| OCR Text |
Show 1 Jack-in-the-Pulpit Dy IZOLA FORRESTER J (Ceprrtfht, lilt, fcr th UcClnr ! rpr 8rn4lcat ) Dcslreo waited deliberately for htm nt the foot of the winding path that led upward through the pines. It would be useless for him to deny that he bnd sought the meeting ever since his return re-turn to Versnlllci, nnd now he should havo the full benefit of It. lie had been gone four years, at his college, and each summer when he came home for mention ho hud never failed to tell Drslrce that she was frivolous friv-olous nnd light minded, this when he knew sho worked from six to six In the mill nnd cne nit she enrned to her mother and nil the little Slgourncrs. Was It any of his business If she chose to go to the Saturday night dances nt the Central hall, or better yet. the open sir ones nt the bench pavilion? pa-vilion? Where was the harm In that? 8hc was with her own people, and was hnppy. Wns It wrong for her to be seen with some ot the mill bovs nt tlio little motion picture house on Main street just because they were hnvlng their prayer meeting across the street? Oh, but sho bntcd him for It nil, nnd now nt Inst here wns her chance to tell htm to his face she would not have It. Who was he, after nil, sho thought stormlly, ns Ito came towanl her, lint less ns usual, his lean tanned face eager eag-er ns n hunter's, his eyes bright nt sight of her. Ho bnd worked In the mill too In his boyhood, and bnd found there nt their noon meetings his gift for preaching. Then ho had been taken up by the minister's family nnd cducntrd, while sho still tended the twirling spools down In tlio winding room. "Did you wnlt for me, Deslrcol" he nuked. "I hnvo wanted to speak to you ever since I camo hack." "I know you have," site retorted slowly, with the tinge of scorn ho illl Iff' Who Was He, After, All, She Thought Stormlly. could not mistake In her tone. "I have Mtmilhlng to suy to you, too. You will let me nlone, you understand T It Is nothing nt nil to me that you have come lmk here to bn minister, lliat does not mean that uu can say w hat-oxer hat-oxer nu please ubout me because, I am fond of dancing soinetlmis and I Ilka to be happy." "I Imxu ntwr said n word to any una about jou " "Hut you hnxo to me, myself, and then you look at mo so, as If you would scold nt inn forexer." The tenrs filled her eyes, tears of auger nnd rebellion. The girls told me you Hild Hint Deslrte rllgourney was an example to any of them." "An example, or ilutlfulness, I mi nut. Your luxe to your mother and the children Is beautiful, Deslrie." "Ah. but you can turn the words around until they lime two faces," she wild bitterly. "Why do you ridicule mo before everybody?" he douiMided suddenly. "Did ynu want me to stay In the mill nil my life? It xxus your own father who llrst iiiiniirogpd mu to study and go attest), and you have always laughed ut mo" She lifted aggravating shoulders, mid smiled over one at him "Jack In tho-pulplt I" sho suhl "Is It so wonderful thsii to come back Jiere to little Versailles and stive us nil down In the mill? Keep your pulpit, and let us daucu when our work Is uiine. She went down tho path Jauntily, leaving him standing there. Surely It had been sweet to muke him understand under-stand how sho scorned lilin. Tho birch woods opened Into n view of tho little clustering village, the winding river and sprtadlng whlte lore tlounco of Its waterfull, tho vvlilto mill houses that dotted tho hillsides, and above all, the great low mill buildings build-ings with thtlr alrshiifts lifting tull pipe openings like the upreared heads of sea strpents, Uhero were four Slgourneys working In there now, the two hoys, 1'lerre and Louis, and tho girls younger than Detlree, Mclaule and Ktolle. She hud hieu sent that morning on an errand over to Mine, Rumen, the wife of the superintendent. It had been o profitable walk, thought Desires, I |
