The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-01-13

she assented.
what? Why. of course not. Men don't
go calling in pumps. Your best SHOES Will
do. Are you crazy? A straw hat in Feb
ruarye You will wear your MILDLY cap
Now don't argue the matter, or You
can't go at all"
Seated opposite her On a hassock, their
mothers chatting across the room, his
assurance withered away. There was
nothing whatever to say, and he said 1t,
adequately perhaps, but with a sense OF
deepening embarrassment. She took re-
tuge behind her hair, and they stared
rncomfortably at each other.
And he has never condescended to
have anything to do with little girls
before. so we are much impressed"
Oh, why did not the hassock yawn be-
meath him and swallow him up? To dis
cuss him as if he were a piece OF furni-
ture!
Why didn't she speak? If only they We're
out of doors; in a room with pictures and
cushions a man is at such a disadvan-
taga.
sIf you'll come over to my house, I'll
show you the biggest, rat-hole you ever
saw-it's in the stable!" he said desper-
ately. 1t was a good deal to do for q
girl, but she was worth it.
"Oh, OH" she breathed, and her eyes
w~idened..
Maybe you can see the rat-he doesn't
often come out, though he added hon
estly.
She s%huddered and twisted her fingers
violently.
mo, NO." she whispered revoltedly. Il
i hate raths. 1 dreamed aboue ont. |
had to have the gath lit! Oh, no!'
Frightened at this long speech, she
looked o~bstinately in her lap, though he
tried persistently to catch her eye and
smiled.
Their mothers voices rose and fell;
hey chartered meaninglessly.
She would not look at him; at his wits
ends, he played his highest card. If she
were Of mortal flesh and blood, this
would interest her.
Look here! Do you know what
Boston bull pups are? Do you?"
She nodded vigorously.
well, you know their tails?"
She nodded uncertainty.
you know they're just little stumps?'
"Oh, yeth!' she beamed at him. MY
Uncle Harry'th got a bulldog. Hith
name it'll Eli. He liketh me-"
"Well see here. Do you know how
they make their tails shorts? \ man
bites 'em off! A fellow told mo"
"Oh. Oh. Oh!" She shuddered off the
hassock, and rushed to her mother, gasp
ing with horror.
thayth-he thayth-' words fall
ed her. Broken sobs of Eli! Oh, Eli!'
filled the parlor. He was dazed, terrified.
What had happened? What had he done?
He was shufffed disgracefully from the
room, apologies rose above her sobbing;
the door closed behind Dicky and his
mother.
Waves of rebuke rolled ovcr his trou-
bled spirit.
0 all dreadful things to say to a
poor, nervous little girl. l I'M too NOR
titled, Richard, how do you learn such
dreadful, dreadful things. It's not true
But, mama, it is. 1t truly is! When
they are little a man bites them off.
Peter told me so. He puts his mouth
right down.
Richard! Not another word! You
| are disgusting-perfectly disgusting. You
trouble me very much
He retired to the clothes-tree in the
side ~yard-there We're no jumpers there
and cursed his gods. To have made her
cry! They thought he didn't care, but,
Oh, he did, He felt as if he had eaten
a cold, gray stone that weighed down his
stomach. The cat skunk by, but he threw
nothing at her, and his neighbours St.
Bernard puppy rolled inquiringly into
the hedge, stuck there and thrashed
about helplessly, but he said nothing to
brighten it. He thought of supper
they had spoken of cinnamon rolls and
little yellow custards-but without the
usual thrill. What was the matter? Was
he going to be sick? There seemed no
outlook to life-One thing was as good an
another.
At night his mother came and sat for a
moment on the side of the bed.
Papa doesn't want you to feel too
bad, dear" she said. He knows that
you never meant to brighten Cecilia SO.
You know that little girls are very diff
ferent from little boys in some ways.
Things that seem-er-amusing to YOU,
seem very cruel to them. Tomorrow
would you like to send her some flowers
and write her a little note and tell her
how sorry you are?"
He could not speak, but he seized his
mothers hand and kissed it up to her
lace ruffle. The cold, gray stone melted
away from his stomach again the future
stretched rOsily 6 before him. In
happy dreams he did the honOrs Of the
rat-hOle to a sweet, shy guest.
In the morning he applied himself to
his note of apology; his sister ruled the
lines on a beautiful sheet Of paper with
a curly gold "P" at the top, and he bent
to his task with extended tongue and
lines between his eyes. He carried her
the note with a sense Of justifiable pride.
Its spelled all right he said, "be-
cause every word I didn't know 1 asked
Bess, and she told me-"
My Dear Cecilia:
l am going to send you some flowers. I
am sorry they bite them of but they do.
l hope you will not hafto lite the gas.
we are all we'll and haveing a good time.
with much love l am your loving son.
RICHARD CARR PENDLETON.
"Bess did the periods, but I remember
ed the large Is myself he added COM
fortably. lis it all right"
His mother left the room abruptly. and
he, suppOsing it to be one of her many
Suddenly remembered errands, was mer-
cifully unconscious of any connection
between himself and the roars of laugh
A-