| Show hau sea by BEN AMES WILLIAMS copyright CHAPTER yin VIII continued 8 no no june insisted you were always so sweet to mother you and grandma both it was not what we did to her the old man said it was what we 11 permitted to be done and he asked after a moment no ment astonishing ly june will youtaka you take me some day to see the man who lives in the cabin by the pond uncle jim she exclaimed surprised and puzzled you cau call him that the afie old man asked he likes me to she confessed 1 I think he hd is a good man said grandpa hurder slowly 1 I have been wrong I 1 mean to tell him so june hesitated deeply puzzled but she only said slowly 1 I dont know where he Is now hes gone the old man looked at her she thought in something like dismay at this intelligence while she ex alaina pla ined she had seen uncle jim at her mothers funeral in the undertakers little chapel where frugally the services were helfand hel held dand and again later in the cemetery he was decently dressed so that she hardly recognized him in this unaccustomed sobriety of garb she saw him watching herand her and wished to smile but that would not under the circumstances have been seemly she had gone next day to his cabin in the wood only to find it closed secured but there was a note on the door addressed to her it promised that he would come back soon but he had not yet returned I 1 during the fortnight after her mother died and for the first time in her life june began to be happy the girl thought this was a strange thing a shameful thing yet it was true for the world began to smile and in surprising ways clint was tender to her but so were others too the world after her mothers death turned in so many ways a new countenance toward june mrs bowdon gave her a heavy sympathy aunt evie told her ber that she was a brave fine girl rab eab made her smile sometimes with a jesting word and her cousin asa began to layher pay her with arguiz light in afi his eye certain mysterious attentions he brought home one day smuggling it into the house at duska dusk a flat fiat parcel dont open it here he warned her and dont let anyone sebit see it take it up to your room try it on 11 1 think it will fita fit au 1 right try it in front of your mirror try doing your hair some other way the parcel she discovered contained a gown dif different lerent from an any she ha had d ever worn before the skirt dismayingly shorter than the ankle length mrs bogdons Bow dons strict command hadlond had long since imposed impose dJune june was wa s a little terrified at her own aspect in the mirror but by and by interest banished terror there were unseemly lumps which marred her contours here and there but when valorously experimenting she removed her underclothing and put on n the new dress again these lumps had bad disappeared and left smooth end and gracious lines june hugged this secret happiness till 0 asa found a chance to ask her ghether the gown fitted she told him bim then yes perfectly v I 1 dont see how aou jou knew the size ive an accurate eye he as ared sur surether edher her she almost laughed under her fier breath 1 I cant imagine you going into a store and buying things like that he said with an amused promise tn a his tones ill surprise you gain again and helas he was as good ai as his word bringing her one day another when she opened this one be ws enraptured but it was hours before she ventured to try on even ven behind the bolted door of her loom oom the astonishing garme garments therein contained and etwas it was days before she risked wearing some of them soberly concealed beneath the fusty dark dress which was her usual garbin garb in the house she asked asa one day why he had fetched her these secret lovely things and he said with a smile in m his eyes A girl has a right to them june it if you ever want to impress some young man just wear that dress she colored richly and wondered whether he knew about clint and dared not ask for tear fear of his reply yet this was a delicious fear she hugged bugged it rapturously she could not wear the new dress it would be seen but she wore ware the undergarments acsa had bad given her under her accustomed garb and she saw clint more and more often one day they had appointed to meet by the river and june was waiting by the knoll above the stream when the canoe appeared she saw in a taint faint dismay that clint was not alone and thought of flight then she recognized in dilts dints passenger the kindly old man who had come with clint clant to uncle jims cabin that first day clifft when they landed made good hum humored ored apologies mr air tope was bound to come along june he said 1 I told him threes a crowd but I 1 get rid of him well maroon him here and go on upstream you and I 1 V but the inspector said smiling at the girl on the bank above him 1 I suspected that clint was up to something coming out here so enuch how are you I 1 met you one day dam remember she did remember and she said so conscious already of that feeling ot of liking and trust which tope could when he chose inspire but she said to clint 1 I cant go up the river to today day I 1 have to be back soon grandpa bowdon well today they might need me but we can sit here for a while she tried to recall afterward whether tope had asked her any questions that day but she could not be sure of a single direct inquiry yet the she had found herself telling him about the night her mother mather died about the anagrams ir V im excited she confessed and her mothers headache and the fact that there was no milk in the ice chest so that aunt evie had to go next door everything tope nodded and clint came to her side ill walk a little way with you he said so she bade tope goodby good by uncertainly and she and clint went up the slope together Wh when enthey they were out of hearing she said with something like a shudder id almost forgotten about that night she looked at clint squarely clint chatis what is it what did he want who Is he be but clini told her reassuringly hes all right A fine old fellow the ilung young man chuckled you kyou see he married miss moss and I 1 guess she sent him out to look you over june shea almost like my own mother you know he was able in the end to reassure her before they parted still out of sight of the houses on the hill they planned to meet next morning at uncle jims cabla cabin in the wood then she told him goodby and saw something in his eyes and guessed what was in his mind and she waited gracious and consenting sen ting but in the end he only clasped her bund band and said sald in the morning theal she went beni away from him up the slope smiling to herself it had been easy to read the impulse in his eyes she had seen and welcomed it IC she had belonged to him in her thoughts long ago yet she could smile now at his restraint sure of him as she was of herself their hour would come when she reached the housein hou seit was to learn that grandpa bowdon had died half an hour before CHAPTER IX june to her own astonishment wept for grandpa bowdon as she had not wept for her mother ills his going touched her deeply