, 1918-04-25

Pres will be obliged, too"
Mr.. Jernigan looked at her wonder
ingly. Talk about the s~elfshness of
men," he thought, women amt made
of anything but that self-same article"
Aloud he said with dignity: II am 60
ing to say I didn't know as I had any
thing mapped out yet, but of course
I don't get to the end of my ideas in
half an hour"
His tone seemed to remind Ianthe
of the h~ospitable traditions of Vir-
ginia.
Come along to supper" she sug
gested, "only don't talk to pa as II you
knew much, or maybe he'll suspect
Pres didn't make up those fine new
notions"
For many weeks after this Mr.. Jer-
nigan stayed in Norfolk, although he
was badly needed in Wellsville. He
spent his mornings conscientiously do
ing the many sights of the %neighbor-
hood-Soldiers' home at Hampton,
Fortress Monroe, Hygeia hotel at Old
Point, every one of which would have
been run to far greater advantage had
an Iowa man been at the head-and in
the afternoons he taught Ianthe Var
brough the essentials Of progressive
trucking. Her father had taken a lik-
ing-naturally-to him, and often he
went to supper with the Yarbroughs.
After supper he and the father sat
on the front steps and smoked, while
he watched-a little grimly-Ianthe
and Pres Lewis sauntering by the
river. Pres was a tall, dark, lazy
looking boy, who evidently had no
Thickness about accepting another
mans cerebral fruits. he proited by
the hints Ianthe gave him during
the river bank s%trolls, and when Mrs.
Yarbrough was through with the
dishes he and Ianthe came to the
steps, and new ideas scintillated. Over
the porch of the little house grew a
Mareschal Mel rose, its hundreds of
buds making the air sweet, but Mr..
Jernigan's bitter heart did not let him
enjoy the sweetness. Yes, his heart
was bitter. He said to himself as he
sat listening to Pres talk, sat watch
ing Ianthe crush the rose leaves
against her cheek, that his vexation
referred purely to a matter of good
sense. Waste is what l can't stand
owe that to the back-East bringing
up Aunt Mary had-and waste 1t
surely would be for him to get that
fair flower of the South"
There had to come an end-We ellis
vile would no longer be put off, and
one night when Mr.. Jernigan went into
the Yarbrough sitting room for his hat,
after the usual placid evening on the
steps, he made himself say: "Well.
folks, I guess this is the end Of my
visits. I must get back-and come to
Wellsville, all of you, and I'll see that
you meet the elite"
They were all standing, but Ianthe
dropped into a chair.
"Going-" she said.
Pres turned to her-then the color
rushed t. his dark cheeks. He stepped
toward Mr.. Jernigan.
you've been talking crops to her,
you have? You've been making love
to her-you've-"
Mr.. Jernigan laid a hand on the
boys mouth. "Stop your fool talk"
he said. Miss Ianthe-"
Ianthe sprang to her feet. 81 don't
care two strawber's If you are goin'
way-I don't, 1 don't" she cried,
throwing open the door leading to the
steep stairway, and then going up
stairs as fast as she could.
Mr.. Jernigan retreated dignifiedly.
81 shall call upon you tomorrow" he
said to the dazed Mr.. Yarbrough.
"Good Mrs, Mrs. Marlborough, ma'am-
good night, Mr.. Lewis. Let me wish
you success In your trucking in case 1
don't see you tomorrow"
He did not take the road toward No
folk. Through hat misty gray light,
the light that wraps n around, the
light that the jewellers oil the Elizabeth
river call a June evening, he made his
way to the wharf where he had first
seen Ianthe. There were no gunno bags
there now, but he sat down on the
planks where she had sat, and took up
the long pole which still lay there. He
laughed, whistled and sang as he
whipped the water with the pole-sang
with subdued nasality. "She don't
| don't care-two strawber's-two straw
ber's-no, she don't she don't" Then
he drove the pole into the mud. and
meditated. Ianthe was by him, Ian
the in the purple calico which made
her eyes too look purple. mo cali
CO.'S" he said suddenly. "Wellsville's
best quality silk for Mrs. j. Archibald"