Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-05-14

"Oh, don't mind! l like to have you
here" The ingenious emphasis made
1t appear that the fact Of his liking to
have her there was in the nature Of
law dispelling phenomenon, but she
did not smile.
"How large is that lake," she asked
Jimmie, falling into the snare, at
once began to talk in the manner Of
a proprietor of the lake. "Oh, it's al
most twenty miles long, an in one
place It's almost four miles wide. An
it's deep toO-awful deep-an' it's got
real steamboats, OH 1t, an'-oh-lOts OF
other boats. an'-an'-an'"-
"Do You so out on 1t sometimes"
ooh. lots of times! My fathers got
a boat he said. eying her to note the
effect of his words.
She was correctly pleased and struck
with wonder "Oh, has hep she cried
as If she never before had heard Of
man owning boat.
| Jimmie continued: "Yes. an it's a
grea' big boat. too. with sails, real
sails, an sometimes he takes me out
| In her too. An once he took me
| fishin', an we had sandwiches, plenty
of EN-, an my father he drank beer
right out Of the bottle-rlght ont of the
bottlew
The young lady was properly over
whelmel by this amazing intelligence
Jimmie saw the impression he ha,i
created. and he enthusiastically re-
sumed his narrative. can after. he lie,
me throw the bottles in the water, anG
[ throwed 'em way. way, way out.
An they sank. an'-never coined up.
he concluded dramatically.
His face was glorified; he had for
gotten all about the pail; he was ah
| sorbed I'm this communion with Il beau
tiful lady who was so interested In
| what he had to say.
She indicated one Of the plates and
| said indifferently: perhaps you would
like some Of those sandwiches. made
them. Do you like olives! And there's
deviled egg. | made that also"
litely. His faced gloomed for Il mo-
ment because the pail was recalled TO
his mind, but he timidly possessed him
self of sandwich.
Hope you are not going to scorn my
deviled egg" said his goddess. Il an
very proud of it." He did not: he
scOrned little that was on the plate.
Their gentle intimacy was ine.Yable
to the boy. He thought he had
friend, beautiful lady, who liked him
more than she did anybody ut the pic
mic to say the least. This was proved
by the fact that she had flung aside ti:s
luyuries of the spread cloth TO sit with
him. the exile. Thus early did he fall II
victim to woman'S wiles.
"Where do you live" he asked sud.
denly.
"Oh, long way from here! In New
York"
His next question was put very
bluntly. Are you married.
"Oh, no" she answered gravcly.
Jimmie was silent for time, durin.
which he glanced slyly and furtvely
up at her face. 1t wa; evident that he
was somewhat embarrassed. Finally
he said. When grow up to be
man
"Oh, that is some time yet~ said the
beautiful lady.
But when do, IL should like to
marry you"
"Well, will remember it, she an
swered, but don't talk Of it now, be-
cause it's such Il long time, and-l
wouldn't wish you to consider yourself
bound" She smiled at him.
He began to brag. "When l grow
UP to be n man I'm goin' to have lots
an lots of money, an I'm goin' to
have a grea' big house an horse an
shotgun. an lots an lots of books
bout elephants an tigers, an lots an
lots Of ice cream an pie an'-cara-
mels." AS before, she was impressed.
He could see 1t. "An' I'm goin' to
have lots an lots of chldren-'bout
300, guess-an' there won't none Of
'em be girls. They'll all be boys, like
me-"
ooh, myw she said.
His garment of shame was gone
from him. The pail was dead and well
buried. 1t seemed to him that months
elapsed as he dwelt In happiness near
the beautiful lady and trumpeted his
vanity.
At last there was shout. "Come
on! We're going home" The picnick-
ers trooped out of the grove. The chill
dren wished to resume their jeering,
for Jimmie still gripped his pail, but
they were restrained by the circum-
stances. lie was walking at the side
Of the beautiful lady.
During this journey he abandoned
many of his habits. For instance, he
never Travelled without skipping grace.
fully from crack to crack between the
stones or without pretending that he
was train of cars or without some
mummlng device Of childhood. But
now he behaved with dignity. He
made no more noise than little
mouse. He escorted the beautiful lady
to the gate Of the Earl home, where
he awkwardly, solemnly and wlstfully
shook hands In goodby. He watched
her 60 up the walk; the door changed.
On his way home he dreamed. One
of these dreams was fascinating. Sup
posing the beautiful lady was his
teacher in school! Oh, my, wouldn't he
be a good boy, sitting like n statuette
nil day long and knowing every lesson
to perfection and everything! And
then supposing that boy should sass
her! Jimmie painted himself waylay-
Ing that boy on the homeward road,
and the fate Of the boy was thing
to make strong men cover their eyes
with their hands. And she would like
him more and more-mOre and more.
And he-he would be little god.
But as he was entering his fathers
grounds an appalling recollection came
to him. He was returning with the
bread and butter and the salmon un-
touched in the pail! He could imagine
the cook. nine feet tall, waving her fist.
"An' so that's what l took trouble for,
Is 1t. SOS YOU could bring 1t back
SOS YOU could bring 1t backT He
IN +ca Z