“THE
TINDER
BOX”
(Continued trom first psge(
Snllle Is the most perfectly lovely
woman I almost ever saw. She has
trrent violet eyes with hlnek lashes
that bog yon for u piece o f your heart,
and her month Is as sweet as a blush
rose, with cheeks that almost match it
In rosluess. She and the babies al
ways remind me o f a cluster rose and
rose*, flower and buds, and I don’t see
why every man that sees her is not
mad about her. They nil used to be
before she married, and I suppose they
will be ngnln ns soon ns the crape pets
entirely worn off her clothes. As she
stood with the bubbly baby In her
arms and looked up at Polk I couldn’t
see how ho could take It calmly.
•‘Snllle.’' he answered seriously, with
a pilot In his eyes over at me. "'if you'll
plve me u few days louper 1 will then
have found out by experience what a
real woman Is. and I'll bepln on Hen
rietta for you accordingly."
"D on't be too bard on the kiddie,"
Cousin James answered him, with the
crinkle In the corner o f Ills eyes that
might have been called shrewd in eyes
less benutlfully calm. “ Let’s trust a
lot to I lenrletta’s powers of observation
o f her mother and—her neighbors.’’
"Isn ’t that old moss buck a treat for
the sight o f gods and men?" asked
Polk with a laugh as we all stood
watching the old gray coattails (lap
ping In the warm breeze that was rol
licking across the valley.
“ I don’t know what 1 would do with
out him." said Sallle softly, with tears
suddenly misting the violets in her eyes
ns she turned away from us with the
baby in her arms and went slowly up
the front walk o f Wldegnbh's.
“ Please come stay with me a little
while, Evellnu," she pleaded back over
her shoulder. "I feel fa in t”
I hesitated, for, as we were on my
side o f the road. Polk was still my
guest.
“ Go on with Sallle, sweetie." he an
swered my hesitating. " I don't want
the snapped off fraction o f a declara
tion like you were about to offer me.
I can bide my time and get my own.’’
With which he turned and got into his
car as I went across the street.
Jane, I feel encouraged. I have done
well today to get hnlfway through my
declaration o f independence, though ho
doesn’t think that is what It is going
to be—to Polk. I f 1 can Just tell him
how much I lovo him before he makes
love to mo we can get on such u sensi
ble footing with each other. I ’ll com
mand the situation then.
Hut suppose 1 do get Polk calmed
down to a nice friendship after old
Pinto’s recipe, what If I want to marry
him ?
Do I want to marry a friend?
Yes, I do!
No, no!
There are many fundamental differ
ences between men and women which
strlko deeper than breadth o f shoul
ders and number o f ribs ou the right
side.
*
Men deliberately unearth matters of
Importance and women stumble on the
same'things In the dark. It Is then
a question o f the Individual as to the
complications that result.
This has been a remnrknhle after
noon, and I wish Jane had been In
Gleiulnle to witness It.
"Say, Evelina, all the folks over at
our house have gone crazy. and I wish
you would come over and help Cousin
James with 'em," Henrietta demand
ed ns I sat on my side porch calmly
hemming a rutile on a dress for the
kitten. Everybody sews for the twins,
and, ns much ns 1 hate It, I can’t help
doing It.
“ Why, Henrietta, what Is- the mat
ter?" I demanded ns I hurried down
the front walk and across the road at
her bare little heels. By the time I
got to the front gate 1 could hear
sounds o f lamentation.
"A rnilroad train wants to run right
through the middle o f all their dead
“ W hst’c the matter?” I demanded with
the second shake.
people, and Sallle started the crying.
Dead's dead, and if Cousin James
wants 'em run over I wants ’em run
over too.”
She answered over tier
shoulder as we hurried through the
wide front hall.
Sallle sat in the large armchair In the
middle o f the room weeping in the
slow, regular way a woman has of
starting out With tears when she
means to let them flow for hours, may
be days, and there were Just five
echoes to her grief, all done in different
keys and characters.
