"
Il was just thinking what a fool |
was when came here" she answered.
Did you know that brought a piano
with me as far as Peril? It's been
there over year"
"A piano." he echoed, then they
both laughed.
IT might as well have tried to bring
along the Philadelphia city hail." she
admitted. Just the same, there have
been times when It wouIa have meant
lot to me, an awful lot, if I could
have had that piano. / don't know
whether music means so much to you,
but to me-"
l know" he broke in. 81 some
times low that life amt much else ex-
cept the summin' up Of the things a
teller dreams. Music is like dreams
1T makes dreams. Yes, know some
thin about that"
She went away and, though she was
not long gone, her absence seemed in
terminable to Anse Havey. He met
her at the train on her return with a
starved idolatry in his eyes. and to-
gether they rode back across the
ridge.
But when she entered the building
which had been the first schoolhouse
the man drew back a step or two and
watched as surreptitiously as a boy
VINO has in due secrecy planned q sur
prise.
ed and stood near the threshold in
amazement. Her eyes began to dance
and she gave little gasp of delight.
There against one wall stood her
piano.
She turned to find Anse Havey wait
ing in the door as awkwardly as a
green boy. Just how difficult a task 1t
had been to bring that great weight
across those roads unframed she
could only guess. He must, in effect,
nave built the roads before him as
Napoleon built them for his armies.
She turned to him, deeply moved.
and after the first flush of delight he1
eyes were misty.
L wonder how / am ever going to
thank you-for everything" she said
softly.
But Bad Anse Havey only answered
in an embarrassed voice: 'T reckon it
might be little jingly, so l had fell
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 little party, just you and
with music"
"Good-by," he said. 81 reckon ye
haven't noticed it-but my rifles
standin' there in your rack
1t was night Of starlight, with just
a sickle moon overhead and the music
of the whippoorwills in the air, when
Anse presented himself again at the
school. He knew that he must break
on 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 palpitating fever and q
burning madness. He would invent
some excuse tonight and go away.
Then he came to the open door and
stood on the threshold transfixed by
g
lat dropped to the floor ana l-y 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 aVay from her. He was a very
dim, faint star In pogee
She sat with her back turned and
her fingers straying over the keys of
the ptano-and she was in evening
dress! 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
Iessly beautiful.
She had followed whim that night
and dressed up to surprise him. She
had promised him a party and meant
to receive him with as much prepare
lion as she would have made for roy
atty. But to him it was only a dec
aration of the difference between
hem, emphasizing how unattainable
'he was; how unthinkably remote
rom him own rough world.
Then, as she heard his steps and
'ose. she was disappointed because In
lis face, instead of pleasure, she read
,nly tumnlt whose dominant note
vas distress
Don't you like me?" she asked, as
he gave him her hand and smiled I'D