Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-07-25
ENGAGEMENT OF ADAM AND EVE.
By Owen Oliver.

OF things without making asses Of
themselves.
Ted Johnson was an awful swell at
cricket and he plays fOoter for the
country, SO he hadn't any excuse FOR
bothering about girls, but he went and
got engaged to Violet, all the same.
She's my sister and four years older
than am. Q'm Is and in the lower
fifth She's rather decent for a girl
and | must say she never sneaks on
chap, but | shouldn't want to get en-
gagged to her.
Anyhow, he did He and vi had just
fallen in love- as they call it, when
| came home for the summer holidays
and they made awful fools OF them
selves over it. They mad just fallen
out when | came home for Christmas.
The whole of both families made fools
of themselves over that. My people
said it was all his fault and mis- people
said it was all hers. SO they walked
by one another with their noses in the
air.
A chap has to stick up for his
people, of course, SO | cut them out
TOO (the Johnsons mean; but could
MT for the life of me see why
fellow need be engaged if he didn't
want or a girl either, if you come TO
that-only girls always do.
1t was d jolly nuisance, because
Minnie Johnson and were chums. |
don't think much OF otner girls be-
cause they are so silly, but Minnie
isn't. She isn't quite so good as a boy
at doing things, but she's sharper at
thinking of them. 1t was she that
gave me the tip to put wax on Uncle
Georges high chair to fetch his wig
off. There was rather a row about that
He was going to cut me out of his
will and the master made a terrible
fuss, but Minnie heard it somehow
and came over to our house and told
Uncle George that she proposed it.
She got around him somehow. Girls
can. He said she couldn't help 1t be-
cause she was a daughter of Eve and
was, like Adam, 'fondly overcome by
female charm" 1t always puts him IN
a good temper when he makes
quotation. So it was all right afterw ard,
only they called US Adam and Eve.
A fellow has to stick up for his
friends as well as his family. | wasn't
going TO be down on Minnie just be-
cause Ted and vi had guarded. went
and whistled behind their back fence
the first afternoon | was home and she
came out and stood on the big roller
and looked over it (the, fence you
know | said "Hallo!" and so did she.
You don get back to being proper
chums with girl all at once when
you've been away
Well" she said at last, you've
looked at me long enough to know me.
What do you Think of me?"
Your hair is rcdder than ever" |
told her. It's rather nice reddy brown
color, really, but it doesn't do to let
girls think too much OF themselves.
Il know boy who likes red hati',"
she said, shaking herself like she does
when she's savage.
who is he?" | asked. | meant 20
punch mis- head, because we'd always
beer .ums, and wasn't going to
have any other fellow interfering.
1T doesn't matter to you" she said,
because I'm not to speak to you in
the future" mother said.
We'll | told her, you're speaking
to me now, anyhow, If you don't waut
your mother to see you'd better come
this side of the fence"
triad m oa+nb hold of Lo- ,,,,1I
her over, but she got out of the way.
at isn't red" she said
'All right" l agreed, "it isn't then.
Come on"
So she jumped down and we went
and had slide on the pond behind
Brooks barn. Then we went to Mother
Green's and had some tuck. (The
governor had given me a tip.) Some
one saw us there and told our mothers.
There was a row, of course. My mater
said: Never let me hear of you speak
ing to that child again or any of the
family" Her mater said the same to
her. So we decided not to let them sec
us.
The next day we went on the golf
links and made slides on the mud.
tYou can make ripping slide on mud
when its half frozen) We thought we
were safe from them there, but we ran
right into Ted. He was looking at
something and shaking his head. He
stuffed it into his pocket when he saw
us and held out his oand to me. [
shook it before l recollected that we
didn't speak
Glad to see you, old chap" he said.
I-er-this is very unfortunate
business" He gave a sort of groan.
mo doubt it's for the best, but" He
gave another. We'll, I'm glad you two
aren't bad friends, anyway"
I'VE are" said Minnie. AT least am
He says my hair is red"
"Never mind" he said. Il know a
boy who likes red hair"
He smiled a feeble sort of smile and
pulled it-her hair, mean. He is
rather fond of Minnie l daresay |
would be, TOO. if she was my sister. be-
cause she's the sort of a sister a chan
would like to have.
Then he went off. | asked Minnie
again to tell me who the bounder was,
but she would not. So tried to think
what | could say to aggravate her.
you tell Violet that Ted wants to
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