“THE
TINDER
BOX”
(Continued trom first page(
4
“ J’ve kept everything ready for you.
child, since old mas’ died, and I ain't
never stayed otTen the place a week ut
a time. I was Just visiting out Petu­
nia’s way when I heard you’d come,
and gittln’ a w ife to tend to us and
hack to you quick was the only thing
that concerned me. Now we can all
setjle down com f’ tahle while I has
Tuny knock up some dinner, a compa­
ny one. I hopes. If Miss Martha and
tho rest will stay with us.” Jasper’s
manner Is an exact copy o f my father’s
courtly grace, done In sepia, and my
eyes misted for a second as 1 recipro*
cated the Invitation, taking acceptance
for granted.
“ O f course they will stay. Uncle Jas­
per.”
"W e ll,” remarked Sallle, with a gasp,
“ you’ ve gone to housekeeping In two
minutes, Evelina."
“ Jasper has always heeri a very
forceful personality.” said Cousin Mar­
tha.
“ lie managed everything for
your father at the last, Evelina, and 1
don't know how the whole town would
have been easy about the colonel un­
less they had trusted Jasper."
“ I like* the terms on which lie takes
unto himself a w ife," drawled Polk as
l.e lighted a cigarette without looking
at me. “ Good for Jasper!''
“ However, It dot*s take a ‘forceful
I rsonallty’ to capture a •suitable wo­
man’ In that manner.” i answered,
with Ji t as much unconcern, and then
wp both roared, while even Sallie, in
all her anxiety. Joined In.
The commanding, black old man and
the happy faced, jdump, little yellow
woman had saved one situation—and
forced another, perhaps.
Jasper’s home coming dinner ¡>arty
was a large and successful one. T w o
of the dear little old Horton lady cous­
ins got so Impatient at Cousin Martha's
not bringing me bnck to Wldcgables
that they came teetering over to see
a bout it. heavily accompanied by Mrs.
Hargrove, whose son had been Cousin
James' best friend at the University
o f Virginia and died and left her to him
since I had been at college. The pon-
il t o s I u o f her mind was only equaled
by that of her body. I must say Petu­
nia made a hit with the dear old soul
by the seasoning of her chicken gravy.
Sallle wanted to send the children
home, but Jasper wouldn’ t let her, and
altogether we had eleven at table.
Polk maneuvered for n seat at the
head o f my festive board, with n spark
of the devil In his eyes, but Jasper's
sense o f the proprieties dkl not fail
me, unci bo seated Cousin Martha In
father's chair with great ceremony.
And is l looked down the long table,
bright with all the old silver Jasper
1 d had time to polish, gay with roses
from tny garden that he had coaxed
Henrietta into gathering for- him.
». liieh nodded back and forth with tin*
bubbling babies, suddenly tny heart
filled to the very brim with love o f it
all and for mine own people.
Hut, Just as suddenly, a vision caiue
into my mind o f tin* long table across
the road at Widegables, with the moss
back seated at one end with only two
or three o f Ids charges stretched along
the empty sides to keep Idm company.
I wanted him to I k * here with us. I
wanted him badly, and 1 went to get
him. 1 excused m yself suddenly, tell­
ing them all Just why. I didn't look
at Polk, but Cousin Martha’s face was
lovely as she told me to run quickly.
I found him on the front porch, smok.
lug Ids pljH* alone, while the two little
relies whom he had had left to dine
with him were taking their two re­
spective naps. Our dinner was late on
account o f the Initiation o f Petunia
and he bud llnishetb before we began.
also looks decidedly worn, though pa- I until they poured out a perfect sym­
thetically sweet. Ned was with her phony o f perfume to mingle iu u halle­
j and as fresh us any one o f the buds. lujah from the lilacs and roses that
Maternity often wilts women, but pa­ ascended to the very stars themselves.
ternity is apt to make men bloom with
1 had dropped my head on my anus
the Importance o f it. Ned showed off nnd let my eyes go roaming out to the
the bunch as if he had produced them dim hills that banked against the ra­
all. while Mamie only smiled like an diant sky when somebody seated him­
| angel in the background.
