Palisadian., 1923-01-12
THE RED EAR
BY cLARISSA MAcKIE

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90. 1928. by Mcclure Newspaper syndicate)
'If you go to the husking bee,
Ruth, you must let me go with you,"
declared Ruth's aunt. 81 don't ap-
prove of your running around to par
ties with strange young men,"
"Of course it would be lovely If.
you could go, Aunt DELL" said Ruth
sincerely, but do remember, please,
that Hal is not a strange young man,
but a playmate and a schoolmate-I
have known him all my days."
"Yes-but l would rather you went
with me-" declared sedate Miss Hen
derson, patting her smooth hands of
graying hair with small white fingers.
"You know, my dear, that we Hen
dersons have never been accustomed
to attending all the village entertain
ments, and it is only lately that l
have allowed you to mingle with
them"
"And 1 have had the happiest time
in all my life, auntie," smiled Ruth
wistfully. "You have been so good
to me since father and mother were
killed. am so grateful and I want
to please you."
"You do, dear, in everything-ex-
cept perhaps, your penchant for Hal
l confess that l am a bit prejudiced
there. / know Hal is rising young
doctor and bound to succeed to his
fathers splendid practice here! new
ertheless, l have always felt an an
| tipathy for him ever since he was
small boy and broke some of my
choicest plants and shrubs one day
when he was stealing cherries. l
caught him in the tree and ordered
him down. He came, defiant and
angry-as soon as he reached the
ground he poured out the cherries on
the grass at my feet and ran away.
| ran after him-I had a small switch
in my hand-but 1 stumbled and fell,
breaking my arm-he had the grace
to come and humbly apologize. But
it would keenly dissapoint me if you
married Hal Denton"
"He has never asked me, Aunt
Dell" assured Ruth, her cheeks quite
pink.
Miss Dell turned her eyes away;
she could not bear to see that hurt
look in her darling's eyes, yet her own
pride and long cherished dislike of
Hal Denton sealed her lips.
The party was given in Cyrus Plan
tains' enormous barn. 1t was to be
an old-time husking bee, barn dance
with hearty supper served after
ward on the lawn. All the folks in
the village were invited-the minis
ters had read out the invitations in
the churches, small sum was
charged for admission and the pro-
ceeds were to go to the wounded SOL
diers. Miss Henderson and her pretty
niece were among the late arrivals
and the husking was in full swing as
the sweet-smelling heaps of corn.
Every one knew about the red ear Of
corn-whenever one was found the
lucky finder had the privilege of
claiming kiss from some one else
that was the Twentieth century YER
sion of the old custom. Miss Hen
derson had considered the possibility
Of the red ear falling to her lot, and
she had decided to bestow kiss upon
young Bobby Carew, her cousins
youngest child. AS for Ruth-she
simply dared not think of what would
happen If her niece found the red ear
she hoped Ruth would think Of
Doh nnf n qvAv
an embarrassing situation.
The fun was at it's height when a
roar Of laughter from the others re-
vealed the fact that Doctor Hal had
uncovered a red ear Of corn. He
stood there blushing furiously, his
handsome face smiling in embarrass-
ment. He hesitateds but a moment,
recovered his composure and ad-
vanced toward the corner where Miss
Henderson sat with Ruth
All of them knew that Hal was In
love with Ruth, and most of them
were quite sure that Miss Henderson
would frown upon the match; some
of them had heard that Hal was dis
liked by the aunt, and that a boyish
caper would no doubt cost him his
life's happiness. Hal knew it, too,
and fought desperately to atone for
his childish misdemeanor. With a
swift glance at Ruth he passed her
and dropped gracefully upon one knee
before Miss Dell Henderson, holding
out the red ear In its nest of creamy
husks.
"a small boy h1mbly apologies for
stealing your cherries, Miss Dell-and
man apologies for the small boy"
he smiled whimsically at her, and lay
ing the red ear In her lap picked up
her small unresisGing hand and kissed
it reverently.
Miss Dell arose trembllngly to her
| feet and turned as if to fiee-she saw
Ruth's frightened face, the Mortified
glances of those who knew her as the
unapproachable Dell Henderson and
she saw the innate honesty and man.
hood In Hal Denton's face.
| Her stern faco broke up into a
tremulous SMILE and tears were in
her voice when 81 e spoke. "a foolish
old woman is sorry for acting so mean
and petty, Hal-and If a kiss goes
with the red ear you may give it to
mel" She lifted her face and he bent
and kissed her cheek, his glad eyes
meeting Ruth's-then, the orchestra
burst into money Musk" and Doctor
Hal swung Miss Dell into the group
forming for the dance.
/