The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1904-11-09
In Pleasant
Places

When first | saw her she was in
The lane where it crosses the main
road which leads from the city to
Pleasant Places. A sharp angle is
made just where you turn to the left
by tiny church, which looks down,
With broad and smiling features upon
The surrounding churchyard.
She flashed into view as | was turn
ing the corner with criminal careless
ress, having more than one eye on my
| front tire, which seemed somewhat
1abby. To avoid hurting her swerved
into the bank. For similar reason,
think, could have swerved into Nj.
agara.
However, in this case Fate did but
land me upon fine crop of blackberry
bushes.
80 dear!" she said. "Has It hurried
| your"
| assured her that It had not, though
| at my age and weight a man can
scarcely expect to escape scathless
rom an attempt to climb steep bank
on a bicycle.
But there's lots of singers in your
hands!" she said, in dismayed tones.
And o, lot more in your clothes!"
Her dimpled hands were soon busy
| extracting the thorns, and after five
minutes work only a few were left.
AS they thinned, the loss of each one
brought its regrets. Would she run
away when they were all gone?
MY butters!" she cried suddenly,
| running to bundle of freshly = III
cred buttercups which she had dropped
IN her anxiety and perturbation. 20,
my poor butters-daddy's butters!"
she added, with an air of introduction.
He loves 'em!"
so you have been getting some" |
said, Ito take home to him."
NO" she said, shaking her head
sadly, her brown eyes filled with awe.
They say daddys home is in Evil.
That's long way off, isn't it?" she
asked wistfully.
| was obliged to confess that II wa
a long way off from her.
My home is my aunties home-not
add, like Auntie Rhoda, but my
Auntie Harris. That's my Auntie Har.
ris pointing to a laborer's cottage
by the northern boundary of the
churchyard. 81 never see my Auntie
Rhoda now, but mamma comes, you
know, sometimes, and pays Auntie
Harris lot of pennies, and kisses me,
and loves me. Daddy comes on his
Disikler sometimes. He hasn't been
| Fy. hnt 30,
Day" she concluded proudly, with a
greater joy in her face than her ten.
der features seemed able to hold.
One is apt to grow sad at times.
Daddy and mamma never come to
see you together?" | said softly.
Never! Daddy has been wicked
mamma says so. But love him, and
with more mute appeal than deter
miration in her eyes-"Im a-going to
make him good. | can, can't |, If
tries awful hard!"
| did not reply, pointing out to her
instead a lark that was rising over
he adjoining field and scarcely know
ing why its song thrilled SO.
The stingers aren't all out" she
said, in tones that expressed a con
sciousness of ingrattude. Let mt
get 'em!" She perched on my knee
Let's talk about daddy" she said.
replied that we would talk abou
daddy with all my heart which we die
for the best half of an hour.
Have you got daddy-a Wicked
Jne?" she finally asked.
assured her that | did not possess
one OF any grade.
81 am an old bachelor" said, "ant
d, live all alone"
Her face was full of sympathy.
! And daddy never comes to Sc,
: vou?" she said, gently. mot even
. mamma! Poor mani"
Her ideas of compensation betraye,
, where lay the keeping of her littl
, heart.
1 I'm Grace" she said softly, after
. thoughtful pause. "Ill come and Sc
'Ou If you like"
, 1t took some little time to explai
a 20 Grace the difficulties which lay Il
Il he way OF such an act of charity
, eventually the matter was comprc
=. Missed by my agreeing to come some
times to sec her at Pleasant Places.
o You're not very old bachelor,
>. she said, after period Of intense re
q lection. My dads young, and he
. got some grays a.coming. You've 60
n 40 grays."
threw no impeachment in the way O
e ler diligent search for grays, eve
II disclosing a few usually hidden fror
o prying eyes by leftward tilt of ca
= u hat. She smiled happily when sh
Jaw them; maybe, In the buds of he
. future ideas, they made daddy and m
more analogous.
We heard the sound OF bicycle tir
crunching the coarse grit of the Ian,
Looking up, she leaped from my kne,
and was OFF like the wind. Furthe
down the road young fellow Of abou
= 80, looking tall and well in a dar
{ yelling suit, stood, with outstretche
!, | hands and shining avao II,od1o.