The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-12-30


hear you
II don't care Sc ne does hear me. I
can give him his coFaeup' ans 4 ne goes
70 fcolin' around, ifstenin'- don't care
4 ne does write for q paper n New
York. You've got To taks hoN o. the
work more'n you've ben lately. A.
traipsin' aros,nd all over the country
with him. a-showsn' him things 10 write
ABOUT an make fun OF. I sh'a'd think
Bart Winn had Just about set enocgn
OF it,
4 wisn s5a'd keep stu about Bart
VIM. saic .aviaia, iravafient.y
well. I amt a-goin' TO keep SIN
about him. AIRS. Walden poured the
dish water Into the sink and passed
the dish cloth round and round the
pan, inside and outside. with mecrani-
cal care. before she opened the BACK
door and hang It out on the side OF the
house. II guess i doav hat to ask you
when / want 10 talk. There you was
gene all day yeste'day a-huntin' star
fish. an that renehin' water a-Settan'
there a-risnin' that tub because l
couldn't ENTITY 1t all by myself. JUST
il ne never saw starfsh where ne come
from. An then today-ben gone al
the mornin' aketchin' crabs: Eow
many crabs d you catch. I'd IKE 70
KNOW
we didn't ketch many" said La
vinia, with a soft. aggravated laugh.
.sTae water want clear enough to see
EN-
mo. I guess the water want clear
enough to see 'ean" The rinsing water
had been en1ptied. ead MIS- Naaueh
was industriousiy Nipdng the fuo. I've
got ali the star-hshin' an erao-kesehfh
I want, an I'ipgoin' to tell tnat young
man that he can go some'ers else Ios
his board. He's ben here month. an
he's just about made fool o you.
Pref soon you'll be a-tbinkin' you're
too good for Bart Winn-"
.Oh, no." said Fart Wann's noress
voice in the Doorway: 81 guess Laaviny
won't never be thinkin' that
aMercyr cried Mrs. Walden, starting
and coloring guilty.; 'that you. How
yon ecairt me! I'm all OF a-trsnnie
Bart advanced 70 Lavinia and kissed
her with much tenderness; but instead
OF blushing, she paled
"When d you Gomez" she asked,
brieffy drawing away, while her
mother. muttesing something about the
sour cream and the spring house, went
out discrestly.
ssThis mornin'," said Bart. I'm a.
goin' to stay home now.
The girl sat down. taking a pan OF
potatoes on her lap. Il wonder where
the case knife u.s." she said. helplessly.
"I'll get it," said Bart. running an.o
the pantry and returning with the
knife. 'T love TO wait on you. Laviny,"
he added. with shining eyes. Il gpless
I'll get to wait on you sight, now. l
see your paw s come Up. an ne said
s how / could board hyeer. I'll do the
shores for you-an' glad to. Al. on,
Ilaviny. 1 'mcst forgot. I spoke for a
buggy s came up. so IS can take YOU
a-ridin' tonight"
ST guess I can't co." said Lavinia,
ho.ding her head down and pairing pota-
toes as if her life depended upon get
ting the skins off.
"You can't? Why can't your"
'I--w7ly. I'm goin' a saimon-spearin'
un at Squalicum creek, guess. Sal
mons a-runnin' like everythin' now.
Most half the town goes up there soon
s it gets dark"
That's a facs.''4 said Bart. shifting
from one foot TO the other and looking
interested. 81 want to know. Well
his face brightened-'Tll go down an
tell 'em I'll take the rig tomorro might,
an I'll 60 a-spearin' with you. Right
down n front OF Eldridge's?'
Eyes" A pulse began humping vio-
lently in the girls throat. Her eyelids
ys,of ch
them. II guess-fhat is I-why you see.
Bart. I got comp'ny."
"Well, guess the girls won't object
to my goin' along o. YOU"
1T amt girls said Lavinia. despe-
rately. "Lts-a--it's DIR. D.ller: the
gentleman that boards here"
oh" said Bart, slowly. Then there
WIS a most trying silence. during
which the ticking of the clock and the
beating OF her own heart were the only
sounds Lavinfa heard. At last she said,
feebly: '.You see he writes for a New
York newspaper-one o. the big ones.
He's a-wriiin' up the whole Puget
sound country. An he don't know
Just what he'd ort to see, nor just hosy
to see It, unless somebody shows him
ahout-an' I've ben a-showin' him."
'.Oh," said Bart again, but quite in
another tone. quite cheerfully. That's
it is t, Lavlnia? Well. that's all right.
But TIL be hanged II you didn't take
my breath assEy for q minute.
thought you lrt-Iaviny"--a terri
bic seriousness came into his tone and
look-'I guess you don't know how
much I think o you. My hearts just
set on you. my ciri-any whole life's
wrapped UP In you" He paused, but
Iavinia did not speak ar look ar him.
and he added very slowly aud thought
fully-'I reckon IL 'u'd just about kill
me Z anything happened to YOU"
81 guess nothin' IS a-goin' to happen"
She dropped enc potato into a pan OF
cold water and took up another.
mo, guess not" He took on a
lighter tone. ''But III tell You what.
Iaviny. II that's all. he amt comp'ny
at all: go you can just tell him I'm go
| in too" He came closer ard laid a
large bat very gentle hand on her
shoulder. ''You might even tell him
| I've e.: a right to so. Laviny." The
girl shrank and glanced nervously at
| the door.
'.I wouldn't like 10 tell him that. Bart.
| After his arrangin' to go, and a-hirin'
| the skiE. hisseif don't know but
/ what he's got somebody else TO so along
| of US"
why. does he ever"
We'll. don't recol,ect that he ever
| has: but then he might of. This time. I
say. for all know"