The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1922-09-07

Louie realized that afternoon what l,
Is to feel dull burning pain across
ones heart, while she smiled to her
mother and talked commonplaces, to
lift her eyes to the maple-shaded
street and find that she saw 1t through
a mist Of tears.
But when the afternoon had dragged
by and Louie was setting the table fol
the early supper, her brother, teasing
called in through the screen door
"Henry won't be around tonight, sis
said to tell you he has date!"
Louie smiled back gayly, but when
his tall figure had moved away, she
stood very still, holding a glass and
twisting it about her cold fingers.
"I'll just have to forget him." she
told herself.
By way Of forgetting him she re-
membered the first time she had met
him. The CLINT Of humor in his brown
eyes, the way his hair was brushed
back satiny smooth and the something
in his voice that could make her heart
beat so fast.
He had come across the lawn under
the trees strung with Japanese Ian
tens-it had been q church sociable-
and he had said, tive been trying to
meet you all evening"
From the very first she had felt as
though she had known him always |;
and now.
you aren't eating anything for
your dinner" her mother said as they
sat around the table.
Louie tried to swallow a piece Of
bread, but 1t had the taste Of sawdust
and tears. The first moment that she
found herself alone she crept out to
the porch and sat on the lowest step,
secure In the shadows, watching a
crescent Of moon glimmer through the
trees. A delicate sweetness from the
rose Of Sharon bushes wrapped her
round, her throat ached with the sobs
she was holding back, and she tried
to tell herself that it dian't matter,
that she would forget it-sometime.
Perhaps 1t was the sight of two
lovers strolling past the gate, or just
the familiar Tilt Of thread of music
that drifted to her on the summer air
that was too much. She buried her
head In her circling arms and wept as
though her heart would break.
Some one coming up the path
stopped suddenly when he saw the
huddled little figure.
Louie! Oh, Louie! What's the
matter?"
But there was no answer from the
bowed head.
Henry Durant sat down on the step
beside her and very gently took away.
those sheltering hands.
mad at me, Louie?" he begged.
The tears were still wet on her
cheeks, her voice was not quite steady,
but she flung up her head and spoke:
1.-TWO people today said that you were
dangerous and a-a-not to be
trusted
"And you believed them, Louie?'
She did not lift her eyes.
'"Tell me just what they said,' he
insisted.
"Just flirting his head off and the
girl takes it seriously!" Louie re-
peated the words that had burned her
like hot lead. "And some one else
said, 'Henry's dangerous man! ="
Louie looked up startled as laugh
rang out across the quiet lawn.
'There's only one thing we can do,
DEAR" Henry said slowly. "After we're
engaged we'll see if we can't do some
thing about Henry. I've always sus-
pected that that brother of yours was
a dangerous flirt!"
"Oh!" Louie cried and her eyes
were dazzled by the sudden glory Of
the illumination, Ell had forgotten
that there was any other Henry in
the world!" a.
I'D just as soon you'd keep on" he
told~her gently as he took her in his
arms.