Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-02

NIT of the ridge. Carrie was making great
preparations to go. and as l would have 20
work ali day l felt rather sore on the sub
ject.
However, that didn't prevent me calling
there the evening of the day that Dave
and l had the long talk Carrie understood
my feelings, hard as L tried to conceal
them and she leased me by dancing about
the parlor in her pretty new gown and
long pink sash, asking me how l liked her
appearance
| liked it nightly but when l remam-
bered that some other feIow-probab-y
Ed Dennison-would have the pleasure of
escorting her to the picnic in it it made
me very gum. When she that she
relented enough TO come and stand before
me. tracing the pattern of the rag carpet
with the toe of her dainty white slipper.
and said. in the coaXing tone she so well
knew how to use:
Why don't you come with u.s. Frank?
You always used to.
How l.? Haven't | got to carry wa
ter to the men all day.?
''Oh. let the men so dry once. It'n do
'em good: make EN- appreciate it all the
more when they do get 1t.
Yes Well. that won't do I'd lose my
job
"Oh. dear. Ed and Jerry and Joe and all
the boys going but you. | guess you
don't want to go very bad she continued
with a toss of the head. which said plainly
enough, We get along without YOU
As | could hardly conceal my i'll humor
she changed the subject. and when. lew
minutes later. Ed called and | could stand
il no longer and arose to go, she accom-
panied me to the gate.
As we were. going home Wednesday even
ing Dave said Il suppose you're going to
the picnic tomorrow, hey?
How can l go9 I've got to work
You can go if you want to. L asked
Alexander to let you off. and he said All
right
..Did he? oh. I'm awfully obliged to you.
Dave l almost shouted But how Will
the men get WATER?
to look out for the things you are not re-
sponsible for. In this case it's Jim Alex
ander. When he lets you off he'll tend to
the other part himself
I'll lose my dollar. though don
know as | can hardly afford that.
My boy. there'n be dollars in this world
when you're toothleSS and bald. but there
won't be very many more Sunday school
picnics for you to go to. You're growing
up. In a few years you'll have no time for
such things, and if you had you WOULDN'T
g t. them But you won't lose your dol
lar. you granted a days leave, and
your pay goes right on.
MIR. Alexander is a nice man. l muslin
forget to thank him when | get back.
never heard Of anybody being paid when
they didn't work before.
Better keep your thanks: it don't cost
Jim cent. and he might not like to have
you speak of it before the men.
wondered ut that, and it was not until
years afterward, when dollars were much
more plentiful with both Dave and myself
that | learned that it was to his personal
generosity l owed my pay for the day OF
the picnic / stepped in on my way home
and told the good news to Carrie. who sim
cerely rejoiced with me.
Father said | could take the buggy for
the day | washed il and rubbed it with an
oil vol m, II her |
shone. Then | washed and BACKED the
harness. polishing every buckle and bit of
brass it, while Kate, cur lively three
year-old mare, had her velvet nose buried
lovingly in an extra allowance of oats. l
brushed. curried and polished her dark
chestnut coat till it shone like new plug
hat. while she plaTfuly nipped me with
her lips. tossed her head and whinneyed
appprOvingiy or otherwise.
After Harvesting | hitched her to tree
and got myself ready. Mother had sur
red necktfe. She deluged my handkerchief
with cologne and my hair. with bergamot.
She combed and brushed me until l fairly
matched Kate in appearance. She looked
me over carefully to see that no speck of
lint adhered to me anywhere. kissed me, adj
monished me to be careful with the colt.
and gave me bunch of yellow ribbon to
tie on my whip. l didn't do that, though
till | out of fathers sight.
AS l driving through the gate father
hailed ME from the garden:
Don race that mare, FRANK.
.'All right. sir. l replied, fiHally.
Before l got out of earshot he shouted
again:
Don't you let anybody pass ye. thought
You bet l won't 1 replied, much more
checrfully.
Kate was feeling fine 4 fiddle. She
entered the widows yard at a 30 clip,
turned graceful curve. and stopped at
the gate with Il COquettiSh toss of her hand
some mead. as much as to say: Hows
that. Frank?
Carrie came out in all the glory of her
new white dress. set off with yards and
yards of broad pink ribbons. dainty straw
hat, and the neatest pair of white kid slip
pers ON the ueateSt little feet you ever saw.
As / jumped down to assist her she sur
veyed the outIt with glance that compre-
hended the hours Of labor | had spent ON it
IN her honor.
oh my amt you hnc7' she exclaimed
with one of her most bewitchinE Smiles
] knew / blustt.i. 40 / s,WkExrJiy raised
my hand TO my new n@cktis. and replied.
You're looking pretty n!c-. yp"Irs-if. Chr
RE"
4 wasn', thinking '.f yru 4, an aaid
she. with merry ;~irlki@ hat rf,idr-ti her
words of their sting. don't ~. ~ really to
grab all the compliments. / rnfnnt your
team To prove IL she attempted to pat
her ears back and pretended to snap at
her.
There" said l. SHE'S like ALL the rest
of you. easily spoiled
y,
her hand. and climbed lightly into the
buggy ! followed Mrs. Stanwood eau
toned 10 D. careful and not stay out
too late. go'-i-by~s were shouted back and
forth. and III Once oat of sight
OF the hpus4. ~h-rr thefc further
Occasion for hipppdrptning. Carrie became
her own sweet self, nnd tpId me how glad
she / had zDt the day OFF. openly
praised my appearance. and that of my
rig. and. In short. made me- the most con-
ceited. and. Therefore. the happiest young
pup on top Of the ground
todd her Of Dawes many kindneSSeS-
the full extent of which l did not even
know myself-hat had culminate in the
setting of the tire the night before. She
frankly repeated her Interview with him
before he left the house. adding: Ne says
you'll make a smart man. Frank
Tn glad he thinks So. said L and
hope ! will. though l don't see any very
alarming signs OF II yet
And 50. Wa rods along in the beauti-
full sunshine. converSed with that abso-
lutte tonesty and freedom from restraint
which soon becomes lost art.
Soon the road became dotted with the
turnouts of these picknlckers who. like eur
selves. had preferred the direct route from
home to the grove. 1 remembered fathers
Injunction. not to let anybody pass me.
Being myself a railroader. / was justified
In forgetting the first-not to race-as tho
last order railroad annuls all previous
ones with which II conflicts. But / didn't