The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-07-10
Copyright by S. S. McClul


ten years-came up on the back
porch, wiped his face on the roller
towel that hung by the door, stepped
to the window-pane that possessed the
quality of dimly rejecting counte-
nance before it, carefully combed ms
hair, and then stepped into the spa
cious room that served the double
purpose of kitchen and dining room.
Before he reached his accustomed
chair in the corner he paused in open
mouthed establishment. There was 1t
new hired girl in the kitchen.
Now, during the last ten years JIM
Ben had seen hired girls come ana go
from the Weaver kitchen by the score:
There had been long procession OF
tall girls and short girls, fat girls and
lean girls. maids and widows, girls
with complexions like peaches and
cream and girls with no complexion
whatever. The new girl had freckles
and red hair.
.'Je-rusalemr' exclaimed jim Ben.
"Don't you dare come SWearin'
round my kitchen!' admoniShed the
red-headed girl, '"cause / won't stand
it-not bit of it.'' Her tone was Sc
we're. but a comical smile played
around her mouth. Not being a So
ciety man, Jim Ben was at loss for
reply He compromised by shutting
on toward his chair.
what yer name is Here Jim Ben
volunteered the desired information.
We'll. then, Jim Ben, you go straight
out and clean them boots. Look-ee
at We, trackin' up my clean floor in
that style!"
That was the beginning of it,
After dinner Jim Ben did an unex-
pected and wholly unprecedented
thing. OF his own motion he took
no mn f1eah nh, ~ IL
kitchen door, went to the well, ma
nipulated the heavy old Sweep" re-
turned with the pail trimming full
of water, and set it carefully on the
bench.
'Iook-ee at We nowi If you haven't
spilled some water on my clean floor,
you great, big, awkward hulk, I've a
notion to" and she grabbed a dip
per, and only the hasty exit of Jim
Ben in the direction Of the barn saved
him a liberal sprinkling.
Jim Ben smiled to himself OCCASION
ally as he plodded along behind the
pillow that afternoon. When he and
Mr.. Weaver stopped to rest at the
turning row, Jim Ben sat on his pillow
beam and industriously whitfield a
clod Of moist earth In a preoccupied
way. When he had fashioned it into
a cube he turned to Mr.. Weaver and
asked:
Say! Who is she?"
who's who?"
wy, her; the new hired gall
ooh, That's Randy Higgins. Her
folks live down on Scatter Creek. You
know old man Higgins-him ats got
the saw mill?"
Jim Ben nodded assent Then he
said: Gosh! Amt she freckled?
Sort o red-headed, too. I bet she's
got a temper! The red-headed kind
always has"
Randy utterly ignored Jim Ben at
the supper table. although he went
so far as to ask, whats them?" when
she passed him the plate of biscuit
that gave outward evidence of the
inward presence of a supernatural
ance of soda. After supper he fur
ther violated all precedent by getting
the kindlings for the morning fire
and filling the box with wood.
When he had performed this work
of supererogation, he sat down just
inside the Kitchen door and watched
while she washed and wiped the dish
es. She handled them deftly and
swiftly, and moved about with light
foot. Her sleeves We're rolled to her
shoulders Jim Ben would have been
less than human if he had not bestow-
ed sly, admiring glances on her white
and shapely arms. She turned on
him suddenly and caught him fairly
What you yawlin' at me for?''
wasn't gawkin! I was just Won
derin if they hurt"
What? my arms?"
mo ma'am. Them freckles,"
For answer she clouted him about
the ears with the wet discloth. but
when he had ingloriously, fed from
her province she gave utterance to
series of delighted giggles
Jim Ben kept clear of the hired
girls kingdom for three days, meal
time always excepted, of course. Ran
dy confided to her mistress that, of
all big, awkward clumsy Stand-up-
fall-downs. he was the very worst she
ever did see. Tt made her laugh to
! look at him. Perhaps that is why she
would look at him with a twinkle i'm
the tail of her eye, while he was sto-
Idly eating his meal and answering
her questions in curt monosyllables
Then, wOmanlike, she began to make
advances.
Jim Ben had lifted a barrel of salt,
unaided, from the wagon to the
ground. Randy, who was on her way
from the wood yard with an apronful
OF chips, stopped to watch this ath-
letic feat. When he had set the bar
rel on the ground with apparent ease
she complimented him. She said:
my. 1t must be awful nice to be
that StrOng! Then she ran toward
the kitchen. saying: 81 b'lieve 1 smell
my cookies burnin'i"
Jim Ben followed. He asked the
queen regent of the Weaver kitchen
if he might have a cup of fresh but
termilk. She filled for him a quart
lineup. When he had drunk it all he
wiped his mouth with the back of his
hand and said:
Most gals lets the cream sour too
long afore they churn. / call that
there buttermill1 tip-top stuff, if you
did churn it,
Randy smiled at this frank praise,
and, to show him that it had not fall
len on unappreciative ears, brought
forth a roll of yellow butter. solid
and sweet. with little curved decora-
lions marked on it with the butter
paddle. How do you like the looks
o that?' she asked.
That's the genuine truck, shore
enoughi / bet you're the best hired
gal that's been in this kitchen in the
last ten years."
La. bet my cookies is burnin'
this time. fer shorer She hurried
10 the oven and withdrew therefrom a
pan of cookies that were done to a
turn. The odor came tantalizingly to