The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1877-01-25

E It WASH { exactly the right thing 10 do
although certainly CXcusable in cas-,
like this, where a mans whole happncs,
was at stake. made up my mind TO tinj
out
"Nod," said 7, 81 saw a splondj
knife the other day-six blades
Six blades e. repeated Ned, his eve,
sparkling
Yes. on five blades and a file, | don't
remember which. Ii WIS beauty,
though, and il I wasn't afraid you'd cut
yourself with il, ia buy IL and give it {,
you.
Cut mysclf!" said the small boy,
with infinite scom: &" amt "a hahv.
Well, ~ sand l. "the knife shall h,
yours And then / continued in q
Ha8,haiGUt manner What was Il
you said your sister and Mr. Thornton
were talking about O.
/ didn't say nothing, said Ned,
Nhcull you bring the knife ?'
"lou shall have it tomorrow, " rc-
Piled, Did they SAY anything about
me, for instance 3"
"Oh, lots :" said Ned. starting on
rapidly. Charley said: Oh. Vie. you'd
never have given me up ii | hadn't told
voU how rich he Was. What u tuvl Nv,
been, | might have known that that
would have been too much ut a let mr
see; Lead us not into temptation
temptation for such girl as You arr.
Good heaNcusI and lie grabbed hold uf
his hair Just as though he was going a.
pull il all out, and the small boy suited
the action e. the woui, and mggei at his
own curly locks with such am assumption
of desperation us brought the tears into
his eyyS. "'Go,l heavens he SAYS,
how selfish and cruel Nuu arrt / am
sure l don't know how | can love Nuu.
Are you gviug Ga marry himF And Vie
says. e / ann
"Ohi yuu are, >" thinks the attentive
listener
- L would be awful silly, she SAYS, 90
the small box mttls> uu, ''' for Us % get
married. l might think | WAS happy. for
Il little while cause l b'lt,v | iuy, YOU
aS Wei as | could love anybody, ami then
Id he Jolly miserable. for | must have "a
sealskn Jacket and new switch, and
hair like mime custs like Oh no .gLat s
what she said 10 ma TINS morning.
mean she SAYS: For | never could be
happy without q fine house. and car
riaEa, and all sorts Of unbby things, and
ever SO much more / can't remember
And So he gooi hoy. she SANS, and
console Yourself with May Newton. She
likes you. I'm suyc, and she is a sweet
little thing, and would make you an eX-
cel.eut wife
Il don't believe she ever viii, then. i"
| mutter between my teeth. '' Go ON,
Ned
mo. She wouldn't, saws Charley
and Us for her liking me. YOU never were
more mistaken in Your hie; or II she
does like me, Ii is because / am the
friend of the man she lovcs-Arthur
Bell '" ,lm Arthur BelII-" YES. she
loves him Us dearly rs | do you, and has
loved him for Years. IL Was for his sake
she refused handsome Phil Akers, 10 say
nothing of that rich old bachelor Quimby
that all the other girls are pulling caps
for Poor little wretch, l know how to
pity her, You'll both recover, says
We. and ten chances 20 one. fall IN love
with each other There's nothing like
catching ball on the bounce.
"A heart ON the rebound. / think
You mean, Ned, l SAY, with astonishing
cAlmuess.
"Wen. perhaps 1 DO, assents the
small boy, whistlng couple of bars Of
.' Yankee Dcodle. thoughtfully " ANY
how. ending with false note that makes
me shuddcr, Vic stuck % il she'd mar
~ YOU, cause you WIS 50 slap-bAug-set-
D. q
his nat Oh his head and walked ont ot
the room Ike this. and slipping from
the table, the small boy seized my hat
from my hand. literally " smashed il
upon his curly head. and strobe ont into
the hall in such q melodramatic manner
that / smiled IN spite ui myself.
When he returned | left the easy
chair-not quite as much At ease rs when
/ sat down IN lt-toOk possession of my
hat, restored It rs nearly rs possible %
its original shape, and said Ned.
vou've been remarkably entertaining
fact. / never met such an entertaining
small boy before; but | won't wait any
longer. Give my respects to your sis
ter -
Don't Won mean your love?' asks
Ned, with wide opened eyes, and adds,
contidentially: "Oh, come now. vuu
needn't be bashful know all about It,
You know.
Il don't mean nv love" 1 say, most
emphaticallv.
And whenu you come again O.
" Impossible 10 tell.
But the kuife-the one with six
blades, or five blades and a file q
"Ill send ii tomorrow morning early.
." You II a trump - exclajms the small
boy, emitting caper. And, ! say.when
YOU marry Vic and ask me out to your
country house 70 spend my vacation, viii
YOU give me a boat and a Shetland pony
one Of them real Jolly ones with hair
hanging all over their eyesE'
When | marry Vie / will, - promise,
solemnly. "Good-bye'
But l never marry Vie.
Mr. Quimby. the rich old bachelor.
does, though and a precious time, they
say, she has with the cranky. hot tenn
pempered, asthmatic old fellow.
Ny wife has soft blue eyes and faint
golden hair; and have come TO the con-
clusi0n that delicate, cream colored hly
is much to be preferred to o gorgeous
hRme-dashed-with-crimson-leayed, brown
throated gladiole.