Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1919-02-10
A KISS MEANT MUCH TO A coUN-
TRY GIRL
CHAPTER III.


after Neil left. The feeling of disap-
pointment. that he had said nothing of
caring for me Il did not say Glove"
even in my thoughts) fingered and in a
way distressed me. 1 had let him kiss
me, and kiss from g man meant more
than letter writing, to me. had waited
in the empty little station, whittier his
aunt and had gone to see him off, un-
til his train had become a mere speck
in the distance. Then / made an ex-
cuse not to accompany Mrs. Carter to the
store, and wandered away on the road
leading beyond the village; the one
THE PROMOTER IS WIFE.
Neil and had taken the day before
a road guarded by great trees whose
|decp-green leaves only trembled in the
light breeze. l walked on and on until
| reached the wood, and the log upon
which we had sat. There was the hole
in the moss as Neil had left it. There
were pieces of twig which he had
broken in his hands while we talked. l
stopped and gathered them = I have
them still.
l sat on the log dreaming until the
sun faded into g. soft violet glow be-
hind the horizon, then walked slowly
home, cropping among my confused
thoughts, trying to puzzle out the mean
ing of that casual kiss Neil had so
lightly pressed upon my cheek.
I,,t NIL
didn It understand" I said over and
over to myself, scarcely knowing what
the reiteIation of the words meant; or
even the words themselves. Dimly, back
in my mind, was the thought that had
Neil known | cared, he would either not
have kissed me, or he would have said
more than to ask me to write to him.
A moment stood still before I went
into the house. ] shivered little in
the warm night air, but not with cold.
Then taking my courage in my hands l
went in. l had been afraid mother
would ssk me where I had been, but be.
yond giving me an unusually sharp look
she said nothing.
"Well, young Forbes is gone," faith
er said when he came in few minutes
afterward. "Youll get more time to
help your mother now, Bab," with a.
sly wink. Father had desperately tried
to tease me about Neil.
"She has done enough even with him
here,' mother bridled.
"He's fine chapl no wonder Mrs
Carter is proud of him. He $ her broth
er's child. His father died just little
while before he was graduated from col
lege. l met her coming home and she
told nc. She said you and she had gone
to the station to see him off, Bab."
"Ycs.n
Dinner was ready and so no more
was said of Neil. But after had help
ed mother with the dishes as usual,
.rept off up stairs and sat by my open
thinking of Neil, dreaming
dreams that brought bushes to my
checks.
l was foolish to think Neil would care
for me-a simple little country girl -
when he saw so many girls who were
more accomplished, so much handsomer
md better educated. Yet | knew that
| should never be as happy as before he
,ame; never feel just the same again.
lad given him my love-unasked. But
{ had given it just the same. l should
marry some day, But not for
/ long, long time. Not until Neil had
oeeome less fateor in my life than he
hen was-rather, in my thoughts. He
lad practically gone out of my life.
Finally l went to bed and once more
,ried myself to sleep.
Neil hsd said he would write. So
constantly made excuses to visit the
post office, although father had been in
he habit of bringing the mail when he
,ame home to his meals. | never had
received letter from a man. Foolish
notes or invitations from thet own boys
lad occasionally come to me through
he mail, but no real letter.
Day after day as no letter came
rev more depressed, moro sure that he
lad already forgotten me, and that /
should not hear from him. Then about
wo weeks after he had gone home, and
he very first day had not gone to the
,ost office, father brought me his let
es.
IA letter from New York, Bab.'' he
aid scrutinizing the post mark as he
landed it to me, though l very well
Snew he had done so before reaching
isne.
Ny first letter from Neill covered |
md I tucked it under my plate.
would read it when was alone. And /
I.though father teased me, and mother
ooked toward it anxiously, / kept it uni