Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1905-02-11
A LOVE AFFAIR.

and pay attention TO the girls he meets
up with said the portly, comfortable
looking man. AS watch the antics of
this small boy Of mine get to thinking
Of the time when | myself was at just
that semi-ciyilized stage Of life, and
burned if 1t doesr't make me feel old.
Fell to thinking, only last evening Of
the mean, measly way lodged a terrible
humiliation in the eyes Of the little girl
was mashed on when was just at the
age of that kid of mine.
She was a tidy little thing, bout ii
years old, in Bingham apron and sunbon-
net and with a couple of tallowy pig
tails finishing in bright red ribbons down
her back, who lived right across the
street from where I lived in the little
western town.
1T was a pretty serious case between
us, and on the day that donned my first
pair Of gray jeans long trousers told
Hattie confldentially that had decided
that she should be my wife when got
round to marrying and had achieved
competency as bank and train robber.
Hattie received this benevolent as
surance with proper and becoming hu-
mility, and when she ventured the opin-
ion that | would eventually make the
James boys and the Younger brothers
look like counterfeits in their business,
or words to that effect, heartily con-
Cured In her opinion and told her so.
"'You won't get no more lickin's,
now that you've got long pants on, will
your she asked me on that great day.
Lickin's?' said /, giving utterance
to long, low, rakish laugh. Who's
a-goin' t lick me? They'd be a-skeart!"
This was about the way 1t stood be-
tween us on this day that started to tell
you about when | had to do some quick
thinking in order to keep from shedding
the heroic aspect which l wore in the
eyes of my little inamorata on the other
side Of the street.
Il had been strictly enjoined, on pain
OF the thrashing of my life, by both my
father and mother, not to go swimming
in the Missouri river. Notwithstanding
which, of course, took the usual little
chance which boys assume in such cases
made and provided.
Zone afternoon got home looking
good deal. like lobster just out of the
boiling pot. I'd been swimming in the
Missouri since about nine o'clock that
morning, and the summer sun shines
some bright on the bosom of the Big
Muddy, I'm a-telling you. Not only was
my hair wet-Id been In such hurry
to get home that hadn't waited to let 1t
dry--but, somehow or another. in hur-
riedly dressing when coming out of the
water I'd got my checked bingham jack
ct on wrong side foremost.
my good mother, of whose powers Of
discernment / had had an exceedingly
small idea up to that time, took me in
with a sort of slantwise gaze when
slipped in the back gate and made
dive for the summer kitchen to grab
something to eat.
Son. she said to me, your hair is
wet How comes that?
Been playin' pirate over by Jinkie
Magee's we'll, an they thrung water on
my head told her. carelessly. sure
was boy with a hair trigger magma
ton.
"'And you've got your jacket on the
wrong way. How does that happen, SOM
well, that sure was kind of a stun
ner, even for boy quick at framing up
answers TO fit the emergency. But, as |
say, l rated my mothers discerning
powers as something pretty close to the
zero mark, up to that time, that is.
ooh | replied-but in not quite such
an off-hand manner--I was climbin' tn
fence, an 1t got turned that away.
Pretty raw, wasn't it? Can you i'm
agine the imbecility Of small boy In
expecting his mother to swallow dose
like that?
well, when my good mother got
through with me and went to the front
window of the house, still blubbering
and rubbing myself, l saw my beloved
pair of pigtails across the street. Hat
tie was looking over at our house, and
there was a sort of triumphant, gloat-
ing expression in her eyes knew she'd
heard my bawling, and 1t was agonizing
for me to stand for her knowing that I'd
DeeH IlCheu III SplCt VI tlC uSlOlC PAO7
nunciamento I'd made to her with re-
gard to lickings.
81 corralled my younger brother right
away.
Jim, / said to him. If you'll say to
any body that asts you that you got tn
lickin' Std o. me, I'll give you my top
an half my marbles
THAT suited Jim all right; he hadn't
got to the age when he was taking no.
tice of any mere girls.
MY inamorata was still standing in
front of her gate. watching our house
with that essentially feminine CLEAN in
her little blue eyes. when carelessly
strolled out of the house the front way
with my brother Jim.
"'Aa-aa-aa!' was the instant greeting
that she hurled at me across the street
Got licked, didn't you? Thought you
wasn't goin' t. get licked any more
| n-L NOS, oafd thau,d Ia Oh