Cousin Martha knelt beside the chair
and held Sable’s head on her ample
bosom, but I must say that the expres
sion on her face was one o f bewilder
ment. ns well ns o f grief.
The three little Horton cousins sat
close together in the middle of the old
hair cloth sofa by the window and
were weeping ns modestly and help
lessly ns they did everything else In
life, while Mrs. Hargrove, In her chair
under her son’s portrait, was Just plain
ly out and out howling.
And on the hearth rug. before the
tiny Are o f oak chips that the old ia-
dies liked to keep burning all summer,
stood the master o f the house, and for
once In my life 1 have seen the person-
ill eat ion o f masculine helplessness. He
was a tragedy, and 1 tlew straight to
him with urms wide open, which clasp-
cd both his shoulders as 1 gave him a
good shake to urouse him from his
parulyzatJou.
"W hat's the matter?’’ i demanded
with the second shake.
"I'm a brute, Evelina,” he answered,
and a sudden discouragement lined
every feature o f his Iteautlful Biblical
face.
1 couldn't stand that, and 1
hugged him tight to my breast for an
instant and then administered another
earthquake shake.
“ Tell me exactly what has happen-
ed,” 1 demanded, looking straight Into
Ids tragic eyes and letting my hands
slip from bis shoulders down his arms
until they held both o f his hands tight
and warm lu mine.
June, I was glad that 1 had offered
the cup o f my eyes to him full o f this
curious intersex elixir o f life that you
have induced me to seek so blindly, for
he responded to the dose immediately,
and the color came back Into bis face
us he answered me just us sensibly as
he would another man.
"The men who are surveying the
new railroad from Cincinnati to the
gulf have laid their experimental lines
across the corner of Greenwood ceine
tery, and they say it will have to run
that way or go across the river and
parallel the lines o f the other road. It
they come on this s.de o f the river
they will force the other road to come
across too, and in that case we will
get the shops, it just happens that
such a line will make necessary the re
moval o f—o f poor Henry's remains to
another lot. Sable’s is the only lot in
the cemetery that is that high ou the
bluff. Henry didn't like the situation
when he bought it himself, and i
thought that us there is another lot
right next to her mother's for sale she
would not—hut, o f course, 1 was brutal
to mention It to her. 1 hope you will
liud it in your heart to forgive me, Sal
lie." And as he spoke lie extracted
himself from me and walked over und
laid his hand on Sable's head.
"It was such a shock to her—pool
Henry I" sobbed little Cousin Jasmine,
and the other two little sisters sniffed
in chorus.
“ To have railroad trains running by
Greenwood at nil will be disturbing to
the peace of the dead." snorted Airs
Hargrove. "W e need no railroad In
Glendale.
We have never had one
And that is my lust word—no!"
"Four miles to the railroad station
across the river Is just a pleasant drive
In good weather.” said Cousin Martha
plalntlveTy as she cuddled Sadie's sobs
more comfortably down on her shoul
det.
" I feel that Henry would doubt mj
faithfulness to his memory if I con
sented to such a desecration." came lu
smothered tones from the pillowing
shoulder.
x
And not one o f all those six women
had stopped to think for one minute
that the minor fact o f the disturbing
if the ashes of Henry Cnrruthers
would be followed by the major one ot
the restoration o f the widow's fortune
and the lifting o f a huge financial bur
den off the strong shoulders they were
all separately and collectively leaning
upon.
I exploded, but 1 am glad 1 drew tht
Crag out on the porch and did It to
him alone.
"Evelina, you are refreshing If stren
uous," he laughed after I had spent
five minutes in stating my opinions of
women in general and a few in partic
ular. "But I ought not to have hurt
Snllle by telling her about the lines
until they are a certainty.
It is so
far only a |>ossibility. They may go
! across the river anyway.”
1 "And. ns for seeing Snllle swaddled
In your consideration and fed yoursoll
j as a sacrifice from a spoon. I am tired
o f it,” I tlqined up again. “ It’s not
good for her. Feed and clothe her
and her progeny—men In general have
j
brought just such burdens as that upon
i
you In particular by their attitude to
;
wn rd us—but do let her begin to exert
just a small area of her brain on the
subject o f the survival o f the fit to
lire. You don't swaddle or feed me!”
