The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1900-07-14

for he did not ut all like being
laughed at by a pretty girl. And she
was pretty, undoubtedly, whoever she
a II a delicate pink and white
complexion, blue eyes, regular fea-
lures and flossy golden hair fuffed
out into a cloud of bewildering curls
for q bang and ripping in charm-
ing disorder over a snowy neck can
not make q girl at least pretty in a
young mans eyes. there must be
something radically wrong about the
young man.
Don't get huffy," she said merrily.
I'm not laughing at you. I forgot
for a moment that we were strangers
on your side. You probably never saw
me before. and L suppose you are SUR
$prised to see me in here, but I've seen
You lots of times over the banisters,
going out or coming in, and l know
your friend, SO that's how i. seemed
at first MS il l was acquainted with
you, too
Il was not aware" replied Chester,
frigidly bowling, that / had had the
honor Of meeting you before"
NO, you hadn't,.cxcept once in the
halt and then my Veil was down, SO
you couldn't have seen me to know
me. But | live here"
"Here?"
In the house. I've got a little
room i'll the attic, mp three flights.
Its colder than Greenland up there.
! make fancy neckties, you see. Most
of the work L do on the sewing ma
chine, and l don't mind the cold when
I'm running the machine, but there's
a good deal of finishing off to do with
the needle, and that's the time Jack
Frost gets his work in, especially II
one is hot from running the treadle.
That first cold snap of the winter 1
caught a cold up there that I thought
would kill me. Mr.. Latham heard me
coughing and asked the landlady
about me and when she told him how
was fixed he said ! might coms in
here and sew whenever 1 liked in
daytime, while he was away, because
his room is always so nice and warm.
| think he's awful kind. don't your"
Yes, indeed I do answered the
young man heartily, and then he
added in a b%antering tone, "but /
should hardly think he would have
the heart to restrict you to the time
of his absence"
Why 500"
You make such a charming domes-
tic picture that your presence quite
converts a bachelors den into a home,
and with such q tempting gcompan-
Jon
No nonsense. now, young man. Use
your jnwbone with caution. Men
have been killed with that sort Of
weapon
"Oh, not this sort OF jawbone."
Maybe. I can't be sure until /
know you better"
"That no time may be, lost in your
doing SO, and with a basis of conyen-
tionality for the acquaintance, per
nit me to introduce myself ass
Chester Sewall. Yes, / know. I
asked Mr.. Latham and he told me. My
name is Lottie Beldcn."
The young mar made a bow of ex-
agerated formality before her. She
looked quizzicaly ut him for q mo-
ment, with her little golden head
cooked on one side like a contempla-
tive bird, then springing up, executed
a deep, old fashioned minuet courtesy
and bounded back to her seat laugh
ing.
How strangely this light-hearted
girls presence had dissipated the
shadows about him! Though an en-
tire stranger to him and ono in whose
personality he had not the slightest
concern, the infectious merriment OF
her frank, happy nature had made
him smile, and even laugh, when five
minutes before meeting her he could
have cried had he not felt it nnmanly
to do so.
What have you there on your
arm?" She demanded.
"A coat"
What are you going to do will,
it?'r,
Sew or some new buttons"
Sew? You can sew?"
"Yes. In a sew7sew fashion"
Come. Let me see you do it. ]
never saw man except a tailor,
whose business it was, and he doesn't
count"
"Oh, yes, as a fraction"
He sat down before a stand and
spread his tools and materials out be-
fore him for the work.
mercy, what a rope!" exclaimed
We'll. isn't that right? ! wanted
first time it was pulled"
FA All NAihV AlC luOSC lllluKS FryOu
have there?" she asked in q sarcastic
affectntion of surprise.
why, needles, of COURSE
"oh. needles. To knit with or to
sew??"'
.'.To sew on my buttons. I wanted
things l could get hold Of"
"Oh, pshaw! Give that coat here
and I'll sew those buttons on while
you would be poking that rope
through one of those crowbars. You
men are all alike-awfully helpless
creatures"
You don't imagine l will trouble
you with my mending do you?"
That's nothing. I often AK things
for Mr.. Latham when his wash comes
home without his knowing anything
about it. Why shouldn't n~eighbors
help n another? 1t makes the
world SO much easier to get along in
when they do"
a. Her seif-imposed task did indeed
seem trifiing, SO quickly did her MIN
BILE and skillful fingers complete it.
Chester thanked her effusively and
held the garment up before him to
admire the ~neatness of her work. The
critical inspection gave him new
ground for disquieting reflection. His
coat a undeniably old, not to put
toe. fine q point upon the fact 'seedy,"
and the newness of the buttons
seemed to emphasize it's air OF faded
gentility. There were little glazed
looking lines along the seams here
and there, not very prominent, it Is
true, but quite ~perceptible in a good
light, and impossible of Punishment
from the consciousness Of the
And how was it possible he had ever
got that horrible polish on the ell
bows, or, having it, failed to observe
II until now? Then the left lapel was
limp, and the collar needed cleaning.
He sighed deeply as he threw It oys;r
the back of a chair.
TT lisa sort of a back number. .
Lottie sympathetically,
but with cruel frankness.
Eyes" he assented in q doleful tone,
.'hut it is the best I can do now
Must wcar . clawhammer7"