Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1922-05-26


visit from Chicago, and she's crazy
about playing Five Hundred and
mama and papa said / hat to stay In
to make four to play it. She's liable
to be here three or four days, and I
guess got to be around home pretty
much all the time she's here It's the
worst luck!'
He was doleful, but ventured to be
literary. "Well, what can't be helped
must be endured. I'll come around
when she's gone"
He moved as If to depart, but she
still retained his arm and did not pre-
pare to relinquish it.
well" he said.
SWELL what, Ramsey?"
"Well-g'night."
She glanced up at the dark front
of the house. 81 guess the family's
gone to bed" she said absently.
II s'pose So" -
"Well, good night, Ramsey" She
said this. but still did not release his
arm, and suddenly, in fiuster, he felt
that the time he dreaded had come.
Somehow, without knowing where, ex-
cept that it was somewhere upon what
seemed to be a blurred face too full
Of obstructing features, he kissed her.
She turned instantly away in the
darkness, her hands over her cheeks
and in panic Ramsey wondered If he
hadn't make a dreadful mistake.
"S'cuse mel' he said, stumbling to-
ward the gate. "Well, I guess l got
to be gettin' along back home"
He woke in the morning to great
self-loathiag; he had kissed girl.
us pride in the very fact that caused
re athing hat The pride did not last
,:t.}e downstairs morbid to
tiuued this mood
afterward. At noon Albert Paxton
brought him note which Milla had
asked Sadie to ask Albert to give him.
"Dearie: 1 am just wondering if
you thought as much about something
so sweet that happened last night as
did you know what. think it was
the sweetest thing. l send you one
with this note and I hope you will
think 1t is a sweet one. / would give
you real one if you were here now
and | hope you would think it was
, sweeter still than the one | put in this
note. 1t is the sweetest thing Row you
are mine and l am yours forever kiddo.
If you come around about friday eve
1t will be all right. aunt Jess will be
gone back home by then so come early
and we will get Sade 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 1t is a sweet one but not as
sweet as the real sweet one I would
like to
AT this point Ramsey impulsively
tore the note into small pieces. He
turned Geld as his Imagination pro-
jected a sketch of his mother In the
act Of reading this mfssive, and of
her expression as she read the SEN
tence: ut is the sweetest thing now
you are mine and I 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 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
him; he felt 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 it's 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 fooll" he NUT
tered, addressing himself. "Slushy
ole mush! Spoonerw And
he added, "Yours forever, kiddO!"
Commissions seemed about to seize
him.
Turning a corner with his head
down, he almost charged into Dora
Yocum. She was lfOmeward bound
from a piano lesson, and carried
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 I'M
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 little way
with her, for it seemed to him that this
might fumigate his morals But he
10 ha onuro and hoSidpc hp