The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1906-02-19

girl and the COW the other night" as
serted Powers aggressively,
"Yes," admitted Jem. "He said II re.
minded him Of the first minstrel show
be ever saw-hack In the sixties"
'lf you want drink" suggested
Powers, abandoning the warfare. you
will find the cup on the tree there"
I'm not Ia hurry" was the placid
response. II kinder like the quiet here,
Id like TO sit here alone for an hour or
so and jest sort OF think things over"
II think we'd both better be getting
along" suggested Powers, with n
glance at his watch. Its getting ON,
Ill No as far as jenkins with YOU"
What time is itY' demanded Jem.
Half past IL" Powers showed the
watch dial. Howell figured that 1t
would take ten minutes TO walk on to
jenkins with Powers He would w
up the road little way and then make
cut across the fields and be back be-
fore II.
Together they turned toward the
road, and after q brisk walk Powers
turned In At the jenkins gate, and Jem
kept ON up the road. A little distance
beyond q clump Of trees threw an inky
blacknees over the dust marked path,
and In their friendly shelter Jem climb
ed the fence and made bee line for
the spring.
He was still painting from his exer-
tons NJ he reached the butternut and
encountered Rowers' wrathful glance.
Thought you were going to town."
he jeered.
Thought you had business with Jen.
kins." retorted Jem.
Jenkins wasn't home" announced
Powers unblushingly.
so you came back to get a drink"
laughed Jem Vnpleasantiy. "You had
better get 1t and be going on. I've an
engagement here, TO tell the truth, and
| don't want you hanging around"
Your sneered Powers, abandoning
pretense. "why. Mrs. Pleasanton hxed
the whole thing up for me-"
She did not" contradicted Jem.
"You must have heard somehow and
just come around TO spoil things, as
usual"
"Spoll things" echoed Powers In.
dignantly. Il like that Why, II | had
less patience I'd have thrashed you long
ago for an interfering busybody."
'If you had had more sand you'd
have tried 1t long ago." taunted Jem.
Its because you know you can't lick
me you've kept OFF, I'd have thrashed
you long ago If II hadn't seemed such
a shame to put 1t on chap who can't
defend himself"
Five minutes later two men with
bruised and bleeding faces abandoned
hostilities by common consent TO face
small boy with broad grin upon bis
face.
What you fellows lighting forY de-
manded Pax. You amt scrappin' about
Grace, be yer
What II we areT asked Howell.
"Nothin' much" was the cool answer,
.'only it aln't polite to scrap about mar
ried ladies'"
Whose married. demanded the pair.
You see," explained Pax. you fel-
lows amt treated me right. You could
come an see Grace and you didn't care
about me. Now, ma wouldn't let Vance
come around or let Grace 90 out with
him, and so be had to write letters, and
took 'em for him. He was nice to me
and you fellows weren't.
Last night could see what ma was
up to, and | could tell pa was goin' to
try the same thing figured out that
you'd be out Of the way and mad not
be worryin' about Grace, so she skipped
of with Vance and went to Saltwater
to get married"
d Silently Jem and Powers resumed
their coats and together they started
for the village. Pax called them back.
Say" he advised sagely mex time
you fellows want to get married you
remember that | did this and you get
hunks with the brother; never mind
her pa and ma