Show t Four Leafed Four Leafed Clover IKE HARDING was bashful There t was no mistake about that His mother said so his sisters taunted him with it his brothers despised him for it and there was not a single young Miss in inthe inthe inthe the neighborhood who did not delight in teasing him and making him blush to the roots of his fluffy red hair Ikes Ike's hair was red there was no mistaking that zither either and when he blushed every single hair seemed to be dyed a astill astill astill still deeper hue so that it was something something something some some- thing almost won wonderful erful to see Ike blush His whole head and face seemed to blaze like a miniature planet Perhaps the experience was not pleasant to Ike but he he never said anything anything anything any any- thing about bout it he let his face speak maybe he thought that ought to be protest enough Moreover Ike was not in the habit of protesting in words against anything and thus it happened that his brothers and sisters often took advantage of him and imposed imposed imposed im im- posed their share of the chores of the farm and household upon him Thus he came to occupy a position very much like that of a servant in the Harding Harding Harding Hard Hard- ing household But he never complained complained complained com com- so long as he was allowed to tobe tobe tobe be very much by himself and was not compelled to be present in the parlor when II company was being entertained So the bashful awkward boy grew to tobe tobe tobe be a bashful supersensitive man His hair was redder if possible and his figure more awkward He was considered considered con con- hopelessly dull and even his peculiar failing had ceased to interest anyone His brothers and sisters were duly graduated from the high school in inthe inthe inthe the neighboring city and married or otherwise settled in life But Ike plodded on oh as usual and Far Farmer er Harding Harding Harding Hard Hard- ing had settled it in his mind that he was to be permanently relieved from the necessity of hiring farm help He could not see into Ikes Ike's heart or he heI I would have known that it beat with thoughts more intense and aspirations more lofty than are often experienced by many more fortunate than he The truth was that Ike the big awkward red red haired haired farm hand had his own world a world formed out of his own seclusion and his forced communion with himself and nature He knew the habits of f every flower was familiar with every birds bird's call the meadows and the woods were full of create creatures res with whom horn he was in sympathy and the voices of winds and streams to him were sweetest music A close observer would have noticed that Ike had eyes that were extremely beautiful and whose blue depths could light up with intense rapture at the sight of a beautiful landscape or when listening to fine music It might have been noted also that when he lie pu pushed hed hedback back his red hair from his forehead as he lie had formed a habit of doing the forehead forehead forehead fore fore- head appeared broad and lofty and the red hair itself was fine as silk But all this never was noticed by the practical Hardings Ike could never be anything else but Ike to them But there was an event in store which was to be as great a surprise to all Ikes Ike's friends and relatives as to Ike himself He had reached his twenty- twenty fifth year when one day in early summer summer summer sum sum- mer his sister who had married a merchant merchant merchant mer mer- chant in the city wrote that she was coming out to the farm to spend the summer months and was to be accompanied accompanied accompanied by her husbands husband's cousin a young lady of nineteen who had something of ofa a reputation for education and culture Everybody but Ike was interested in her arrival but that young man seemed entirely oblivious to the importance of the event after it was decided that he would not be required to drive to the station to meet his sister So he had almost forgotten about the fact that his sister was not coming omin g alone and was returning on the evening evening evening even even- ing of the day she was to arrive from one of his dreaming excursions to toa a favorite spot a few mil miles s up the stream that ran by the Harding homestead thinking only of of meeting his sister a and d wondering how she would look after five years years' absence As he neared the house he heard music some one was at atthe atthe atthe the piano and the strains were were floating out through the open windows seeming to fill the air with harmony Ike had been to an opera once when he was marketing in the city and the memory of that one evening of r rapture had been with him ever since He recognized now at once that this music he was listening to was like that he had heard at the opera not at all like the rattling polkas and jerky waltzes he had been accustomed to hearing the farmer girls 0 play I II Who can it be he thought II Nan r never used to play like that By this time he had reached the steps of the veranda and suddenly he remembered remembered remembered the expected guest He thought of retreating and going around the back backway backway k way but it was too late he had stumbled stumbled stumbled bled going up the steps and this had attracted the attention of the player in inthe inthe inthe the parlor who Vho had heard him through the open window Supposing it it was was 4 Mr Harding the elder who had just left the room a moment before she came out on the veranda veranna Ike was stu He found himself confronted by a small dainty creature with wonderful wonder wonder- ful l dark eyes and ano plaits of brown hair who regarded him with a look of mild inquiry He took off his hat and ran his fingers through h his hair rooted to the spot powerless to move or speak Why would she not do something It would even have been a relief to be laughed at At l length she spoke E II I I beg your pardon said she I I thought it was Mr Harding D Did d you 11 VIS wish h to see anyone f tJ l jJ i II No yes Noyes yes stammered Ike II that thatis is is- is where is N Nan an Im I'm her brother I am s Ike He said the last as though he thought it ought to be conclusive j and the young lady seemed to understand him for she said simply II I I am Miss Hilton Hilton Im Im I'm the cousin Were you playing asked Ike She smiled at his earnestness Yes she said I I was trying your piano How calm she was he thought j how much at ease with him and how