St. Tammany farmer., 1922-02-18

you are mine and am yours forever
kiddo." He wished that Alilla hadn't
written ''ktddo." She called him that
sometimes, but In her warm little voice
the word seemed not at all what it did
IN Ink. He wished, too, that she hadn't
said she was his forever.
Suddenly he was seized with a hor-
ror Of her.
| Moisture broke out heavily upon
MIN; he felt a definite sickness, and.
Wishing for death, went forth upon the
streets to walk and walk. He cared
not whittier, so that his feet took him
IN any direction away from Milla.
since they were unable to take him
away from himself-of whom he had
as great horror. Her loving face was
continually before him, and its sweet
ness made his flesh creep. Milla had
been too sweet.
When he met or passed people, it
seemed to him that perhaps they were
able to recognize upon him somewhere
the marks Of his low quality.
"softy| Ole sloppy fooll" he NUT
tered, addressing himself. "Slushy
ole mush! >. Spooner!" And
! he added, yours forever, kiddor'
| Commissions seemed about to seize
| him.
Turning corner with his head
down, he almost charged into Dora
Yocum. She was homeward bound
from a. piano lesson, and carried a
rolled leather case Of sheet music
something he couldn't imagine Milla
carrying-and In her young girls
dress, which attempted to be nothing
else, she looked as wholesome as cold
spring water. Ramsey had always felt
that she despised him and now, all at
once, he thought that she was justified.
Leper that he had become he was un-
worthy to be even touching his cap to
her! And as she nodded and went
briskly on, he would have given any,
thing to turn and walk q little way
with her, for 1t seemed to him that this
might fumigate his morals But he
lacked the courage, and, besides, he
considered himself unfit to be seen
walking with her.
He had long afternoon Of an
gulshes, these becoming most violent
when he tried to face the problem Of
his future course toward Milla. He
did not face it at all, in fact, but mere
ly writhed, and had evolved nothing
when Friday evening was upon him
and Milla waiting for him to take her
to the 'band concert with "Alb and
Sade." He made shift to seek short
interview with. Albert, just before din
ner.
II got pretty rotten headache, and
my stomach's upset, too," he said,
dropping upon the Paxtons' fence. II
been gettln' worse every minute. You
and Sadie go by Milla's, Albert, and
tell her If I'm not there by ha'-pas'-
seven, tell her not to wait for me any
longer
"How do you mean waltz" Albert
inquired. "You don't expect her to
come pokin' along with Sadie and me,
do you? She'll keep on sittin' there at
home just the same, because she
wouldn't have anything else to do, if
uxkO u,
She hasn't got any way to stop wait
in'v
At this, Ramsey moaned, without at
fectation. II don't expect l can, Al
BERT" he said. I'D like to IL could.
but the way it looks now, you tell her
/ wouldn't be much surprised maybe I
was startin' in with typhoid fever or
pretty near anything at ALL" He
moved away, concluding feebly: II
guess better crawl on home, Albert.
while I'm still able to walk some. You
tell her the way 1t looks now I'm liable
to be right SICK"
And the next morning he woke to
the chafings Of remorse, picturing
Milla somewhat restored in charm
waiting hopefully at the gate, even
after the half-past seven, and then, as
time passed and the sound Of the dis
tant horns came family through the
darkness, going sadly to her room
perhaps weeping there. It was pic
ture to wiring him with shame and pity.
but was followed by another which
electrified him, for out of school he
did not lack imagination. What II
Albert had reported his illness too
vividly to Mi1la7 Milla was 50 fondi
What If, in her alarm, she should come
here to the house to inquire Of his
mother about him7 What If she told
Mrs. Milholland they were "engaged"?
The next moment Ramsey was project
ing conversation between his mother
and Milla in which the latter stated
that she and Ramsey were soon to be
married, that she regarded him as al
ready virtually her husband, and de-
me0ded to nurse him.
In panic he fed from the house be-
fore breakfast, going out by way Of
side door. and he crossed back yards
and climbed back fences to reach AL.
bert Paxton the more swiftly. This
creature, ladies' man almost profess
sionally, was found exercising with an
electric iron and pair Of flannel trou-
sers in basement laundry, by way Of
stirring his appetite for the morning
meal.
"see here, Albert" his friend said
breathlessly. II got a favor. want
you to so over to Miua's-'"
"Im goin' to finish pressin' these
trousers" Albert interrupted. "Then
I've got my breakfast to eat"
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