Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1906-01-31
THE BUTCHERS:
BOOK
By OWEN OLIVER

copyright, 1905, by Joseph B. Bowles.)


Tut cannot help it if they take no.
tlce of me. I think it is quite right
Tor them to be polite, especially when
they are big.
Carson Major is II, and taller than
father. I did not know him till
went to the school sports, and he
brought me chair. / thanked him.
oil course; and he sat on the ropes
and talked to me till the sports began.
When he had won the first race, he
came back and sat on the grass in
front of me.
He did not talk to me all the time, az
Mrs. Cattley said, because he was in
nearly all the events. He won five
first prizes and two seconds and the
cup for being champion of the school
Lady Darcy Jones laughed when she
was presenting them to him one by one,
and especially when she came to the
hurdle-race prize-a little silver and
gilt clock 1t was funny prize for a
boy; but Mr.. Smith, who gave it, is a
jeweler.
You had better give this to your
mother" she said.
my mother is in India" he told
her. He and his brother live at their
grandmother's. 1t is big house. They
are we'll off.
Then give it to the incest young
lady you know" she told him.
The doctor said something about the
Judgment of Paris, and quoted some
Latin that did not understands; and
Carson Major set his face as if he
were running, and walked straight up
t. me.
will you accept this, Miss Mar
chant?' he asked, politely. The people
clapped and stared so that l didn't
know what to do; and he whispered:
You'll make me look an awful fool
ii you DON'T" I couldn't be 50 hor-
rid as that So when they stopped
their noise. l said: THANK you.
shall like it very much"
kept meeting him after this. It is
funny how you do meet people. He
always happened to be going my way,
co had to walk along with him. He
was really nice boy, and used to
tell him things; and he helped me add
up the tradesmen's books, and make
out my accounts and things like that.
Father and the boys liked him, too,
and we all missed him when he went
away for his holidays.
We did not go away that year, be-
cause fathers tales had not been SELL
ing very we'll. He is Frank Marchant,
the great author He IS not so good
at business. l know, because l have
kept house for him and the boys since
mother died. I was only II then, and
/ found housekeeping very difficult.
Now l am Is, so I do not mind, only
the tradesmen's books are bother.
They mount up so. was particularly
worried about the butchers book this
summer l had to let it run to send
Bob and Tommy away to some friends.
Roys want little change in the holi-
days.
The morning that Dick-that was
Carson Majors name-was coming
back, the butcher called himself. He
was very unpleasant, and said he
would not call any more, unless we
paid by the end of the week. I was very
upset, and in the afternoon I thought
that walk would do me good, so
went along Bell Lane. That was where
l generally met Dick. I thought l
could ask him about the butchers book
1t he should come, because he is older
than I, and cleverer.
l was half way down the lane when
l saw his head over the hedge. So I
hid behind it to surprise him. Then
l heard him talking to some one. I
peeped through the hedge, and saw he
was with a girl in green hat. She
was quite grown up, so that it was
very absurd Of him. When they had
passed I went home the other way. I
felt 50 worried about the butchers
book that I nearly cried.
The next afternoon sat in the ham,
mock chair, under the mulberry tree
had nearly thought myself to sleep,
when somebody vaulted over the fence
from the field. did not turn around
but knew who it was.
'I-I've come back, Molly" he said
said: "O!''
aren't you glad to see me-"
shrugged my shoulders. l have
learned when to do that from fathers
tales. "Is anything wrong?" / raised
my eyebrows.
" 1--WE are all very WE'LL" I told him.
''T'he boys are away, if you wanted to
see them He put his hands into his
pockets and whistled. "Whistling is
not good manners He sat against
the tree and stared at me.
II say, Molly"
''Miss Marchant, if you please"
He drew long breath.
Il suppose you like some one elsa
tetter," he said.
There are some people / don't like
at ALL
He dug his heels on the ground and
snapped a piece off the tree.
'I'll co." he said. IL thought a
lot of you while was away, Molly
Miss Marchant" He twiddled his cap.
''If you asked my cousin what told
her about YOU"
do you mean that-that girl in the
green hat?" He nodded. II thought
So"
Il used to think about the books, and
wonder if old Bones was paid yet.
and" l dropped my novel and glarel
at him. am sure that is the right
word