News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1922-02-08

"NoW | guess you're satisfied our
isilin' is spoilt! Why'n't you listen
me? | told you 1t wasn't more'n three
foot deep I and Eelnie waded all
OYER tlis creek gettin our bait. You're
a pretty sight"
or Milla he spoke unwittingly the
literal truth. Even with her hair thus
via and sodden MiIla rose from inn
ne. ,,Vn flushing and lprettier than
ever; and she was prettiest of all
when she stretched out her hand help
lessly to Ramsey and he led her up
out OF the waters. They had plenty Of
assistance to scramble to the top Of
the bank, and there Alilla was sur
rounded and borne away with a great
clacketing and tumult. Ramsey sat
upon the grass in The sun, rubbed his
head ana experimental with his neck
to see if it would work" The sun
shine was strong and hot in half an
hour he and his clothes were dry-of
ut least dry enough" as he said and
except for some soreness of head and
neck, ana the general crumpledness Of
his apparel he seemed to he in all
ways much as usual, when shouts and
Whistlings summoned all the party to
luncheon at the rendezvous. The
change that made him different was
invisible.
Yet something must have been seen,
for everyone appeared to take it for
granted that he WAS 70 sit next to
MilIa at the pastoral meal. She her
self understood it. evidently for she
drew in her puckered skirts and with
out any words made a place for him
beside her as he Gifiingly approached
her, affecting to whistle and keeping
his ewes on the faage overhead. He
still looked upward, even in the act of
sitting down.
Squirrel or something" he said
feebly, MS if in explanation.
"Where?" NIina asked
"Up tlPre on q branch" He ac-
ceptcd plate from her (she had pro-
yided herself with an extra one), but
he did not look at it or at her. He
continued to keep his eyes aloft, be
cause he imagined that all of the class
were looking at him and AIilla, and
he felt unable to meet such publicity.
It was to him as if the whole United
States had been scandalized to atten-
tion by this act Of his in going to sit
beside Milla; he gazed upward SO ioRg'I
That his eye-bals became sensitive I'M
der the strain. He began to blink. 81
can't make out whether it's a squirrel
Or iast some leaves that kind o got
fixed like one" lie said 81 can't make
ont yet which it is. but l guess when
there's = breeze, if it's a squirrel he'll
probly hop around some then, if he's
alive or anything"
1t had begun to seem that his eyes |
must remain fixed in that upward
stare forever; he wanted to bring them |
down. but could not face the glare Of !
the world But finally the brightness !
Of the Sky between the leaves settled |
matters for him; lac sneezed wept and |
for a little moment again faced his |
felloNmen. No one was looking at !
him; everybody except Milla had other |
things to do.
Having sneezed inyoIuntarily, he |
aided a--sneu of c0u-lug for which |
here WAS no nee 81 guess !
must Been wrong, ly w.yarcd thicIIy, |
"Nhut ahoUt Eau ,y|'
"Abaui its bein q squirrel" With |
ufuite tMdIly he turned his head |
md eHcuw ied @azo SO soft, so hal
owed. tlat it Disconnected him, and /
be dropped "druHsyicE" of fried
.hckeu. we'll doued wti ants, from
lis plate. Scarlet he picked II up, but
iii not eat it, For the first time in
lis life hp felt that eating fried chick
IN held in the fingers was not to be
He replaced the drum
.tick Upon his plate and allowed it
o rrmum there untouched, in spite Of
great hunger for it.
Having looked down, he now found
i'm looking up, but gazed
steadily at his plate, and into this
United circle of vision came Milla's
Ielicate and rosy fingers. bearing a
lift There" she said in mo+herly
title voice. ats a tomato mayonpaise
andwich and ! made it myself, l
want YOU to eat it, Ramsey
His own fingers approached tremu-
BUSINESS as he accepted the thick sand
yich from her and conveyed it to his
Mouth a moment later his soul filed
With horror for a squirt Of mayonnaise
IreSsing had caused catastrophe the
Gene Of which occupied no inconsider-
bile area Of his right cheek. which
vas the cheek toward Milla. He
,roped wretchedly for his handker-
hief but could not find it; he had lost
t. sudden death would have been re-
ief: he was sure that after such gro
esquerie MiIla could never bear to
ave anything more to do With hin;
~ was ruined
In his anguish lie felt a paper nap
.m pressed gently into his hand; a
cft Voice said ga his ear; "Wipe if off
ith this, Ramsey. Nobody's MOTTO
nr."
I