Page:The leopard's spots - a romance of the white man's burden-1865-1900 (IA leopardsspotsrom00dixo).pdf/303

 "Oh! it's not so serious as all that!" she said with dancing eyes.

"I'm in the dust at your feet."

"You mean in the sand. Did you know that you dug a hole in that sand deep enough to bury me in? I thought once you were meditating murder by the expression on your face."

"Please give me one earnest look from your eyes," he pleaded.

"You're a terrible disappointment," she answered leaning back and putting her hands behind her head thoughtfully.

His heart stood still at this unexpected speech.

"How?" he slowly asked, looking down at the sand again.

"Because," she said in her old tantalising tone, "I expected so much of you."

"Then you don't class me with the other poor devils at least?" he asked hopefully.

"No, no, they were handsome boys and made me beautiful speeches. But you are distinguished. You are a man that everybody would look at twice in a crowd. You are a famous young orator who can hold thousands breathless with eloquence. I thought you would make me the most beautiful speech. But you acted like a school boy, stammered, looked foolish, and pawed a hole in the ground!" Again she laughed.

"I confess, Miss Sallie, I was never so overwhelmed with terror and nervousness by an audience before."

"And just one girl to hear!"

"Yes, but she counts more with me than all the other millions, and one kind look from her eyes I would hold dearer at this moment than a conquered world's applause."