The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1918-08-15

w "a
Hal Shepard glanced at his watch.
"There's only a half hour before the
stage comes" he announced, "and you
haven't answered my question"
The girl beside him drew q deep
breath.
"Tll answer it now" she replied. II
can't come"
wont you be sensible, Madeline?"
he pleaded. "You know I want You
to come, don't you?"
Eyes, 1 think you do-now."
"Then why won't you"
Because I think that two weeks
from To- you'll be sorry you asked
me-"
THAT'S nonsense. You know It Is"
Madeline Gilman shook her head.
"It isn't nonsense. Let's look at this
thing fairly, Hal. A month ago you
came up here In the mountains to rest
from too many dances. You didn't ex-
pect to find anybody but a lot of farm
ers, and when you discovered me here,
tllC SillpiC luSt tiut i LII hOl ulLOSCthCl
a farmer was such a surprise that you
haven't quite gotten yer 1t. Com
pared to the ordinary run Of farm
girls, perhaps, I 4 am something of a re-
lief, but as soon as you get back home
and see the girls you're accustomed to
you'll forget all about me-"
"Then you won't Gomez"
81 guess not, Hal. I'm all right up
here, where an assembly ball is a
thing unknown; but. down in Ridge
field, with its country club and after
noon teas, I'd be out of place. You'll
like me better If I don't 60 to the
assembly"
For a moment, Hal Shepard was 81
lent. It occurred to him that posi-
bly, the girl beside him vas right. Com.
ing to the little mountain village a
month ago, he had been pleasantly
surprised to find her. They had been
together almost continually, and the
freshness Of her viewpoint, her lack
Of affection, had appealed to him no
less than the blue Of her eyes and the
rose tint of her cheeks. The Gilmans
had lived in Mountville for three gen.
erations; comfortably fixed, they had
reaped the harvest season after sea-
son, and had pursued the eve tenor
of their ways.
"T'm sorry you won't come" he
said. II was hoping that you'd change
your mind the last minute"
"No," she answered. give thought
it all out"
"Do you mind singing just once be-
fore I leave for home"
"Of course not"
They made their way together to
the coy house on the top Of the hill.
After she had seated herself at the
piano Madeline looked up inqulringly.
"What shall I singY she asked.
forgotten"
Hal thrilled just a bit as the words
Of what they had designated their
song broke softly from the girls lips.
eff counting each moment Of longing
Till the time when I see you again,
If this be forgetting, you're right,
dear,
And I have forgotten you then"
When the last notes died away, Hal
looked directly at the girl beside him.
"T1l never forget you," he said rath-
er huskily.
For the next two weeks it seemed
as if he couldn't forget her for a single
minute. The Friday night dances ut
the Country club were soulless af-
fairs. Even the presence Of a coun-
try-famed orchestra failed to arouse
his enthusiasm. The girls whom he
had once considered good sports
failed to amuse him.
The night before the assembly he
took supper with his sister, who
preached the subject of the dance.
"Do you know that Cynthia Thomp.
son hasn't been invitedT' she asked.
SLOW is that?"
81 couldn't say; it just happened
that way. Maybe she'd go with you If
you should ask her."
"Maybe she would" Hal manifest
ed but little enthusiasm, but his sis
ter, anxious to do a good turn to Gym
thia, ventured a suggestion.
"Why don't you call her upT" she
asked.
For q moment Hal hesitated. "May-
be I WILL" he said. Hal turned to the
phone. But the number he called was
"Mountville 420R." When Madeline,
who had answered the call, recovered
from her surprise, he informed her
gently but firmly that he had decided
that he didn't want to go to the u.s.
sembly ball without her, and 80 he
wasn't going at all.
"Im coming up to Mountville in
stead" he continued. II car get the
three o'clock train Friday and reach
there at e~ight-thirty. And then I
want to ask you a question"
But he didn't tell her what the ques-
ton was until he had climbed down
from the rickety stage and had seen
the light of welcome In her eyes.
And then, after she had answered
In the affirmative, he made his way
hesitatingly into the dining ROOF and
stated his cast before her father. And
NJ. CiJ-.S. ho,oet e,,ocn xh.k 10