Jasper County Democrat, Volume 7, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 April 1905 — BEFORE THE HALLOWEEN FIRE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

BEFORE THE HALLOWEEN FIRE

By Ruby Douglas

“Isn’t this quite the most fun we’ve had?" asked Pauline, laying the last chestnut on the hearth and resuming her seat on the low stool before the fire. “Quite,” replied the man beside her. Pauline looked up. “You’re so serious, Teddy. You’re always so serious that I feel I should almost call you Theodore, uot Teddy.” He smiled Indulgently at her. What a child she was In spite of her twenty years! He had known her always, for he was about to be forty. “Don’t, I beg of you. Look, child, my chestnuts are going to pop first.” Pauline framed her face In her hands and rested her elbows on her knees, Intently watching the chestnuts open wider and wider. “Don’t forget the names, Teddy. I’d like to know which girl Is to have you.” lie smiled again. He always smiled at Pauline. He watched the firelight twostep through her ringlets and about the great coll of hair wound gracefully about her pretty head. "Oh, Teddy,” she cried, and dismay was the predominant emotion betrayed In her tone. “They all popped at once.” And It was true. All three of the man's chestnuts had popped simultaneously, leaving Pauline without the satisfaction of knowing whom the Halloween fairies had destined for her companion’s wife. The man laughed. “Watch your own. That fat one on this end seems ready to Jump.” Pauline, a shadow of disappointment still on her face, studied her chestnuts. “I can venture a guess as to who that end man Is, little girl.” “Can you V” she asked saucily. “Yes, and he seems to know he Is to pop first. He Is a confident chap, at least.” Pauline Ignored his remarks. The first chestnut was ready to burst, and the middle nut looked ready to follow any minute, but the one on the other end was opening slowly. A frown dodged Into the space between Pauline’s eyes. What did Halloween fairies know about It anyway?” She moved her stool back and slipped to her knees on the hearth, bending closely over the chestnuts. “Pop! Of course you would pop first,” she scolded, talking to the Innocent chestnut that had Just found Its proximity to the flames too trying. The man sat back and wntched the expressions come and goon her face. “And you are not glad that one popped first?” he asked. “I fancy I •eoukl name him.”

‘Tt was he—Oeorge Bldwell— but I don't Intend to marry him,” aba retorted. with determination. The man raised hia brows quizzically. It was what he had come to accept aa Inevitable, that Pauline, his deaf little friend, would marry this boy. Certainly It would not be the young man’s fault If slie did not. “You silly chestnut,” Pauline began, talking obviously to the nut on the far end. “Why are you so slow when you know you should have popped first?” She <lld not turn her face toward the man, but kept her eyes on the nuts. And the man supposed It was the heat from the flames which heightened the color In her cheeks. How pretty she looked! lie had never realized before how lovely Pauline really was. Pop! The middle nut bad Jumped away. Only one remained. “That w T ns John Carrington.” confessed Pauline, looking up shyly Into the face above hers. “Now, wouldn’t you like to know who this third glow one is?”

“I would, Indeed, but he seems to have little elianee.” "Perhaps it Is Ills own fault. He has been lying there so Indifferently, hardly seeming to realize that he was near the fire and not seeming to care to Jump and pop like all the others.” Pauline Vfas again leaning over the Inst chestnut, talking half to Its Inanimate shell, half to herself and not at all to the man now sitting up straight In the chair behind her. “Aren't you going to tell me who It Is?” «e asked. “No,” she retorted over her shoulder. Silently they both watched the chestnut. It was opening slowly, very slow-

ly, bat surely, and the dealp yellow heart was beginning to show through the cracks. “You’re a silly chestnut,” said Pauline, shaking her head at it; “you are so slow. You deliberately let all the others get ahead of you.” She paused while the flames danced about merrily, trying to urge the nut on to Jump. All unconsciously the man was bending closer to the girl, trying not to lose any of the conversation which was not addressed to him. Somehow It was an Interesting soliloquy. Usually he let Pauline ramble on and on, unmindful of her chattering, treating her almost as a child—a dear, lovable child. Now he had an unaccountable curiosity to know for whom she had named the last chestnut. There were so many young men whom she might have chosen. “You—you think you are old,” Pauline was saying still to the chestnut, “but you aren’t at all. And you are so serious, and you fancy your hair Is gray.” Her tone was very low—confidentially low—and she bent more closely over the nut. “I’m afraid you aren’t going to propose at all. I’m beginning to think you will never understand that—that you love me, you funny chestnut,” she laughed nervously. The nut was on the verge of Jumping, and she was perilously close to It. “Be careful, deaf,” said the man. “It might strike your face.” And Pauline thought he had never spoken to her so tenderly. She lowered her eyes quickly. “Oh, chestnut, you are—you are going to pop! You are!” Pop! The slow nut had Jumped, and Pauline excitedly reached out for it and caught it. “Oh!" she cried, dropping it. The man slipped to the stool beslda her. “Why did you do that, child? You’ve burned yourself,” he said, taking her hand in his. For a moment he held it silently, looking Into its pretty pink palm. “Pauline, who was the last man—the man who hurts you?” She looked up Into his eyes. “Dearest, cau it be? Oh, Pauline, and to think I have never realized until tonight what you are to me!” Her head dropped to his knee. “You—you almost made me propose to you, Teddy,” she mumbled from her refuge. “And if it had not been for Halloween you would never have Jumped.” “We’ll make up for It by getting married next week.” And that was why the forward chestnut and the deliberate chestnut were allowed to remain side by side until they turned blacn and crisp. David Bradley Co., sent two representatives to contract pr ces that will discount Hny catalogue houses on farm implements, buggies, etc Chicago Bargain Store.

Rx»*e**4 t“ te* a Big Mm*. Representative Curtis of Kansas used to be prosecuting attorney for his county. In that role he was a pioneer in the vigorous enforcement of the Kansas prohibition law. He was also the hero of many a lively scrimmage, the fame of which spread all over the state. Somehow people became imbued with the Idea that he was a big man physically as well as mentally. Some years ago when there had been a redlstrlctlng. so that he was forced to make a canvass for re-election in practically a new district, Mr. Curtis was sojourning temporarily at a county seat. An enormous man over six feet tall sought him out. “Are you Charlie Curtis?” he Inquired, looking down upon the black eyed congressman of medium height before him. “Yes.” “Of Topeka?” “Yes.” “Used to enforce the prohibitorylaw?” “Yes.” “Well, dod blast it all, I expected to see a man.”—Washington Post. Mistaken For a Page. Bourke Cockran, omnipresent, far as the floor of the house is concerned, was majestically parading the aisle of the house with a file of newspapers lu his hand. A young, smooth faced boy came toward him. “Here, young fellow, take this file to the clerk’s office,” commanded the New York repartee expert. “Pardon me,” said the young man, passing on, “you should not speak to me. We have never been introduced.” Mental visions of making a quick vacancy in the squad of page Sbys surged through the brain of the angered spouter. “Who Is that fellow?” he demanded of his hearers.” “That’s Representative Levet of South Carolina,” was the reply. Cockran is still trying to explain.—New York American.

“I’M AFRAID YOU AREN’T GOING TO PROPOSE AT ALL.”