The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1889-10-17
'Of COURSE from johnny.


on his hat and he said: Miss Vivian!
This is pleasure. ,"
miss Vivian! exclaims JOHNNY.
"Ahn! no lesser star will satisfy our
blngo. He waits for Venus herself
Miss Vivian" echoes Alicia. .Now
understand our eldest brothers sud-
den burst OF extravaganza. and the
three new waistcoats which he has
bought this month"
$50 Joe and leaned little further
over the edge of the haystack, and we
listened to every word they said. And
blngo had just taken hold of her hand
not at all in the way that he takes hold
OF mine when he wants to pull me over
the stile, and somehow l don't think
he even thought of pulling Miss Vivian
over it-when just then Joe sang out:
"l'ngo. the earl, the chivalry's pearl,
went a-philanderins after girl
Alicia filings herself back in the rock
ing-chair with a shout of laughter.
''Oh! Joe! Tammy! Oh! Oh! Ohr'
"Ies, he did, and Bingo jumped
around just like dog does when you
tread very hard on his tail, and he
looked-well, he looked so mad that
we lay quite fat on the hay and said no
MORE"
Lay low and said nuthin'," quotes
Johnny.
"Oh dear" gasps Alicia, sitting up
and drying her p city blue eyes, ''how
l wish had been there. Children, it
is very wrong in you to listen to your
elders. o, dear! Bingo! Fancy Bingo
in love! He must be sorely smitten
before he would say any thing to lady
but hot day. or good morning. And
fancy the romance of saying sweet
nothings by stile! How l do wish l
had been on the top of the hay stack!
l wonder if they will meet there to-
morrow at the same time. Let me see.
just $3.50. Johnny, do you think you
could pull me up to the top of the stack?
But mind, children. you must never
behave so badly again. hope Bingo
will punish you both. How long does
Miss Vivian propose to say in the vii
lage?'
LAS long as her aunt remains there,
suppose, answers Johnny. Dread
fnl old person the aunt is. Blows her
own trumpet from morning till. night.
She is always Fostering people, also.
with recipes; for some horrid mess or
other. Nutritious and digestible FOOD
she calls it. That little Miss Vivian
has bad time with her. What a
pretty girl she is!''
perhaps. you, also. would like to
meet her at the stile tomorrow" said
Alicia, unfurling her big fan with a
careless gesture, and with a sudden
bright spot of color in each cheek.
"Certainly. if you wish me to do so. :"
''Pray, please yourself"
lilo! no! They are going to tight!'
Joe claps his hands on his knees and
grins.
60 away, Children avs Alicia,
rising with much dignity.
''Yes, go away says Johnny, I
want to talk business to your sister,
''Business!" repeats Joe meditatively.
And then promptly takes to his heels.
At the time of which 1 write James
Alexander MacTavi sh, known from his
youth up, and without rhyme or rea-
son. as Bingo. is just twenty-four years
of ago. broad-shouldered. blue-eyed.
and as we'll set up as any young fellow
north Of the Tweed. A kindly heart
interpreted by these same blue eyes, IL
ready hand and a silent tongue are the
chief characteristics which impress
those who meet him casually. And
only they who know him we'll and init
mately are aware that beneath the
quiet, unruffledhurface, there exist I'M
fathomed depths of se)f-respect and
self-reliance. Left at eighteen head of
the house of MacTavish, and sole pro-
tector of the seven boys and girls who
look to him for food and guidance, he
early learned the lessons of self-control
and reticence. His brothers respect
and love him, and even saucy Alicia
(though she would not own to the
fact) behaves rather better and with
more decorum in his presence than in
his absence. He never asks himself
inconvenient questions about the
growth of his character; self analysis
is foreign to him, but year by year he
pursues the same quiet and consistent
life, and meanwhile his virtues flourish
and grow strong. A certain shy def
erencc in his manner toward women
causes them to regard him kindly, but
those who smile as they notice how he
avoids female society are far from
guessing that in his Utmost heart he
cherishes an ideal of womanhood
which he tends and honors with chival-
rous devotion. Docs he perhaps fear
that contact with society may shatter
this ideal? Certain it is that once in
bygone years. when Alicia. carried
away by excitement, had been indulg-
ing in noisy repartee, he had been
overheard to mutter to himself: II
Gamma bide to hear the lassie daffin.''
And now on this blazing July after
noon, when the air is heavy with the
scent of new-mown hay, Bingo is dis
covered conversing with Effie Vivian.
whose golden hair and orphaned con-
dition appeal so strongly to his eyes
and heart, that, forgetful of time or
place he lays himself open to the
raillery of Tammy and Joe Chat night
the two small culprits repent their in
discretion in the solitary Punishment
to which they are sent at an hour
while the sun is still bright in the sky.
For days after this interview Bingo
goes abouthis work in blissful dream,
and Alicia captures a stray page from
his pocket book, on which are penciled
the words lem on the old sty," words
which her quick fancy construe into
Poem ON the Old Stile," until. on
turning the page, she reads ''sell the
three black Berkshires," when she
unwillingly comes to the conclusion
that the mutilated words are. MEN,
en- the old sty;' whereupon in a fit of