self beside me and a whiff o f tobacco
A slight bit o f temper rose in a flush blew across my face, sweet with hav­
i to my cheeks as I watched Caroline ing joined in the honeysuckle chorus.
| Lellyett sit on the steps and f»n*d cake Nobody said a word for a long time,
I to one twin and tw o stair steps with and then I looked up and laughed into
| as much hunger in her eyes for them the deep, gray eyes looking tenderly
ns there was in theirs for the cake. down into miue. With a thrill I real­
Lee Greenfield is tho responsible party ized that there was one man In the
In tills case, and sj»e has been loving world 1 could offer the chalice to and
him hopelessly for fifteen years. Lots trust him to drink—moderately.
o f other folks wanted to marry her,
“ Jamie,” I said In a voice as young
but Lee has pinned her in the psychic as it used to t>e when ! trailed at his
spot and is watching her flutter.
heels, “ thank you for letting me he
Polk departed in the trail o f Nell contrary and Independent aud puz­
Kirkland's fluffy muslin skirts, smol­ zling. I have been busy adventuring
dering dangerously, I felt. Nell has with life in queer places and with peo­
Now I want a
grown up into a most lovely individual, ple not like—like us
and I felt uneasy about her under little of real living and to think—and
Polk’s administrations. Her eyes fo l­ feel. May I?"
“ You may. dear,” the Crag answered
low him rather persistently. On the
whole, 1 um glad Jane committed me in a big, comfortable voice’ that was a
"1 understood
to this woman's cause. I’ ll have to be­ benediction in itself.
gin to exercise the biceps o f Nell’s last nighf when you told me that you
I can
heart as soon as 1 got some strength wanted to come home alone.
trust Jasper with you. nnd I am going
into my own.
• And after they had all gone 1 sat for to sleep down at the lodge room, right
au hour out on tho front steps o f my across the road here, so I can hear you
big. empty old house and enjoyed my if you even think out loud. No ono
own loneliness, if it could be called en­ shall worry you about it nny more.
joying. I could hear the Petunia's hap­ Now will you promise to be happy?”
I could not answer him, I was so full
py giggle, answering Jasper s guttural
o
f
a deepness o f peace I just laid my
pleasantries, out ou the cabin porch
behind the row of lilac bushes. I do cheek against the sleeve o f his queer
hope that Petunia gets much and the old gray coat to show him what 1 could
right sort o f courting during this week not say. He let me do it and went on
smoking without noticing me.
that Jasper has allowed her!
Then, after a little while, lie began to
With the last rays o f the sun 1 had
tell
me all about father and Ills death,
found time to read a long, dear letter
from Richard Hall, and though i had that had come so suddenly wlftle he
transferred it from my pocket to my seemed as well ns ever, and how lit*
desk. while I dressed for the afternoon. had worried about my probably not
Its crackle was still lu my mind. I wanting to be left to him and that he
wondered what It all meant, this dis­ wanted me to feel independent, but to
satisfied longing that human beings please let him do all that f l would to
send out across time and distance, on»? help me and not to feel that I was
alone with nobody to love me. th a t he
to and for another.
I f a woman’s heart were really like a was always there and would I k * forever
and ever
great big golden chalice, full to the
brim with the kind o f I6ve she is taught | And he did stay so late that Jasper
God wants her to have iu it for all : bad to send him home!
mankind, both men and women, why I There Is such a thing as a man's be­
shouldn’t she offer drafts o f it ing a father and mother and grown
to every one who Is thirsty, brothers sister and brother nnd a college « hum
ns well as sisters? I wonder how that and a preacher o f the gos|>el and a
family physician to n woman—with no
would solve Jane’s problem o f emotion
al equality! I ch* love Dicky—and—and possibility o f being her hnsbnn.l ei­
She wouldn't so drag sn-h a
1 do love Polk—with an Inclination to ther
man
from
his high estate ns to think
dodge. Now. if there were enough ot
the right sort o f love iu me I ought to j of such a worldly relation in cotmec-
be able to get them to see it and drink 1 tion with him.
