The Argosy, Vol. 76, No. 3 — page 244: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

714 self. ‘‘ He is the napkin and he doesn’t know it. He is smothering my talent and he doesn’t care!” Joe walked slowly home in the sun- set. The clouds lay piled in a misty golden light. The beauty of it hurt him. They might have been so happy together in that peaceful little corner of the earth but for the gift! When he walked into the kitchen he noticed a white cloth on the table in place of the usual red and white check. A bowl of violets stood in the center. The fire crackled cheerfully in the stove, the teakettle was boiling. He could smell the browning corn bread. A sudden sense of the loneli- ness of the coming years overwhelmed him! He sat down by the table and rested his head in the hardened palm of his hand. Lena came in with some eggs in her apron and went into the pantry without looking up. When she came back; Joe held out his hand. “‘Come here, dear,” he said gently. She went over and knelt on the floor beside his chair, “And you really want to go?” he asked. She nodded. | “TI always knew that it had to come.” he said slowly. “I seemed to feel that it wouldn’t be any use to struggle against it, but I couldn’t help it. It meant your going away from me! I wish I hadn’t now. It would have been so much better for me and for you, too—maybe. “How I used to hunger to have you sing to me when we sat behind the morning’ glory vines in the dusk, but I didn’t dare encourage the gift for I was afraid of it. It made me tremble every time I heard you sing. I kept saying to myself: ‘Some day it will take her away from me.’ ‘“T never told you about it, but that time I went to the city I heard ‘ Car- men.’ I wanted to know what those high-priced singers sounded like. When she came out and sang, I THE ARGOSY. thought to myself: ‘So they call that a wonderful voice — well, they ought to hear my girlie.’ Then I felt chilled all through. After that I was more afraid than ever. That was when I began to make fun of you.” Lena straightened herself and looked at him with dazed, cheated eyes. “And you never told me,” she said. You never—told me.” “I was afraid,” he faltered. She put her hands on his shoulders, her eyes were glowing. ““T have seen myself standing up there in all the brightness singing Isolde. I could feel the hearts of the people beating! And you were sitting in a box.” He pressed his cheek against hers with a wan smile. “Imagine me in a box at the opera —me with my hands and feet! But I can see you standing there in the light, all right. I have seen you like that a thousand times when [ stag- ger along behind the plow.” The girl flung her arms around his neck. “ Joe,’ she sobbed, “the beau- tiful dream—to think of dreaming it together! ”’ She threw back her head and looked at him with starry eyes. “I wilt learn all those beautiful things and we will sit out behind the morning - glory vines, and it will all be true. And there won't be any hurt or disappointment like there might be if I went.” His heart flamed into his face. Sweetheart, you'll stay?” She laid her head in the hollow of his shoulder. “YT have carefully considered the matter, and now I find that I think more of the napkin than I do of the talent,” she said. The drying teakettle began to hiss. The burning smoke drifted out of the oven. But the two sitting close in the twilight did not notice. They were dreaming of glorious triumphs with never a shadow of struggle or pain in them. COMicdoo S CO@