The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1904-12-24
NE lNrEkmouNrAN AND COLORADO DEC "A,

crying in my arms. poor little thing. Well that was
the beginning of JIM
didn't spy or pry but / watched unbeknown to
them, and it was pretty sight as you ever saw,
| tell you to see them plotting and planning at the
gate--Jim on one foot, then t'other or walking
cracks Nina beaming but awful prim. Pr1nl-oh,
my, that wasn't the name for it, the way she'd hold
up her little round head-sweet little head with the
brown hair brushed straight back from her white
forehead and her eyes modest and shining, and her
little red mouth Just so. Could | blame jim.
And then to watch them, apart just kind of
misunderstanding those lovely secrets that the
whole blamed world could read. easy, in their eyes.
Didn't just happen to strike them, someway, that
Old Man Snifin had ever been there, beforehand
ever hung around gates dreamed any secrets. But
how could they know Pshaw, how many now-how
many of us old folks act or talk as if we we're
young.
There were no visions of worldly life.
Miss jerks was worried-Miss jerks lived next
door.
'tMr Sniffin' says she, did you know Nina was
Arranging round with JIM"
'Well, | have noticed, something other,
says |.
Noticed! Something or other" says she, gasp
ing but what are you going to do about 1t, Mr..
Snifinl"
'Well, as to that" says I, you'll have to ask
Nina" says l. scratching my head.
ask Nina" said she. aren't you her father"
says she, scornfuly.
True, says l.
"Then" says She will you not put stop tol
what's going on beneath your very nose!'
That's it" says /. Il kind of thought, Miss
jerks" says 1, chat beneath my nose was better
than behind my back" says I.
But that isn't the point" says she. 'It'
oughtn't to go on at ALL says she. "And what's
more, Mr.. Snifin, since Nina hasn't mother or an
elder friend or anybody" says she, ito guide and
guard her, I'm going to speak to her. says she.
"Thatis if you don't forbid me- Mr.. Sniffn."
ooh no." says 1; ''but-"
"But what?" says she.
Nothing" says /.
And the next time [ saw Miss jerks:
"Mr. Snifin," says she, snapping-turtley, with
her eyes blazing, 81 dreamed" says she, chat
such eet-looking girl as Nina could be so i'm
pudent." says she, and founced away before could
get word in edgewise.
Nina" says |, that evening "was Miss jerks
speaking to you-recently?' says l. soft-ike, so as
not to startle her.
"She was" says Nina, also swapping -turtley.
"And were you" says Ibid you"
81 did," says she.
Il kind of-thought 500 says I. Ought you
do you think, darling?" says l. Miss jerks is an
"Fool fool fool fool!' cries she. stamping her
foot and her cheeks the color of red geraniums.
Il wouldn't darling. You'll break the Dishes"
says |. "And there's the door bell"
Why says Nina, beaming again, Il declare
if it isn't jim"
Now liked jim Plain, honest schoolboy.
grea-a-t hand to argue. He and l and Nina, would
sit there evenings by the fire, and
Jim I'd say "how's the election?"
"Well" he'd say, "Cleveand1l win"
Think so?n
"Know So"
well you're wrong. jim"
And then we'd have it-Great Scott hot and
heavy, back and forth, right and left and he was
level Jim and he'd debated, Jim had, in school,
and had the dates down fine Well, we'd sit there