The Bolivar County Democrat. (Rosedale, Miss.) 1887-1969, 1923-03-24
IMAGINATION
BY L. A. CHILD

straight home! Just as if there isn't
enough light with the moon shining on
the road, and all That thing makes
me dizzy" Maisie's pert little head
went up in the air with such force as
TO almost shake the gray fur turban
OH her curly brown locks, and she
thrust her hands deep down into the
pockets of her ulster as she strobe on.
well, gee whiz," responded her
companion aggrievedIy, these roads
are slippery and l don't want to break
my neck. Land knows, I'd rather be
sitting in your parlor, listening to you
play the piano. Aw, say, Maizie, this
Is the third time I've asked you-don't
ycu think you could hitch up with me,
and let's have parlor of our ownY
Marry you'll l guess not! The
man l marry"-here she stamped her
foot mphatically-"must be a man Of
imagination !"
And as if that settled it, she strobe
On faster than ever.
Dick kept pace with her, feeling de-
cidedly miserable, and not knowing,
of course, that she felt the same way.
She really liked Dick, and didn't mean
to quarrel with him, but she was
what her mother called sentimental
little puss"-and Dick was not. And
so they kept on walking, farther and
farther down the road.
Suddenly, out Of the stiffness of the
night, came the most horrible shrek
either of them had ever heard. It
sOrnded like woman who was being
+ strangled-weird and uncanny-
what's that?" cried Maisie, clutch
ing at Dicks arm in frenzy of terror.
Even Dick stood still in his tracks,
and stiffened his backbone as If for a
fight.
"It seems to come from that little
bungalow over there" he said, though
there's no light in it. Lonesome spot.
too," he added grimly.
"Oh-what shall we do?" walled
Maisie.
"Help-murder-ou killing
me Let go-oh OH" the cries ended
in a ng-drawn-out wall
"Gosh-I can't stand here and listen
to that" decided Dick. "Here, Maisie,
you stay right here till l come back"
"Oh, Dick-dont go in there-you'll
be killed"
But Dick was gone. Maisie watched
him leap over the low stone wall, flash
his despised electric torch on the frail
wooden front door, and launch himself
against it-all this while those blood
curdling yells continued Then she
heard crash Of spllntering wood, fol-
lowed by the sound Of breaking glass.
And having decided that Dick was
the only man she'd ever love, and that
she'd marry him, imagination or not,
if only he'd come out Of that awful
bungalow alive, she tainted dead
away.
When she came to she found her.
self supported by pair of muscular
arms, belonging to young man who
grinned at her rather foolishly, and
whose right temple bore nasty cash,
from which little river Of blood
trickled In several directions down his
face. BY the light Of the "bug" she
recognized Dick, and although GER
tain twinkle in his brown eyes set her
to wondering, she started in to tell
him what she meant to at once, for
fear her courage might desert her.
"Oh-Dick, dear, thought you were
killed! And l do love you, and III
marry you any time you say don't
care whether you have any imagina-
ton or not! Oh-you're hurt-your
heads all blood-what did they do to
you?" Maisie struggled to her feet
and began tenderly to wipe the blood
from his face and straighten out his
smooth black hair. At another faint
shrek from the direction of the bun
galow she shuddered and drew close
to Dick.
"Oh! please let's go hOme-why,
Dick Meade! What are you laughing
at?" she demanded.
Before he could answer, however,
clearer came a call from the bunga-
low
"Get out of here, you fool; go home!
No, don't eat crackers-my name
amt Polly-it's Maria-Maria =" A
QerlSlNe SuIlch VI iauSh'SA Aoio"So
this.
''Whatever on earth-?" gasped
Maisie.
"Yes, that's just what she said to
me, after l cut my head on the hang
ing lamp and flashed my light on her."
laughed Dick. "The joke sure Is on
us. Looks as IL you'd marry man OF
Imagination, after all-she didn't
sound like mere parrot when first
heard her Must belong to some
ouarrelsome kids-the house was
empty, family away, / suppose. III
have a swell time explaining that
broken door tomorrow" Then he
turned suddenly to Maisie, as if he
had forgotten something important
"When do you say you'd marry
me?" he insisted.
But Maisie didn't get chance to
answer. for he was making up for lost
time on the kisses he had forgotten
to give her.
And as they wandered away from
the bungalow, arm in arm, the derl-
siye voice of a lonely parrot shrieked
after them:
$50 home, you fool--go home-go
home-go home.'
But they didn't even hear 1t.
Too Much Noise.
u~A u