South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-02-13
THE HEAD-HUN1ER

BY o. HENRY

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1s)
surd cane-chopper. What would
Miss Greene think OF you?" he end
ed. with tae silky caJolery that one
would use toward a fretful child.
Listen" said AT last you have
struck upon the right note What
would she think OF me? Listen"
repeated
There are women" I said who
look upon horsehair sofas and cur
rant wine as dross. To them even
the calculated modulation OF your
trimmed talk sounds like the
dropping OF rotten plums from a
tree In the night. They are the
maddens who walk back and forth
in the villages. scorning the empti-
ness OF the bask cts at the doors OF
the young men who would win them.
One, such as they" 4 said, lis wait
ing. Only a fool would try 10 win a
woman by drooling like a braggart
In her doorway or by waiting upon
her whims like a footman. They are
all daughters OF Herodias, and to
gain their hearts one must lay the
heads of his enemies before them
with his own hands. Now. bend your
neck, Louis Devoe. Do not be a cow
ard as we'll as a chartered at lady's
tea.-tabie"
There, there!" said DevCe. fall
teringly. You know me, don't you,
Rayburn?"
'Oh. yes" I said. Il know you.
know you. I know you But the
the village and the young men. and
both the dark maidens and the ones
who are as fair as pearls. walk back
and forth and see its emptiness. Will
you kneel now, or must we have a
scuffle? II is not like yOu 20 make
form. But the basket is waiting for
your head"
With that he went TO pieces I had
TO catch him as he tried to scamper
past me like a scared rabbit I
stretched him out anu got a foot on
his chest, but he squirmed like a
worm, although L appealed repeat
eddy 20 his sense OF pTopriety and
the duty he owed to himself as a
gentleman not make a row.
But at last he gave me the chance,
and 1 swung the machete.
1t was not hard work. He flop
ped like a chicken during the six
or seven blows that II took 10 sever
/ tied his head in my handkerchief.
The eyes opened and shut thrice
while 1 walked 100 yards. I was red
70 my feet with the drip. but what
did that matter With delight felt
under my hands the crisp touch Of
his short. thick, brown hair and
close-trimmed beard.
reached the house of the Greenes
and dumped the head Of Louis De-
voc into the basket that still hung
by the nail in the door jamb. / sat
in a chair under the awning and
waited. The sun was within two
hours OF estting. Chloe come out
and looked surprised.
Where have you been. Tommy ?"
she asked. You were gone when
came out"
Look in the basket" I said, ris-
ing TO my feet. She looked. and
gave a little scream-of delight,
was pleased 70 note.
"Oh. Tommy" she said. ct was
just what l wanted you to do. It's
leaking a little, but that doesn't mat
ter. Wasn't l telling you? It's the
little things that count. And you re-
membered."
Little things! She held the ensan-
!
white apron. The streams of red
widened on her apron and dripped
upon the floor. Her face was bright
and tender
Little things. indeed" I thought
again. The head hunters are right.
These are the things that women
like you TO do for them"
Chloe came close to me. There
was no one in sight. She looked up
at me with sea-blue eyes that said
things they had never said before.
You think OF me-" she said. You
are the man 1 was describing. You
think OF the little things. and they
are what make the world worth liv-
ing in. The man for me must con-
slider my little wishes. and make me
happy in small ways. He must
bring me little red peaches in De-
cember II 1 wish for them, and then
1 will love him till June. I will
have no knight in armour Staying his
rival or killing dragons for me. You
please me very well. Tommy"
I stopped and kissed her. Then a
moisture broke out on my forehead,
and / began to feel weak. l saw the
red stains vanish from Chloe's
apron, and the head OF Louis Devoe
turn to a brown, dried cocoanut
There will be pudding
for dinner, Tommy. boy" said Chloe.
gayly. and you must come. 1 must
go I'm for a little while"
She vanished in a delightful flut-
ter.
DIR. Stamford tramped up hur-
riedly. He seized my pulse as though
Ii were his own property that / had
escaped with.
OF any asylum!" he said. angrily
why did you leave your bed? And