“ Eve!” he said softly under his
breath ns his wonderful, gentle eyes
snnk down way below the indignation
and explosiveness to the quiet pool that
, lies at the very bottom o f my heart.
■ Nobody ever found It before, and I
didn’t know It was there myself, but l
| felt ns if It were being drained up into
j heaven.
j "E v e !" he said again, and it is n won
der that I didn't answer:
“ Adam!”
I dou’t know Just what would have
Happened if Uncle Peter hadn’ t broken
in on the interview with his crustiest
chips on both shoulders and so much
excitement bottled up that he had to
let It fly like a double reporter.
"Dodson Is down at the hotel look
ing for you. James,” he began as he<
hurried up the steps. “ Big scheme
this—got him in a corner if the C. and
G. comes along this side o f Old Har-
peth—make him squeal, hey?”
“ Who’s Dodson?" I asked with the
greatest excitement
I was for the
first time getting a whiff o f the
schemes of the masculine mighty, but
I was squelched promptly by Uncle
Peter.
"W e 'v e no time for questions. Eve
lina, now—go back to your tatting,
hey?" He answered me as he began
to buttonhole the Crag and lead him
down the steps.
“ Dodson is the man who is laying
down and contracting for the line
across the river. Evelina,” answered
Cousin James without taking any no
tice whatever o f Uncle Peter’s squelch
ing o f me. “ I f this other line can just
be secured he w ill have to come to our
terms—and the situation will
be
saved.” As he spoke he took my hand
in his and led me at his side down the
front walk to the gate, talking as he
went, tVr Uncle Peter was chuckling
ou ahead like a steam tug iu a hurry.
“ And the shades o f Henry w ill again
assume the maintenance o f his fam
ily," I hazarded with lack o f respect o f
the dead, impudence to Cousin James
about his owu affairs and unkindness
by implication to Sallie, who loves me
better than almost anybody in the
world does. And I got my just pun
ishment by seeing a lovely look o f
tender concern rise in Ccnisin James’
eyes as lie stopped short in the middle
o f the walk.
" I want to go back a minute to speak
to Sallie before I go on downtown.”
he said quickly, and before Uncle Pe
ter's remonstrances h id exploded he
had taken the steps twi> at a bound
and disappeared in the front door.
"Sooner he marries that lazy lolly-
pop the better,” fumed Uncle Peter as
he waited at the gate. "T h e way for
a man to quench Ills thirst for woman
sweets is to marry a pot o f honey like
that and then come right on back to
the bread niid-butter game. Here's a
letter Jasper gave me to bring along
for you from town. Go on and read
It and do not disturb the workings o f
my brain while I wait for James—
workings o f a great brain, hey?”
Tliei’e is no lietter sedative for a wo
man's disturbed and wounded emotions
than a little stiff brain work. Richard's
letter braced my viny drooping o f niiDd
at once and from thinking into the
Crag’s affairs o f sentiment I turned
with masculine vigor to begiu to mix
into Ills affairs o f Uuance. However, I
wish that the first big business letter I
ever got lu uiy life hadn't had to have
a strain of love interest running through
It. Still, Dickie is a trump card in the
man pack.
It Seems that ns his rather is one of
the most Influential directors and lar
gest stockholders iu this new branch of
the Cincinnati and Gulf railroad be has
got the commission for makiDg the
plans for nil the stations along the
road, and he wants to give mo the com
mission for drawing all the gardens for
all the station yards. It will be tre
mendous for both o f us so young in
life, and I never dared hope for such a
thing. I had only hoped to get a few
private gardens o f some o f my friends
to lnze and pose over, but this Is star
tling. My mind Is beginning to work
on In terms o f hedges and fountains a l
ready and Dickie may be coming south
any minute.
(To be continued)
Great are those 25c dinners at the
Ramsey Hotel dining room, Til'amook,
Ore.