St. Tammany farmer., 1922-02-25
CHAPTER VII

He never saw her again. She sent
him 'picture postal" from Oconomo-
voc, Wisconsin, which his father dis
engaged from the family mail, one
morning at breakfast, and considerate-
ly handed to him without audible com
ment. Upon it was written, "Oh. you
Ramsey!' This was the last of Milla.
x.Just before school opened In the
autumn. Sadie Clews made some reve-
latiens. "NIiIla did like you," said
Sadie. After that time you jumped
In the creek to save her she liked you
better than any boy in town, and
guess If il wasn't for her counsin Mut
up in Chicago she ,vould of liked you
the heS' anywhere. guess she did,
anyway. because she hadn't seen him
for about a ye:r then.
We'll, that afternoon she went
;;Way ,::as over there and took in
everything lh:! ..;;s gnin' Oh only IL.
;ntir me ~t.rt,f,i~a n;1r ,i,y u'nl.:I IF h,;r:,
I wouldn't even tell Albert. They
didn't get any wire from the uncle
about the touring car; 1t was her cou-
sin AIIt thai jumped on the train and
came down and liked 1t all up for
Milla to go on the trip, and every
thing. You see, Ramsey, she was
turned back couple Of times in school
before she came In our class and I
don't know how old she is and she
don't look old yet, but I'm pretty sure
she's at least eighteen, and she might
be over. / didn't think such a great
deal Of this Milt's looks myself, but
he's anyway twenty-one years old, and
got good position, and all their fam
lily seem to think he's just fine! It
wasn't his father that took in the tour
ing car on the debt, like she said she
was writing you; it was N1ilt himself
He started out in business when he
was only thirteen years old, and this
trip he was gettin' up for his father
and mother and Milla was the first
vacation he ever took. Well, Of course
she wouldn't like my tellin' you, but
I can't see the harm Of it, now every
things all over"
"All-all over? You mean Milla's
going to be-to be married?"
"She already is," said Sadie. 'They
got married at her Aunt Jess and In
cle .Purv's house, up in Chicago, last
Yes, sir; that quiet, little
Milla's a regular old married woman
by this time, I expect, Ramsey!'
When he got over the shock, which
was not until the next day, one pre-
feeling remained: 1t was
4 gloomy pride-a pride In his proven
He was old enough, it ap- !
peared, to have been the same thing |
IS engaged to a person who was now |
, Married Woman His manner thence
'orth showed an added trace of seri-
BUSINESS and self-consideration.
Having recovered his equipoise and |
more, he entirely forgot that
moment Of humble admiration he had
'elt for Dora Yocum on the day of his
latest prostration. When he saw her
'itting in the classroom. smiling bright
Y up at the teacher. the morning OF
he schools opening in the autumn,
Ill his humility had long since van
shed and she appeared to him not
otherwise than as the scholar whose
complete proficiency had always been
10 irksome to him.
Look at her!" he muttered to him
,elf. "Same ole Teachers Pet!"
Now and then, as the days and sea-
IONS passed, and Dora's serene prog
ess continued, never checked or even
Iawed, there stirred within him some
ingerings Of the old determination
o "show" her; and he would conjure
10 a .day-dream of Dora In loud la
nentation. while he led the laughter
# the spectators. But gradually his
ceiling about her came to be merely
dull oppression. He was tired Of
Iaving to look at her (as he stated