I have certainly collected some phe­
it for their comforting, and have no
trouble »it ¡ill witb them about their nomena In the reaction of a woman’s
wanting to seize the cup. drain all the heart this day. Did yon choose me
love there is lu it. shut it away from wisely for these experiments, Jane?
It takes a woman o f uerve to go to
tho rest o f the world, and then neg­
housekeeping in a tinder box when she
lect it.
isn't sure she even knows what flint
Yes, why can't I love Polk as 1 love
is when she sees It nnd might strike
you, Jane, aud have him enjoy it?
out a spark without intending it at all.
I think if I had Dicky off to myself
(T o be continued)
for a long time, and very gently led
him up to the question o f loving bin»
Stevenson’s Cheerfulness.
hard in this new way. he might be
"I shall never forget Mr. Stevenson.”
induced to sip out o f the cup just to see
said a captain who commanded a ship
if he liked It. and it might be just what
on which Robert Louis Steveusou sail­
he craved for the time being, but 1
ed
“ The ship had broken her shaft
doubt i t He would storm and bluster
and
was
delayed. He cheered every­
nt the Idea.
body up by telling funny stories that
O f course the Crag would let a wo­
were better coming offhand from his
man love him In nny old kind o f new
Ill's than most literary meu could write
or experimental way she wanted to if
if they worked over them for weeks.
it made her happy.
He would take
He knew. too. that it was only a ques­
her cup o f tenderness and drink it ns
tion o f n short time before he would
if It were sacramental wine on his
die o f consumption and that he could
knees
Rut he doesn't count. He lias
never again go home for more than a
to be man to so many people that
brief visit. It wns simply wonderful
there is danger o f his becoming a kind
what a differ*-nee that one man made
o f superman
among the passengers, nnd I guess al­
1 wonder if Sallie will marry him
ia. t all o f us would gladly spend the
And
ns I sat and thought and puz­
i
1 h ie to make port under sail, witb ma­
! zled the moonlight got richer and more il finery disabled, If we could bave a
glowing, nnd It wooed open the throats
Stevenson aboard .”
o
‘ f the thousand little honeysuckle bios
soms clinging to the vine ou the trellis
” 1 stole most o f your family today,”
I plunged ‘headlong Into my errand,
I “ but I want you. too, most o f all."
“ You’ve got me even if you do prefer
to keep me ucross the road from you,"
lie answered, with the most solemn ex­
pression on his face, but with a crin­
kle o f a smile in the corners of his
! deep eyes.
I can't remember when 1 didn’t look
with eagerness for ttiat crinkle in his
eyes, even when I was a child and he
what I at that time considered a most
glorious grownup individual, though
he must have been the most helpless
j hobbledehoy that ever existed.
“ You don't need another vine,” I an­
swered mutinously.
“ You know I want you, but Jasper’s
is the privilege o f looking after you,"
he answered calmly. "1 want you to
he happy, Evelina." and 1 knew as I
raised my eyes to his that 1 could con­
sider m yself settled in iny own home.
“ Well, then, come aud have dinner
No. 2 with me.” J answered with a
laugh that covered a little happy sigh
that rose from my heart at the look iu
the kind eyes bent ou miue.
I felt, Jane, you would bave approv­
ed o f that look. It was so human to
human.
lie came over with me. and that was
one jolly party in the old dining room.
They all stayed until almost sunset,
and almost everybody in town dropped
in during the afternoon to welcome me
home aud ask where 1 was going to
live. Jasper and Petunia hovering in
the background, the tea tray out on
the porch set with the silver and
damask all o f them knew o f old and
the appearance of having been in­
stalled with the full approval o f Cousin
Martha uud James and the rest o f the
family, stopped the questions on their
lips, and they spent the afternoon
much enlivened, but slightly puzzled.
Tim e doesn’t do much to people in a
place like the Harper!» valley, that is
out o f the stream o f modern progress,
and most o f my friends seem to have
“ You don’t need another vine."
Just been sitting still, rooking their
lives aloug In the greatest ease and
comfort.
Still. Mamie Hall has three more
kiddies, which added to the four she
had when I left makes a slightly high.
If charming. set o f stair steps. Mamie