The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1917-09-14
CHAPTER ".


Seffy sauntered confidently up The
Hill of Delight upon which Sally's
house stood. When within sight of it
he polished his hat on his sleeve, set
the butterfly necktie straight, felt that
the apochryphal diamond was safe,
and marched up to the house-only to
arrive a little later than buggy from
which Sam Pritz, he was certain, had
extracted Sally. If it had not been
the thought of his father, which oppor-
tunely came, Seffy would have gone
straight home-so did his heart fail
him.
And then instantly there was an
other and better reason for staying.
Sally had seen him. As he wavered
which she seemed to know-she came
hurrying down upon him. 1t was too
late then, even if he had had the
courage to retreat from such dear
danger. She put her arm within his,
and, leaning bewitchingly upon it,
led him into the house, chattering fer
vidly-the most willing of captives to
the most beguiling Of captors For
Sally had put on all her witcheries for
this night of nights,
Once within she added the charm of
the accomplished amateur hostess
doing fascinating things which needed
no doing-hoyering about Seffy like the
very spirit of home-so that he had
the Intoxicating sense of difficulty in
keeping from being entangled in her
fluttering arms and garments For
his feet, unused to Elysium, s0ouId catch
themselves in her whirling skirts-as if
they knew better than he their ultimate
destiny All this was splendid revela-
ton to Seffy. He had never, in all his
dreams of her-(and they were legion)
fancied this soft and winning domes-
ITCHY. 1t went to his head like alco-
hol-opium -ether-making it so light
and happy as to be quite useless to him.
So, when Sally finally took the tall
hat and went to deposit it in the dark
parlor, Seffy followed her, for no better
reason than the things in the basin have
for following the magnet. And, I'M
Outstanding this, Sally looked over her
her shoulder at him. And then, snuffing
her conquest at distance, she laughed
and mercifully stopped for him to catch
up, that she might presently surrender.
She got his hand-to lead him. Only
thatl
"You care a lot for--your hat, don't
you, Sef--Seffy2 And you want to
to-see"-he couldn't see thing
"that THAT put it at safe
placer"
Still by the hand further into the
darknessl
And Seffy honestly tried to pre-
varicate for her a yes" But he wasn't
thinking Of the treasured hat at all, only
the hand-that it was deliciously warm
and soft and electrical. Suddenly she
stopped very close to him. Only he
was SO dull He did not knowl Heavens
when girl Wdits for youth to come
close to her in the dark-what else
can she mean? But Seffy actually did
not know.
"Sam's over therel I-I-wish he
wasn't"
To whisper it she had to put one
hand on his shoulder. How else could
she whisper it2 And she laughed a low
bubbling laugh-half-con half
defiance--all invitation!
Seffy stopped to whisper back to
her. Sally waited.
II knot0 I"
Only thatl-Sally was disappointed.
For it was the custom in that day and
vicinage and in such circumstances to
kiss a girl without fail. And could a
girl do more than this by way of invi-
tation? You must have perceived that
Sally was learned in these matters.
And you may be sure she did not forget
Seffy's bashfulness and his inexperience.