The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-01-13
His Little Sweetheart
copyright by a. X. Nc Clure Company

rack.
"Oh, OUT he returned. with what a
vaudeville artist would call a good lmi-
tation of a person wishing to appear
blamelessly forgetful Of something he
remembered quite distinctly.
"Well, see that you don't stay long.
Remember that it is this afternoon.
He turned like a stag at bay.
What is it this afternoon" he de-
manded viciously.
"You know very we'll"
WHAT"
See that you're here, that's all.
You've got to get dressed"
Il will not go to that old dancing
school again, and | tell you that | won't
and won't. And l won't!"
Now, Dick, don't begin that all over
again. It's so silly of you. You've got
to 60"
"Why?"
Because it's the thing to do"
"Why?"
Because you must learn to dance.
"Why?"
every nice boy learns"
"Why?"
THAT Will do, Richard. Go and find
your pumps. Now, get right up from the
floor, and f you scratch the Morris chalr
l shall speak to your father. Aren you
ashamed Of yourself? Get right up. You
must expect to be hurt if you pull 50.
Come, Richard! Now, stop crying-a
great boy like you. ! am sorry | hurt
YOUR elbow, but you know very We'll you
aren't crying for that at all. come
along!'
His sister fitted by the door in an
engaging deshabille, her accordion plat
ed. skirt held carefully from the floor, her
hair in two glistening ~blue-knotted pig
tails. A train OF rose-scented soap fit
ted through the hall.
Hurry up, Dick, or you'll be late, she
called back sweetly.
.Oh, you shut up, will you ne
snarled.
She looked meek and listened to his
deprivation of dessert for the rest OF the
week with an air of love for the sinner
and hatred for the sin that deceived even
her older sister, who was dressing her.
A desperately patient monologue from
the next room indicated the course OF
events there.
your necktie is on the bed. No, l don't
know where the blue one is. 1t doesn't
matter. That is just as good. Yes, it is.
No, you cannot. You will have to wear
one. Because no one ever goes without.
] don't know why.
MANY a boy would be thankful and
glad to nave silk stockings. Nonsense
your legs are warm enough. / don't be-
lieve you. Now, Richard, how perfectly
ridiculous. There is nc left and right
stockings. You have no time to change.
Shoes are q different thing. Well. hurry
up, then. Because they are made so, l
suppose. I don't know why.
brush it more on that side-no, you
can't go to the BARRIERS. You went last
week. 1t looks perfectly Well. l cut it?
Why, l don't know how to trim hair.
Anyway, there isn't time now. 1t Will
have to do. Stop your Sowing, for good
ness sake, Dick. Have you a handker-
chief? 1t make no difference, you must
carry one. You ought to want to use it.
Well, you should. Yes, they always do,
whether they have colds or not. 1 don't
know why.
Your Golden Text! The idea. No. you
cannot. You can learn that Sunday be-
fore church. This is not the time to
learn Golden Texts never saw such a
child. Now take your pumps and find
the plush bag. Why not? Put them
right with Ruth's. That's what the bag
was made for. Well. how do you want
to carry them? Why, l never heard of
anything so silly! You Will knot the
strings. l don't care if they do carry
skates that way-skates are not slippers.
You'd lose them. Very we'll, then, only
hurry up. | should think you'd be
ashamed to nave them dangling around
your neck that way. Because people
never do carry them SO. l don't know
why.
Now, here's your coat. Well, | can t
help it, you have no time to hunt for
them. Put your hands in your pockets
it's not far. And mind you don't run
for Ruth every time. You don't take
any pains with her, and you hustle her
about, Miss Dorothy says. Take another
little girl. Yes, you must. l shall speak
to your father if you answer me in that
way; Richard. Men don't dance with
their sisters. Because they don't. l
don't know why"
He slammed the door till the piazza
shook, and strobe along beside his scan
dalized sister, the pumps Hopping noisily
on his shoulders. She tripped along
contentedly-she like to go. The person
ality capable Of extracting pleasure from
the hour before them baff1ed his COM
prehension, and he scowled fercely at
her, rubbing his silk stockings
together at every step, to enjoy
the strange smooth sensation thus pro-
duced. This gave him a bow-legged gait
that distressed his sister beyond words.
4 think you might stop. Everybody's
looking at you! Please stop, Dick Pendle-
ton; you're a mean old thing. l should
think you'd be ashamed to carry your
slippers that way. II you jump in that
wet place and spatter me 1 shall tell
papa-you will care, when l tell him., just
the same. You're just as bad as you
can be. l shan't speak with you to-
daY!"
She pursed up her lips and maintained
a determined silence. He rubbed his
legs together with renewed emphasis.
Acquaintance met them and passed, I'M
conscious Of anything but the sweet pic
ture of a sister and a brother and a
plush bag going d~aintily and dutifully to
dancing school; but his heart was hot
at the injustice Of the world and the
hypocritical cant of girls, and her
thoughts were busy with her Indictment
of him before the family tribunal-she
hoped he would be sent to bed.
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