Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1928-01-05

Creightons had always reverently and
devoutly believed, and no religious
believers had ever lived up to creed
more faithfully and consistently.
Our young heir to the great Creigh.
ton estate, as he started on his way
back to the appointed meeting place,
decided that If Nicely Chat was her
silly name-"Meely") were not there
this time he would certainly 60 home.
"And," he told himself as he lit a
cigarette and began his second ascent
of the hill, "if do go home without
seeing her, she'll surely pay the piper !
If l don't decide to drop her alto
gether
He had an uneasy suspicion that
this latter course would not hurt her
nearly so much as 1t would fret him
though it had been she that had made
the first advances in their intimacy {;
at barn dance in the neighborhood
of his home; outraging the rural con-
ventions in her determination to at
tract his attention by boldly execut-
ing a dance solo down the length Of
the barn, stopping before him with a
deep curtsey and holding out her
lovely arms in invitation-after which
he had danced with no one else during
the remainder of the evening.
She had tried that evening to pin
him down to a date for their next
meeting, but though he had fully in
tended to meet her again, he had kept
her in suspense; not only for that eve
ming, but for two weeks following.
Uncertainty-thatw was the weapon for
winning and holding a girl.
He had confidently expected her to
try to seek him out But when a whole
week had passed without a sign from
her, he had begun to grow restless.
Each succeeding day and night that
he waited grew longer, intolerably
longer, and he had finally realized,
with an ironical amusement at his
own expense, that all the "uncer-
tainty" he had meant to intiict upon
her, he himself was enduring with a
poignancy that astonished and an
gered him. A little hussy like that,
a peasant girl, play fast and loose
with him, causing him sleepless nights.
hungry yearnings to see her again and
hold her, fresh and fragrant young
beauty that she was, in his arms
again, as he had ecstatically done at
the barn dance!
But the trouble had been that he
did not know where she lived nor even
her name. So sure had he been that
he would hear from her in a day or
two that he had not taken the trouble
to ascertain these unimportant facts
about her.
It had been only when, quite beaten
he had been about to give in and try
to discover her that he had received
from her a funny, crude little note.
What sport he had at his club show
ing it around for the enjoyment of his
fellow club members! .
"Since you are the only Gentleman
Friend got that's purfect Gentle
man In whom I feel I know well
enought to ask for such favur, dear,
I am asking you, now, to keep com.
pany with me and be my Steady Date
That was a month ago and he had
been seeing her several times week,
furtively, ever since; his ridiculous
infatuation," as he scornfully called
1t to himself, growing more irresist-
ible with each meeting.
As he reached the top of the hill
he was greatly relieved (and thrilled)
to see her sitting there under the tree
which was their appointed meeting
place.
At sight Of him she threw away the
apple she had been eating with greedy
abandon, drew the back of her hand
across her mouth and hastily rose.
His peculiar sort of egotism derived
an almost sensual pleasure from this
girls worshipful bearing toward him,
from her timid admiration of every
thing about him, which she so help
lessly betrayed-of his modish clothes,
his finely shaped white hands, his cul-
tivated speech. even his family super
cilious and autocratic attitude toward
herself.
She came toward him, just now
shyly, rubbing her soiled right hand
on her hip before offering it to him.
But he waved it off, and resisting
with a strong self-restraint, the ten
derness as well as the desire to which
she powerfully moved him. he looked
down upon her severely as she stood
before him.
"Go and sit down again"
She obeyed him like a child, her
soft brown eyes fixed upon his face
with a doglike anxious uncertainty
that acted on his passion for domi-
nance like a titillating stimulant.
She wore a cheap, dressy frock OF
blue wolfe trimmed with tawdry white
lace, a bunch of artificial flowers on
one shoulder. streamers Of fiimsy blue
ribbon at the waist.
He frowned at the slovenly way she
sat and she quickly Strengthened up,
pulled her skirt over her knees and
tried to look prim.
Spreading his handkerchief on q
fiat rock a few feet In front Of her,
he sat down. clasped his shapely