Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1918-01-03
SIMPLY
HUMAN
-
By Jessie Ethel sherwin
tCopyright. 1917. Wcstern Newspaper Union.l


Copyright. 1917. Western Newspaper Unionl
wild and perverse," proclaimed
Rev. Willis Gascoyne. II must decline
to Interfere The girl is willful, her
relatives Indifferent. What might say
80 her would only antagonize her and
do no good"
81 think you misjudge her." spoke
Bliss Warden warm heartedly. "She
| is q child of nature, simply human"
| The speaker turned away rather I'M
shrugged his shoulders delicately and
| resumed the pairing OF his well-kept fin
ger nails. The latter never mingled in
common and unpleasant affairs outside
of his ecclesiastical functions. Why
! should he? Was not his sole duty
| owing to his devoted flock?
What would become of the charity
circle, the Ladies' Aid society, the lawn
| entertainments if he wasted his efforts
on the outside community?
1t was all about girl, mere waif
on the ocean of life, Leila Trask. She
was the neglected drudge of the Mer-
rils, a wretched family living at the
| edge of the town. Neither toll nor de-
privation, however, could beat to earth
! the CHEEKY, dauntless spirit of the lone
~ one. She romped with the little ones
| whenever free from duty and made
| them love her. She rode the widest
horses in the district, tanned them for
their owners. A hoyden who had never
known, kiss or caress, she loved ma
ture and the laughing ways of life and
| was content.
Bliss Warden was a city lawyer,
come down to Summerdale to visit
friends and incidentally continue his
| woOing of proud, aristocratic Marcia
Burrell, heiress, beauty and social
queen. The day previous he had seen
Leila Trask meet man in the woods.
He knew the man at a glance. He
had impaired his history to Rev. Will
lis Gascoyne The latter betokened
interest in the story, but. none in the
| girl.
"a bright young spirit, with soul
clear as crystal rumnated Warden.
"Surely, if 1 an a real man | will not
grudge the time and effort to save her
from rhe wjles of Il villain"
| So he sought Leila Trask. He found
her digging potatoes in the little patch
back of the mere howell in which she
| lived Tie nodded to her in q friendly
way She smiled back radiantly.
Scan i speak with you for a few
minutes?" he asked, and she moved to
where he stood, looking up into his
eyes trustingly.
''You are Mr.. Warden she said.
'sLittle Ned Billings told me how you
| waded into the creek to save his toy
| sailboat. You are a good man and you
are going to marry Miss Burrell. OH!
! how happy she must be, and how lucky
to have all those beautiful gowns and
| jewels
Her artless innocence appealed to
Bliss Warden more strongly than ever.
81 am going to call you Leila. he
| said, "because see, you are my friend
| Leila, will you trustlne as a brother in
matter close to your interest, believ-
| ing that seek only to save you from
trouble?"
She nodded her head, but staring
| wonderingly at his earnest, friendly
face
81 saw you with. man near here
yesterday. Is he Il lover?"
| She flushed up instantly. The rose
bud lips bore a momentary resentful
| expression. Then she lowered her eyes
in confusion.
| "ie says he wants to be my beau"
she futtered. "And 1 never had one.
like other girls, and-and he says he
can get me work in the city so | can
have fine dresses and a beautiful room,
ard he will marry me-"
81 am very sorry to make YOU feel
grieyed Leila" said Warden, "but this
man is a villain. Twice in the city
courts he has been sentenced to prison,
the last time for bigalny."
| The girl swayed rs if from stun
ming shock. She could not doubt the
words spoken. She burst into tears
with the passionate outbreak.
eff you know how / long for some
cne to speak kind to me, to think of
me, to love me, YOU would Know now
hungry my heart is. Oh! l don't want
to see him again, if ne is as you say.
but OH! must love somebody, some
| thing. Oh! why am | not like other
girls-so poor, so lonely, so desplsed!'
| Warden quieted the distracted spirit
with gentle words. Then he went his
way to the village. Within the hour
the treacherous eX-convict was ordered
to leave the town within twenty-four
hours or the city authorities would be
notified. lie skunk away like the cur
he was.
Perhaps Leila was more subdued and
serious after that. The revelation CON
corning the man she did not love, bal
whose false flashing ways had inter-
ested her. opened her innocent eyes sor-
rowfuly to the ways of the world.
Then. too, Il strange peace had stolen
over her spirit