The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1922-03-02


to be- her, tlrrp or four DAYS and I
guess got To Ice around home pretty
much all the time she's here. It's the
worst luck q"
lie was dol, ful. but ,rLturod to be-
literary We'll. what cant by helped
must be- endured m come around
when she gone"
lie moved u- If to depart, but she
sin retained his arm aud did not pre-
pare to ryIupuish IL.
"Wcll-" hp said
"Ncll what I;umSeyY'
"NDl--guight."
She glanced up at the dark front
If The house 4 guess the nmily's
zone 60 bod" she said abSontly.
81 s'Iosc So"
We'll -'nI night. Ramsey" She
aid This. bur sun did not release his
arm, and suddenly ia nustcr he felt
hat the tImr Dee dreaded had come
somehow. without knowing where. ex
-ept that IL was somewhere upon what
seemed Jo he blurred face too fun
~ obstruc'iur features. he Kissed her
She turned instantly away no the
darkness. her hands over her checks
and IN a panic Ramsey wondered II he
hadn't make dreadful mistake.
"Scusc met he said, stumbling to
ward the gate "Well. I guess got
to be gettin' along back home"
He woke In the morning to a great
self loathi"g; he had kissed girl
Mingled with the loathing was n curl
Gus pride in the very fact that caused
the loathing. but the pride did not last
long. He came downstairs morbid to
breakfast and continued this mood
nfterward. At noon Albert Paxton
brought him a note which Milla had
asked Sadie to ask Albert to give him.
"Dearie: ! am Just wondering IL
you thought as much about something
so sweet that happened last night as
! did you know what. ! think II was
the sweetest thing. ! send you one
with this note and l hope you will
think II is sweet one. would give
you a real one II you were here now
and ! hope you would think 1t was
sweeter still than the one put In this
note. II Is the sweetest thing now you
are mine and am yours forever kiddO.
II you come around about friday eve
II will be all right. aunt Jess will be
gone back home by then so come early
and we will get SADIE and Alb TO go to
the band Concert. Don't forget what
said about my putting something
sweet In this note, and hope you will
think II Is sweet one but not as
sweet as the real sweet one / would
like to-
At this point Ramsey impulsively
tore the note into small pieces He
turned cold as his Imagination pro-
Jected a sketch of his mother In the
act Of reading this missive, and of
her expression as she read the sen
tence: 1t is the sweetest thing now
you are mine and am yours forever
kiddo" He wished that Milla hadn't
written 'kiddO." She called him that.
sometimes, but In her warm little voice
the word seemed not at all what 1t did
in ink lie 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
him; he felt a definite sickness, and,
wishing for death. went forth upon the
streets To walk and walk. He cared
not whittier. 81 that his feet took him
IN amy 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, 1t
seemed To- him that perhaps they were
able to recognize upon him somewhere
the marks Of his low quality.
"Softy ole sloppy fool. - he NUT
tered addressing himself "Sushy
ole mush SpOoner!" And
he added. yours forever, klddol"
Commissions seemed about to seize
him.
Turning corner with his head
down, he almost charged into Dora
Yocum. She was homeward bound
from piano lesson, and carried
rolled leather case of sheet music
he couldn't imagine Milla
In her young girls
dress, which attempted to be nothing
else, she looked as wholesome MS cold
spring water. Ramsey had always felt
that she desplsed him and now. all at
once, he thought that she was justified,
Leper that he had become, he was I'M
worthy 10 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 IA little way
with her for II seemed 10 him that this
might fumigate his morals. But he
lacked the courage. and besides, he
himself unfit To be seen
with her
IT. ~ .zukS.u.AI