and she went to her room and stayed there for a while alone then asa knocked at her door and when she opened he knew how to comfort her he was ready to go june he said sad dont feel badly and it was just like snapping a string no hurt no pain and he bade her come downstairs the old folks need you he urged you and rab and 1 I weve got to carry them over the hump you know she wished suddenly desperately to see clint to be with him now but since she could not she smiled at asa and dried her tears and went vent down with him her head high and steady through the rest of that afternoon and evening she carried her share odthe of the burden here the appointed hour was not yet come next morning when june slipped away tp the woods to meet clint but he be would have seen the report of mr bogdons Bow dons death would know she needed him when she came through the sunlit woods up the path to the cabin on the knoll he was there as she expected he saw her approaching and was swift to meet her june stood still as he drew near and she was trembling and shaken he came toward her his hands outstretched and without knowing how or caring she was in his arms band and happy there 1 I have stayed with you yesterday she said after along time 1 I might have seen him again it if id come home he urged june june you have helped and you liked being with me were happy wh what I 1 t hed have wan wanted tor you 1 11 I never was vas really afraid before she whispered not tor for myself but I 1 am now clint oh I 1 am now afraid for me and you tm im going to take you away he be cried away from all this herel you cant she protested grandpa and grandma hurder they just have to have me there yet she agreed by and by to meet him that night after the he others should all be abed they had supper before dark in junes kitchen rab had bad stayed with grandma bowdon while aunt evie ate her supper but when his mother relieved him he came back and june served him and he said approvingly youre carrying a load june good lass I 1 wish I 1 could give you a hand its a womans comans business she told him you do more with them keep them going ive got to leave them tonight he confessed im due in court in providence in the morning its just an appearance but the judge down there is a crank and I 1 have to see my client tonight when he had eints aled he wot went home with uncle justus but halt half an hour later he be stopped in again jua june was washing the last dishes dishes fathers gone to sleep in his bis chair he told her smiling hell wake up and put himself to bed by and by im going over to say good night to mother and grandma june nodded intent upon the dishes intent upon her own thoughts it was half after seven clint had said he would be waiting a little distance down the road at eight but she had bad no hope of coming to him so soon grandpa and grandma hurder were in the sit ting room and once she looked in on them they had no not heard theard her approach and grandpa hurder was just leaning over to pat grandmas grandeas Grand mas hand where it lay anthe on the arm of the chali chair june watched and her throat swelled with tears unshed and then asa came in any water hot june he asked ive got to have a cup of tea he sat down while she put the kettle on thi the stove talked to her casually till it boiled she found a tea itea ball and he brought a milk bottle halt hall empty from the ice chest and poured a little milk into the cup there any cream she said im sorry milks all right it if you use enough of it it he assured her smiling in tha that adry dry way he had the way with most things june too littles starvation ion too much is as bad but enouchs all right he drank in little sips watching her youre like a rosebud swelling as it gets ready to bloom and he declared hey youre blushing child high time you heard some pretty things about yourself it if your own cousin can make you blush with a compliment ile he put his arm around her kissed her cheek how about this jervies fellow he saw her start with dismay and laughed and promised 1 I 1 wont say a w word he disappeared scared later aunt evie came into the kitchen those old biks wont sleep deep a wink she said gently im going to give them some milk she saw the bottle where asa had bad left it and poured the milk into a stew pan scratched a match june was suddenly cold with remembered terror she told herself she was a tool fool a tool fool a fool people had drunk warm milk rab came in from out of doors wet with the increasing rain he i cro crossed ased to where aunt evie stood ey by the stove and embraced her night mother he said ill be back by noon tomorrow the funerals fune ralIs rafts at tour four shearld she told him evenly 1 I know he assented ill be here he grinned at june good night kid aunt evie poured the milk into two glasses and june went with her into the other room the girl was full of a great tenderness for these old folk under aunt evies calm insistence they sipped their milk obediently they set the empty glasses by they lay down to sleep like children side by side june took the glasses started to ward the kitchen to wash them behind her she heard aunt evie say no ill leave the windows closed it might rain in androu and you dont need any air be asleep so soon she was always thus calmly bent upon having her own way when she came back into the kitchen she looked at the girl keenly you all right june she asked oh yes june told herouard edly you must go to bed aunt evie directed As soon as you are done here good night child her hands bands lying flying she slipped out of her clothes changed swiftly into the dress asa secretly had given her she stood for a few minutes before the mirror busy with her hair at last she was satisfied some one radiant and lovely looked back 1 ath anther e r from the mirror there she sh e turned out the light at last and la in the darkness descended to the lower hall she found a heavy coat and drew it iton on then opened the front door A gust of rain wet her cheek and she remembered another night when she had thus gone running to meet clint but then she did not know he was waiting it was deeply contenting to be sure tonight that he would meet her here Dar darling lingi I 1 youre shaking all ail overt im excited she confessed laughing softly III 1 I never did this before and ive got a new dress on He Me kissed her again and she confessed and I 1 thought of the night mother died it rained then too remember so I 1 was scared 11 not ot scared now he urged and held her close never with you she promised him so presently he put the car in motion allowing it to coast silently down the hill another car overtook them from behind and passed at speed neither clint nor june would woul SQ member afterward much about the motion picture the they y saw that evening in the dim obscurity of the theater their eyes were much more often turned toward each other than toward the screen and after aftel a 11 time clint whispered are you lik teg ind this I 1 think its ita dull she smiled at him 1 I dont think its dull she said you see its almost the first one I 1 ever saw TO BE CONTINUED |
