Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 59, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 March 1914 — HE, SHE, AND CHARLES [ARTICLE]

HE, SHE, AND CHARLES

By F. B. WRIGHT.

Charles Augustus had 'had a most unpleasant day. It Jiad commenced j; well enough, 'but had clouded over £Oott after he had started on his lessons about the Dog, and the Rat, and the Act-ive Cat Then Higgins had brought Miss Purvis a letter, and with it something bad entered into Charles Augustus’ life that he could by, no means understand. ___Ycm»see, Charles Augustus loved his govtrness greatly. She came next to his tather and mother and way above the goat Charles Augustus had quite decided to marry Miss Purvis when he grew up, and had even talked over the details with the young lady her- ■ Belf. ' ~ : : —r: The letter, when she read it, made Miss Purvis’ face go all pink and beautiiul, and then pale, and her eyes fill with tears. Then she put the letter away in the bosom of her gown, and Charles Augustus thought that was the end of it. But it was not. For as often as he loked up ironi his book or slate he saw Miss Purvis reading the letter, and each time he saw tears in her eyes. What could it be in those scrawly black marks to make people cry? He cried when he was spanked or shut up in a closet, or had to do something he did not want to —but this wasn't like that. Charles Augustus could not understand this silent When he cried he wanted to let the whole world know —and usually succeeded. Later, when lessons were over, he Mias Purvis through the window, writing a letter, and she was crying over it. Plainly there was something in this writing business which was decidedly unpleasant. Charles Augustus decided then and—there that fae would never write. Then, when she bad finished, she went off to the village and would not let Charles Augustus go with her. In that half hour of easy time which came when Charles Augustus had shifted from his day things into the ample lengths of his flannel pajamas, and, cuddling down into the big chair with Miss Purvis, toasted his pink toes before the fire preparatory to going bedward, he came once more across this peculiar thing which he could not understand. For Miss Purvis was strangely silent, only answering a listless yes or no to his observations on life, and the curious ways of people, and the idiosyncrasies of the goat. She did not take much in-' terest even when he touched upon the many things he would give her when he became a man and they were married —the rings like mamma’s and an express wagon, and a jar of ginger. Though her arm drew him close, when he told her how much he loved her, yet Charles Augustus was not satisfied. He felt as though something invisible were between them. ' He put up a hand and turned her /face toward him. “You do love me, don’t you?” he said. “And you will wait for me until I am big?” She kissed him and told him “Yes" —she would always be his sweetheart. “But I’m afraidj dear, I’ll have to go away. Will you mind?’ Charles Augustus minded very much and said so, and the thought kept him awake long after he had gotten into his bed. Through the door he could see Miss Purvis and the fire. Then he saw her of a sudden bend forward, her face in her arms, and heard her sob. Though he wanted to comfort her, something told Charles Augustus that Misß Purvis wanted to be let alone. At last she raised a tear-stained face. “No, it must not be!” Charles Augustus heard her say. <.“They would think it was for his money.’ It is better as it is—better for him. I must leave here as soon as I can, and, oh, I don’t want to!" Then Miss Purvis took the letter, kissed it, and put it in a box on her dressing table —a box with curious patterns in mother-of-pearl on it, and with a queer lock that only she and Charles Augustus knew how to open. work this thing out. This letter was the cause of Miss Purvis’ feeling badly. It must be taken away, that was all about it. The room was quiet, the fire died to a little glow -of winking embers, Miss Purvis was asleep. Charles Augustus got up and got the letter. Then he hid It under the mattress, and went to sleep with a lighter heart. Now Miss Purvis would be happy again, and she would not go away. But the next day Miss Purvis was not happy. True, she did not cry, nor did she read the letter which Charles Augustus had craftily tucked inside his blouse, but yet she was not the Mlsb Purvis of aforetimes; who laughed, and Bang and romped on the lawn with him. It was not the mere possession of the letter, then. What was it? “He must not come.” “I must 16ave bate." Charles Augustus remembered those words. Some one was coming, then; some one who would carry Misß Purvis, the Beloved, away. Charles Augustus thought of Giants, ' and gypsies, and grew horribly alive to the exigencies of the occasion. His father and mother were away, so he could not go to them for advice. There was only one man in Charles Augustus' confidence, and be was very big and strong, and k%ew everything. Next to the goat, who was manifestly Inadequate under the circumstances, Charles Augustus adored this man. He

lived in a house by himself, a long, long way off beyond the most distant trees. Charles Augustus saw the man that afternoon. He had came to call, but Miss Purvis had excused herself. She had a headache, she said. Now the man, whose name was Mr. Houghton, was going down the drive with great strides, and so intent on his own thwisghttrthat he did not hear Charles Augustus call to him. It took him a long time to catch up wfth the man. Indeed, it did not happen until the latter had turned off into the woods, and Charles Augustus’ hat had been lost on the road, and his legs much scratched w ith briers. Then Charles Augustus tohHthMrtoiT about the letTeTy and how she had kissed it, and yet cried, and was going away. “And she said‘l can’t! 1 can’t!’ like that,” ended Charles Augustus. “ ’He must never know,’ she said, and ‘he musn’t never come here.’ ” What Wasn’t he to know? and who was He? —and did Mr. Hohghton think it was a giant that was coming to carry Miss Purvis off? Then Charles Augustus took the letter Yrom his blouse—and then the man, knew. "I’m afraid’ it Is a giant,” said Mr. Houghton gravely, “and it’s lucky I heard of this in time, because I was going away tomorrow. But now—” "But now?” 6aid Charles Augustus anxiously. “Now I think I’ll go right back to the house with you.” "And you won't let her be tooken —I mean taked —away? said Charles Augustus. "No. she isn’t going away,” the man replied—"at least not very far.”

They got out into the road and started back. Charles Augustus’ hand in that of his friend's, and his small shoes plowing through the dust And then, at a turn in the road, they came suddenly on Miss Purvis, very white and scared looking, and carrying Charles Augustus’ hat. “Charlie,” she cried, “I thought you were lost.” v “Charles Augustus plunged, toward her. “I told him!” he cried triumphantly. “I’ve told him all about the letter, and how you cried because the giant was going to carry you off, and he says the giant shan’t, and that you are going to live here happy ever after, amen, like people do in fairy stories. And you are, ain’t you?’ Miss Purvis looked at the man a second, and then her face came all pink —and then she said “Yes.” It was a very happy walk back home to Charles Augustus, except that he, for some reason, could not manage to walk between his two friends |nd hold both of their hands at the same time, a thing which Charles Augustus particularly wished.