friendly not at all like the cold and formal young ladies ladles he had heard of and to which class he had thought this friend of Nans Nan's must belong And she seemed to regard him with some interest too and this interest was nothing like that he had been accustomed to He no longer thought of beating a retreat and he was soon seated in the parlor talking as pleasantly and easily with this wonderful person as if he had never known a moment of nt in his life and had known her for years Presently at Ikes Ike's request she resumed her playing and he was in in raptures Afterwards they talked of the beauties of the country in summer and Ike promised promised promised pro pro- to show her all the places where the wild flowers grew and where the finest views could be had She wasas wasas was wasas as delighted as he The town-bred town girl had never before met anyone at once so simple and so intelligent Here was a ayoung ayoung a ayoung young man who could talk of humanity without continually quoting Browning and could discourse of nature while en entirely entirely entirely en- en oblivious of the existence of Wordsworth and Shelly Not that he had never read any of these but because he had not received that artificial training training training train train- ing which would have prevented him from receiving impressions from nature direct instead of at second hand j From this time onward everyone but Maud Hilton was surprised at the ji A iJ 1 v J r change in Ike Harding She was not because she had known no other but the Ike or perhaps she alone had ever known him at all Ike himself himself himself him him- self was no longer surprised not even when a we week k after that memorable evening when he met her on the veranda veranda veranda ver ver- anda in answer to here cheery goodnight goodnight goodnight good good- night instead of his usual formal good night Miss Hilton he said II good night Maud Ike had b been en too happy in the pleasure this new a association gave him to recognize recognize recognize nize until Maud Hiltons Hilton's visit was drawing drawing drawing draw draw- ing to a close that there was an element of danger in it They had been out together nearly every day among the hills and in the evenings they had spent most of the time strolling through the meadows and along the willow-fringed willow lanes All at once he began to wonder what he was going to do after she was gone She had become almost unawares a necessity to him None of his old haunts would seem the same same again What was he to do I love her thought Ike and with this thought all his old timidity came back to him like a hateful memory He He was only a great big red-haired red hopper clod-hopper of a fellow how could she who was so refined refined refined re re- fined and polished care for him He had haa heard too somewhere that she was an heiress but Ike in his extreme simp simplicity city attached no importance import import- ance to that It was herself that was wasso so far above him There was no need of wealth to make the distance between them impassible Thus he was thinking when on the very last evening before she was to depart Maud Hilton came out to where he was sitting musing on a a. a bench under the maples in front of the farm farm- house Let us walk down through the clover pasture to the big willow tree said sheI sheI she I I think it is the loveliest place I have k ever seen and I want to visit it last 7 t Come Ike an and we will go across the the rhe bridge and come back the long way Besides I want to get some leafed four-leafed clover to take home hurry home hurry Ike before it gets too dark to find th them m mIke Ike arose as if in a dream and walked walked walk walk- ed d along her side by Soon they were through the gate and were treading on the soft cropped close-cropped clover Oh here is one suddenly exclaimed exclaim exclaim- ed Maud And here are some more more more- oh just look at them Why I do believe believe believe be be- lieve Ike you have hav sowed nothing but leafed four-leafed clover in this pasture Ike remained silent Presently Maud said innocently there something romantic connected connected connected con con- with finding these things Ike It seems to me that I remember some stor story about bout them Oh yes now I re re- re J mem member ber You put them in your shoe and then the first one you walk with is going to be your husband That's it We used to find them in the back lawn when I was at school But you have to walk over a bridge II k said Ike ingenuously Do you Then Ill I'll remember Im Im I'm going to put one in my shoe now before before before be be- fore I forget it Here Ike you take one one but but you must be careful with whom you walk you know Ike did as he was bidden but he had forgotten all about the bridged own by bythe bythe bythe the willow and about coming back the thelong thelong long way II There Thereas was as a stile at the willow and he gave Maud his arm to r lift her over j then they went on arm in arm talking about Mauds Maud's approaching J departure and her friends in the city 1 Not until they were approaching the i. i bridge did Ike remember the clover- clover leaf Then he began to trem tremble ble he felt the perspiration breaking out on his bis forehead and it seemed to him that he could feel the leaf burning into his flesh In spite of himself he be hesitated 44 Did she remember He looked down at her she was smiling unconsciously it seemed to him He tried to go on but his limbs refused to move he was wasas wasas wass as as s helpless as on that first evening when this radiant creature had first come into his life ife What is the matter said Maud presently glancing up at him a little roguishly Oh Ohl I she said as if suddenly suddenly suddenly sud sud- denly remembering its the clover leaf Why Ike dont don't mind it it isn't real you know She began pulling him across the bridge and Ike followed silently He did not dare to look at her He was wason wason on on n fire What would she think of him But now they were across the bridge her hand was still on his arm and she was looking up up at him with an air of mock triumph Yet somehow it seemed seemed seemed seem seem- ed to Ike that there was something of seriousness in her gaze at any rate there was something that changed the whole current of his thoughts He felt suddenly bold Oh Maud said he might it not be true I love you Her eyes softened and became serious t fl Why then it is tru true she said W. W G. G Ro Roylance lance ce |