The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1893-06-29

on her as champion beauty. / didn't
lose five minutes time telling my feel
ings of adulation and admiration, but
the most she would say was that she
would ride down hill ON my hand sled,
borrow my geography in preference to
any other and allow me to sharpen her
slate pencil and lick the boys who snow
balled her after school. Thus we loved
and loved, or at least / did. There came
time when could look back and see
where Melvina was cool, calculating and
level headed--where her love stopped
dead short and business began, but I
was blind then.
A year passed by before rival entered
the field. We had our spats. There were
occasions when we made up faces at
each other across the schoolroom; when
she turned from me and let another boy
wash her slate; when was glad that she
left off at the foot of the spelling class;
when added up and on the black
board and made 10, and she giggled and
was rejoiced. On the whole, however,
we were happy. I licked IL different
boys for her direct benefit that year,
and her per cent in geography was
the highest of any girl in the school.
We were engaged--that is, had asked
Melvina about half million times if she
would have me, and she had always re-
piled that she guessed she would if the
hogs Gidnt get n and root up the gar
den or some other awful calamity occur.
My rival was a callow youth named
Sam Greene. Something warned me Of
peril the minute set eyes on him, but
an hour later, when heard that he could
write poetry, realized that it would be
fight to the death. Sam went straight
to work to unhorse me. At the forenoon
recess he presented Melvina jackson
with lead pencil and slate sponge, and
she smiled sweetly asshe accepted them.
Iwrote her note meant to annihilate
her, but she read it with her mouth full
of apple and didn't scare worth a cent.
Long enough before noon had deter
mined to lick Sam Greene. A licked boy
goes right out of the rival business and
doesn't bother any more. II Melvina
had melted O little and assured me OF
her fealty, ! might have changed my
Nliiius Jul DIG uAuu ilcit. Dic cNtil
went so far as to whisper to a girl who
would whisper it to me that Sam Greene
had dreamy eyes and nose like Cicero.
After that my resolution was unshaka-
BILE.
My callow rival had to be provoked be.
fore he would fight, but when we got a,
it he proved to be a sterling antagonist
For long time victory wavered in the
balance, and then I won by scratch.
His hair was his tender point, and when
/ got hold with both hands he gave in
For week Melvina placed me on O
pedestal and almost agreed to elope
Then Sam Greene sent her a. piece Of
poetry entitled "The Maiden's Heart, >
and lost my grip again. The only thing
to be done was to HEX him again, but hi
had had his hair shingled in the mean
time, and the conflict did not terminals
TO my satisfaction. Some Of the boys
said 'hollered," and others said ]
licked, and it was an open question as tc
who won. He went right home and
wrote another piece of poetry entitled
'sShe Died at Sunset" and Ishould have
been goner but for Providence. Iva,
hanging around Mr.. Jackson's house II
the evening, hoping to at least see Mel
yina's shadow ON the kitchen window
curtain, when / discovered that thi
smokehouss was on fire. heroically