Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1890-05-10

by the end of a week all Rense OF the
strangeness of my positisn had van
ished. | wentto the factory IN my
blazer. and am afraid that some
times / transacted my business very
mueh as though were the mezpe
rienced boy OF 20 that looked
But the Beeches was large estate |
and my aunt and cousin rarely leit ~
during their visits TO the place, 70
there was little chance for gossip
connecting me with my cousin III any
unpleasant way.
The only times when ! was bound
to grow old was when ! wrote 20 Ju,
Lin, and before a week was over, ana
/ was in the full swim of my newly ac-
quired youth, an accident happened
that put me out of that. | sprained
my right thumb and couldnot hold q
pen. | telegraphed and told her ana
added that / would telegraph every
other day, which | religionsly ana.
Or rather Mr.. Smith, my bookkeeper,
did it for me,
Nelly and wandered about
through the old groves, finding here
and there truelovers' knots that we
had cut in the smooth back of the
beeches long ago. We used TO carry
n little basket that held our lunch
and volume Of poems or a new
novel.
There were a great many clever
! little novels that Nellie had not read.
/ OF course we had TO keep magazines
and everything withn date out Of her
way. One day in going over the
| library shelves | came across an old
! book that gave me the shiyers. IL
was Mallock's lis Life Worth Liy.
ing?" 1t was that that had first
started Nellie on the path that had
led her away from me long ago. In.
stinctively hid il behind row Of
encyclopedias And then | knew
that was playing the part Of tran.
tor. had been excusing myself
from my perilously pleasant position
by the assurance that was the only
person who could lead Nellie into her
true lite. And when saw the door
open before her ran to close il.
/ took the book out again and
took it with me when we vent on our
morning ramble. When sha saw II !
trembled. But instead OF picking Il
up as expected her to, she looked
at it scornfully and flung il down.
\ Dick" she said, poutingly, you
are too tircsome! What do you sup
pose want with stuff Ike THAR"
There was agreat guilt Of threh q
Joy in my heart.
lit has a red cover" | said
lamely; II thought ii was a story
Just then she saw the corner 81 az
envelope sticking out fmy pocket
IL was Julia's last letter that | haC
! received that morning, and had not
even opened. She gave il Il littl'
jerk and pulled il ont Julia writes
the Rastlakey ultrn feminine hand o
ten years ago. And the thick lrttej
; lay proclainting itself from lady,
Nelly looked at il and then ~
looked at me, and there was the snr
casm Of inexperience in her eye mn,
, voice. you have no sisters, | b.
: lieye she said icily.
/ This" | said in my quietest ton
/ els from the wife Of friend ofmin,
! A lady 80 years old and the mothe
{ Of two children. She writes TO m
+ sometimes and gives me good ndyiC
| and tells me little anecdotes nbou
q the children. | will read YOU some {
r it if you like"
!, Bless her heartl She turned mn
: kissed me on the cheek and said pit,
| ingly:
:. Poor boy! How You do let yor
G good nature mike q martyr of yot
t Don't you find them awful bores?"
Yes" | said candidly. When Il
\ advice is extra good ! do"
:, And do you answer thcm?'
r "Wcll," / said, this il the tenth
v have had since Ianswcrrdone, Whii
, was the truth | don't coll tel
;, gram tltat il sent by book-kccp
o an answer to letter.
e Going home across the fields ,
y came 10 a ditch
= dOn seem 10 remember IN
o ditch here" Nellvsaid. "And how d
Z. we ever going to CROSSE"
,. TN jump it, Z" ! said, "nnd lift y,
8 over.
10 ooh, but Dick, dearest, you can't
N she said. II nm too henvy,"
n why, my boy Johnny could jus
n this with you in his arms"
II "Yonr boy Johnny? Who are y
10 talking about? You do say some
n the funniest thingsl"
ooh" | sink, nirly, II mean The
40 tie son Of the lady whose letter / "
1t showing you. lie is a great pct
n mine"
ne We walked along silently for a
ri tie while after tn ditch was jumr
n and then Nelly said in n dreamy Il
in ofa way:
TX "Dick, sometimes you seem diff
er ent. You don't laugh as much
you used last Summer" Dear hea
or Last summer was eleven years old
,k "And you seem more br
he que some way. / am afr
er you are working too hard, d,
NNH