News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1901-09-11
JACKS HOME.

could not speak 10 GdCn OIuel Oh O'0h
the most trivial subjects without-stam-
mering and blushing, but Jack persist
ed In calling, despite the apparent dis
comfort his visits caused both. Every
body could see that he was desperate
ly in love, and it was a saying among
their friends that if Jack could ever
summon up the courage to propose,
Ethel would be too bashful to refuse
him, whether she loved him or not.
She had just come out at the begin
uing of the season, about the same
time Jack, who had just graduated
from college and entered his fathers
business, of which he was the prospec-
tive heir, first began to attract the at
traCtive daughters. Perhaps 1t
was while avoiding them that
he met Ethel, who had found
that there are ways OF keep
ing out of sight when ballroom was
crowded with other girls who were en-
joying themselves. Anyway, some
common chord of sympathy made
them embarrassed friends from their
first meeting.
Although Jack was hashful. he called
on Ethel as often as he dared, but in
spite of all resolutions to overcome his
spite of all resolutions too vercome his
diffidence, he made little porgress with
his suit. They could get along fairly
we'll when there were others in the
room with them, but when left to
themselves they suffered. Unlike most
young people in similar case, they
courted rather than avoided the COM
pany of EthePs little brother, Gus, and
Jack soon became such friends with
him that he felt called upon to re-
member his birthday. This he did by
sending him an elaborate box of build
ing blocks, which Gus dragged into
the parlor on the occasion OF his next
visit and insisted that the donor teach
him how to build with them.
what shall l bulld?" Jack asked.
Build me big hotel like one Ethel
and l were at last summer"
Jack Immediately drew his chair to
the middle of the room and began on
a suitable design. But he soon found
that building while sitting on a chair
was difficult, and as Gus was sprawled
comfortably on the floor watching the
work he promptly slipped down be-
side him. Now 1T is peculiar thing
about building blocks that although
they are always bought for children,
very few children can work out the
designs that go with them, and conse-
quently they are forced to call on their
elders to help them. Moreover their
elders usually take kindly to the task,
and are apt to get cross if the child in
terferes in any way and delays the
work in hand. In very few minutes
Jack was as deeply interested as il
he was building a sure-enough hotel,
and Gus watched with admiration.
Presently he tried to put in place ar
arch that was III two pieces and need
ed two other blocks to be placed be-
side it in order to keep it in place. Gus
tried to hold the pieces in place, but in
doing so he knocked a corner out of
the building with mis- elbow.
"You clumsy Doy!" exclaimed Ethel,
who had been watching with the most
interest. "Here-let me hold them"
and moment later she was sitting on
the floor with them.
Jack patiently rebuilt the damaged
corner and then Ethel held the arch
until he had built around It,
"Now make some bathing houses on
the beach," commanded Gus.
Jack obeyed land then Gus brought
out some men and women cut out Of
cardboard and set them around to
represent the guests.
Here's you and Ethel. I'll intro
duce you, for you weren't acquainted
then" said the young rascal, as he
placed the figure of man raising his
hat before that Of young woman
with parasol.
"All right" said Jack "But l am
not raising my hat at her as I should.
l am raising it at the far corner of the
building. Here, let me set them right"
Saying this, he reached out and
turned the figure representing himself,
so that it faced the figure representing
Ethel. Immediately white hand shot
out and turned the back of the PASTE
board belle toward the bowling figure.
"Snubbed!" exclaimed Jack, having
a boldness for his pastebo9rd repre-
sensitive that he never would nave
presumed to have for himself.
But you don't know him yet. He's
the checklist man on the beach, at
heart" and he moved his representa-
tive with his bow in front of the maid
with the parasol.
"And she's the haughtiest girl at
the beach," said Ethel as she again
snubbed her cavalier.
"Try them behind the hotel where
the hammock is ard folks amt look
in" volunteered Gus.
"Great head" exclaimed Jack pick
ing up the two figures to make the
change.
"Take care whom you're handling
like that" exclaimed Ethel, graspina
him by the wrist and striving to Dry
his fingers loose from her figure.
There was a struggle full of the
abandoned gayety Of the nursery, tc
which the blocks mad brought them
back far from the formalities and EN-.
barrassments of social life. Gus
jumped into the struggle to help Jack
and In the general nnix-up the hotel