The Florence daily tribune., 1899-12-30

What for?" his uncle asked.
For trying to steal my girl"
"Ohl But how do you know he is
attempting such grand larceny? And
are you sure you can whip him."
Fred produced two notes in answer
to the first question and shifted at the
last.
Deloise's letter:
Dear Fred: / have got an orer
from Charlie Mack asking me to be his
girl. and I may accept him If l don't
get any more. 1 won't decide, though,
for two or three days. Didn't we have
a fine time at the party7 Are you
going to Berthas party Saturday
night? I've got to get my history les
son, so good-by. Yours with love.
"DELOISE."
Her succinct offer" from Charlie
Mack:
Dear Deloise: Please accept :he
offer Of being my girl. Yours truly,
CHARLIE MACK
Now what am l to do?" Freedie
asked but his uncle had suddenly dis
covered frog in his throat and gone
choking from the room.
Thursday night Freddie again cSme
to his uncle with a letter in his hand
and a fearful countenance. His uncle
took the letter and read:
Dear Fred: I've accepted Charles
offer because it came first and am
going to Bertha's party with him Sat
urday night. Are you mad? Write
and tell me so il you are mad, must
hurry now and get my rhetoric lesson.
Good-by. In haste.
"DELoIsS
Up. s.-Be sure and let me know If
you are mad"
Young man." Freddie's uncle be-
gan. after he had read the letter, you
possess prodigious quantity Of love
and deplorable absence of finesse.
This young woman, true to the in
stincts of her sex. is leading yol
chase, and you now have the chance
of giving her q run for her money
Take your pencil and I'll dictate let
ter which you'll afterward copy and
send to her tomorrow in school,"
My Dear Deloise," his uncle sic
tated, by all means go with Chaflie;
he is a good fellow. and l hope you'll
go with him long time. Mad? OF
course not. Why, the idea! I shouldn't
think of mindlng a little thing like
that Always your friend,
FIRED MAXWELL"
But, Uncle George, l don't under
stand it," Freddie protested.
II dare say you don't his uncle re-
torted But the girl will. She is
several years in advance of you in
| comprehension"
Friday night Freddie informed his
uncle that Deloise walked beside Rim
from school and scarcely noticed her
accepted fellow" Sunday morning
he came busting into his uncle's room
with beaming face and excitement
sticking out all over him.
Il went home from the party with
Deloise last night, and Charlie Mack
is awful mad. He took her there, and
| sat beside her all the evening. She
| followed me all around, and we ate
supper together. Charlie followed us
home. but we ran around the house
and l kissed her when we got in the
doorway. And she said she was only
| joking about being Charles girl
Uncle George smiled-a peculiar
smile. He knew the sex.
Before the church bells had changed
that morning Charles little brother
came to the back door and gave Fred
die the following note:
Erred Maxwell: II you want to
fight meet me behind old Stevens
woodpile. Yours truly.
CHARLIE MACK"
From his window Uncle George
watched his nephew meet the riys be-
hind the woodpile. He saw their lips
move, arms wave and feet s.amp.
Presently a finger was agltat,S in
close proximity to a face, and thu .ic-
ton precipitated blow, which was
quickly followed by many. When the
meeting had resolved itself into
series OF blows, kicks, bites, Nwras-
Ting" and hair-pulling: Uncle George
resumed his Sunday paper, remarking
to himself, We'll there's woman IN
it, as usual"
And he smiled again-he knew tie
sex.
Five years later Deloise stood at tse
same window from which Uncle CO erse
had looked upon the two boys 40
struggled for the supremacy of 3S5e.
She was looking at the same spot and
smiled, as she had many times since
the boyish battle was made known 10
her. Just then her husband stepped
from the passing street car. He lruS ed
up and caught his wife's smile, ar>: his
face lighted up in Joyous recognition.
Il was thinking of the fight those
two absurd boys precipitated out yen
der, and the recollection made rue
smile, she said.
well, while they were disput.ag
their right of possession 1 won the
dearest little woman in the wlS.s
world" and Uncle George proceeded to