Daily camera., 1901-07-03

scriber sat on the coal-box, smoking;
Vox Pcpuli was writing protest
against the prevalence of pigs on the
streets; and Taxpayer, who had just
come in, was backed up to the stove
The editor sat at his table with his
chair tilted back and his legs
doubled and twisted under him. 1t
was n posture of great mental en-
deavor with him. There had been
the benefit of the Methodist church.
and the editor wanted to make a
feature of it.
"Gittin' ready to jump on the adj
ministration or sumpthin' like that?
inquired the taxpayer, observing the
editors couchant attitude.
NO" smiled the EDITOR, "l'm try
ing to do something extra nice for
the Methodist spelling match the
other evening"
Il hear they tuck in s7.15," said the
taxpayer.
"Seven dollars and II cents cor
rected Old Subscriber. Somebody
dropped in a postage stamp that
stuck to the side of the box and
wasn't counted till after the report
was made"
"Speakin' OF spellin' bees" said the
taxpayer, addressing the editor, do
you recollect that time you got
noored?'
Everybody became attentive, for
the editor had countrywide reputa.
tion as a speller.
Don't II" laughed the editor. 81
guess I'd be bachelor il it hadn',
been for that"
I've clean forgot" reflected the
old subscriber. How was it, any.
how?"
The editor undoubled and swung
half around in his chair to face his
auditors.
"Cm-um," he said, getting his start
slowly. 'it was thirty-odd years ago
and | was scant "a. | was a young
printer and it was my business to
know how to spell. l had the knack
besides, and nobody in the whole
community could stand up with me
except long-legged chap who had
been in the town a year or so. He
was book agent. and nice enough
fellow. only he was stuck on himself
and thought all the girls were, too
As for me, | couldn't do anything
r,nHh I'm. Gttrl ~, and Sn.n NJ
IVES so laundering bashful that the
girls had no use for me except to
have fun with me, and make me wish
they had all been born boys or birds
or anything but girls. All but one
that was Alice Smith. who was 50
good. and so nice TO everybody tina,
she couldn't have been otherwise
TO me IL she had wanted to be. And
| returned her kindness by thinking
OF her all day and dreaming of her
nt night. and blushing clear back to
my co. IT button every time saw
her. OF course everybody knew
about 1t, and everybody. except
Alice, tcased me about it,
W olA 7-bStI4 4bfl IaliNi
mcmhrancc.
Il went TO Sunday school in those
days" continued the editor, "whe,e
Alice taught. and she often cornered
me and talked to me in spite of my,
self. just because she was sorry foI
me. Sometimes she would make me
walk home with her from the church
and although ! stumbled along like
n blind mule and got rs red as a
beet whenever we met anybody,
would rather have been with her
than anywhere on earth. All | could
say TO her was yes and no but
she laughed and chatted with me as
II | were really worth her while and
she intended to make man of me
or die in the attempt. But | was
mighty near hopeless. and after
left her at the gate l slipped back
into town down an alS,y, for fear OF
meeting people. But | appreciated
what she was doing. as poorly as
was showing il, and though with
small opportunities ] was fool,
think. with great ones, | could have
been n hero for her sake. At the
same time, long-legged Nat Landers
with his smooth tongue and his cour.
age. had me nearly crazy. because he
had taken fancy to Alice and was
hanging around her whenever he got
the chance, which was n good many
4
quite proud that he paid more atten.
tion to her than he did to any of the
other girls"
IF you got any of that excelsior to
spare I'd like bite" said the tax
payer to the old subscriber who had
opened a package of fine-cut chewing
tobacco.
81 should think it was like dessert
to you after eatin' that long green
granted the old subscriber, kindly
handing the package over to him.
well" resumed the editor, "things
stood that way when the great spell
ing bee came off and everybody in
the town was there. OF course,
couldn't escape, and | guess | didn't
want to. because as bashful as | was
1 was proud to be pointed out as the
best speller in the county, Nat Lam
ders to the contrary notwithstand-
ing. The bee consisted of various
tests, individual, and choosing sides
and that sort, but the feature of the
occasion was prize oil painting in
a gilt frame that was to go to the
best speller in the final contest,
when every person in the house, ex-
cept the teacher, was to line up on
one side or the other and spell down.
AS might have been expected, Nat
Landers was captain OF one side and
l was captain OF the other, and we
soon had our sides marshaled
against each other. l wanted to
choose Alice the very first one, but
l wouldn't have done it for the
world, and Nat did it as easy as he
could sell book. And it wasn't be-
cause Alice was such good spell
er, either. Alice's spell was of a
different kind"
Huh" snickered the Exchange
E;n,,J ,,rbo xr,s ,Dryarcopf with the