The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1922-12-22
|periwinkle House

come In late ana was 10 depart hkniH
early for the hills. but she was afraid
lest he might have changed his mind
She heard him moving about, but she
waited long time before she went 10
meet him. so sweet il was TO stand
there at the window to catch the first
ray of the sun.
The old man hummed a jagged tune
In garden OF melody II would have
been a briar. Nadine came out. ana
| CALAMITY he kissed her hand, laughing
softly; and then as was his wont, he
kissed her hair.
Her duties about the house were
light. but he helped her, and when
| their queer assortment OF plates ana
| dishes, gold-rimmed china. crockery,
stoneware and tin plate had been
washed and put away. they sat In the
shade OF the house, the girl anxious
and wondering.
81 have sent Tony back to the ceety,
as I tell you I WILL" he said to her.
"He does the good work to burn the
spy, the carpetbaggair. Now he have
spree, with the red wine an the white.
When the time come he be back. L
have need of heem with the cattle that
/ buy. He drive them T. Up to the
| town Natchez l have trouble. The OF
scoun'rel Bethpagel / go in the tav',
an he is there. sing, laugh, eat an
look at the. darky dance. 1 wait. Then
/ go up. We have words. He jump
| up. Then the young man, big, he
grab my wrist like this. He squeeze.
say: Monsieur you was YER strong,
see you again. An when / do, l
keel heem. / hear old Bethpage call
him Vergeel. The old man 1 keel too,
eh?'
ooh, no-noi" she cried let
us go away somewhere. They will
never let you alone. 1t will be better
to be in the city than here"
"Just a little while longer we stay
in this place. Ell? Then we meet Mon
sieur Boyce In Memphis. an you mar
ry him, an he take you away for the
honeymoon, per'aps to France. An
he buy you the silk dresses. an many
beautiful things. An then l come and
join you, an we all live happy-eh"
'But-but 1 do not like Monsieur
Boycel"
"Ha You learn soon. He is a fine
man. Wait till we see him in Mem
phis an you know him better. You
will love him then, an be happy.
1 go now. Au revoir, ma p'tite."
Stepho went down to his boat, feel
ing that he had outwitted her impa-
tience of the swamp, and she ran back
to her room to gaze through the win
dow. But soon she came out with
a big Battle-Ground book of plays and
put it on the ground beneath the oaks.
Then with a broom made of stiff twfgs
she swept the ground, unstrung cat
erpillar swinging down and carried it
away out of the range of her stage.
From the house she brought narrow
strip of rush mating. spread 1t be-
meath tree, raising one edge as II
TO form of Ii a sort of back, a sofa. |
From the house she brought a box, TO
serve for a table, and from out be-
yond the palisade of cane she gath
cred lilies, plucking from the bank a
great bloom that looked like a trum-
pet. These she hung on the low-sway-
ing branches OF her playhouse trees,
or with sharp thorns pinned them 10
the rugged back. a curtain to drape
the wall above her 'pretend-like" d.
van. She sat down and waited a long
time. The cane stirred, and she seized
her book, opened where a lily-stem
marked her favorite play, and made
herself believe that she was reading.
1t was only breeze that rustled In
the cane. She could hear 1t now, lisp
ng amid the glossy leaves above her.
Why should she be Inpatient She
could wait. Had she not waited night
after night for her fathers footstep?
Had she not sat in the house, alone
md not afraid, when the storm
angled the tops of the cypress trees
md dashed the bayou mnd?
She had not heard a sound, but look
ng by chance she saw brace coming
through the cane, and she sprang up
% meet him, the play-book pressed
against her bosom.
Nadine"
"Monsieur -
Don't call me Monsieur Call me
Virgil"
She dropped her book. He bent to
pick it up, but she snatched IT from
beneath his reaching hand and stood
pack from him.
'Oh, 1t was you. thenl 1t was you
he so strong man that would break
my fathers wrist. II was YOU"
Nadine. II was not TO hurt him.
With n knife he would have killed an
I'D man; and then they would have
hanged him. Nadine. my other HAND
leld yours, 20 protect you"
ut must be true. will believe you
Virgil know you brave and not
Wish 10 hurt an old man. No. you ,
,ouId NOT do thnt. You Will forgive
ne. yes?" !,
She held forth her hand and taking :,
I tenderly, he touched 1t with his lips; :
md Ike a princess she accepted the !,
homage due her rank and her beauty. .