The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-09-08
THE EVENING STORY



a weeks visit with the Farringtons at
their cottage on Black lake, wrapped /
his feet securely around the porch /
rails and started an after-dinner cigar.
isn't it funny" he remarked, re-
f1ectively, after a meditative puff or |
two, what difference a summer cot /
tage makes? %
The little group on the veranda
looked at him lazily, awaiting further |
exposition of his theme.
you know continued Bob, I've
always been a little afraid of the Far
ringtons. especially of Nell
nicked.'' said Sam, with brotherly |
candor "A fellows always afraid of
a girl when he's really nicked-
NO such thing: said BOD. I've ~.
effacing kind that thinks he's worm
in the dust whenever he compares
himself with girl he happens to
like"
mo, I'll say that for him." adj
mitted Sam. Excessive modesty has
never been one of his Affections"
when you get through roasting,
said Bob, pleasantly, I'll go ahead
and tell you some more about my
Eyes, let's hear about the Earring
| TONS said Jessie.
well what I meant by being afraid
of them was that never felt quite as
! though could go to their house without
making kind of set piece OF it
Is Miss Harrington in?' with my poEt-
est accent 1t wasn't that they were
stiff or ceremoniOus or anything OF that
sort. If they had been the kind OF peo-
pie that sentence you to one chair when
you come to call / should never nave
gone near their house. They were al
ways cordial and informal enough, but
somehow. even their informality al
| a finish
| it that I used to feel as though never
could be quite SO nice as they were
no matter how hard l tried. Mrs Far
rington would come in and put me at
my ease with just the correct little SO,
cial formula and Nell and exchanged
amenities according to the precepts she
| had learned at Miss Winters nnlsnlng
school. Mr.. Harrington was friendly In
a dignified way that seemed to call up
on me to address him as sir. He would
offer me cigars that never 1elt quite
| free to smoke until Bert took me DOWN
to the billiard room, though Men anu
her mother always insisted that they
liked cigar smoke. Somehow USED 70
feel that they would all be corklng
people to know when 1 really got 70
know them well enough not to be SO Pc
lite. but Bert was the only one with
whom l was on real comfortable
scrapping terms.
when they invited me to go up to
their cottage last week OF course tney
told the usual STORY aDOul hACAl IL
formal, primitive way of living.pack
to nature and all that sort OF tnlng-
but i've been bluffed like that before
and wasn't prepared for the. pleasant
WAS it a, reality?'' asked Jessie.
| 81 went UP with Bert saturday
night" narrated Bob. When we got
to the place Sunday morning the nrst
was on the dock in bathing suit IN
dustriously trying to untangle a hsh
line. Hello, boys he said. hello.
bianketv. blank line, viii you? Say.
have either of you fellows got any
| markings? The only thing don IKE
about life in Lonesomehurst is that ~
ESQ confounded hard TO ger sInohe
| when you want one.
sHThen he took me into the boat
house and showed me connoShlldiLy
! eight black bass that he had bought
from a boy that morning and that ne
| was going to catch after breakfast: BY
that time Nell came to the door OF the
cottage .r,.
| SO glad you're here! BreakIast Is
ready, and Tn starved.
collars and stiff clothes were rigid
" barred, and it didn't take me long
to get into sweater, where 1 stay 9ts,,
latter breakfast Mrs. harrington
asked me in a matter OF fact way TO
| turn the ice cream freezer. and as Nell
helped I didn't mind. Once, when we
our heads together and after that we
felt a lot better acquainted.
"Then we went in swimming ana
| dried in the sun on the dock, and Nell
and stumped each other to mop over
the cracks on one foot. After that she
| showed me how she could ride on the
| flying Dutchman, a contrivance that
some children had rugged in the back
yard It is a long board that spins
around on a pivot, and you have to
| straddle it, jockey fashion, to stick on:
| When 1 asked Nell whether she had
| learned that accomplishment at Miss
| Winters, the suggestion overcame her
| and she rolled off"
| '1 suppose when she gets back to
| town you'll go around there to call
with gloves and stick and visiting
| cards?" asked Sam.
Bob grinned. mot on your life,'
said he. after this go around to the
back fence and whistle. Chicago
| News.