Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1907-12-19

fully. Hickory was an enormous cat
that played havoc with the rats In
Longs hardware store.
"And you've-gone-and cut-the eyes
out Of your potatoesr' gasped Ann.
Then she chung to post supporting
the wire fence and laughed. Her sun
bonnet slipped back, revealing two
pink cheeks and a small, delicate chin.
Stephen chuckled In sympathy and
came nearer. "Why, confound 1t all.
cut the eyes out because-well, be-
cause they didn't look pretty. I sup
pose. Isn't that all rightY'
At this Ann laughed until the sun.
bonnet collapsed in heap into q po-
tato hole back Of her. Then she
checked herself and explained: THE
sprouts come out Of the eyes. II you
don't leave the eyes. you'll get no po-
tatoes. Seer
"Yes: I see" His visual interest
conferred. however, on the speaker
rather than on the eyeless potatoes.
Say" he suggested suddenly, "let's
swap work this morning. ri help
you plant. and then you help NJ cut
the SETS"
All right" agreed Ann. She tuzns0
to recover her sunbonnet and 20 failed
to see the expression Of satisfaction
which overspread Stephens face as he
placed a hand on top of the post and
vaulted the low fence.
vVhou an hns,p l0tor <hox, oo< 1,nsf6~
the hedge over basket Of potatoes
provided by Stephen. matters grew
worse. He did not cut the sets cor
rectly. His fingers were all thumbs.
and he came perilously near having
one less to get In his way while cut
ting his fourth potato.
Ann bound up the cut dexterously.
Then she ''set her foot down." "You
hand me the potatoes, and Ill cut
EN-" she said decidedly and fell to
work with will.
Stephen obeyed. "Seems to me you
are rather little to be bossing your
elders" he said, with flash Of his
much dreaded fun.
Ann hung her head and blushed un-
comfortably. She considered 1t a dis
grace to be so small, an opinion shared
by her dressmaker.
ITS much as ever that I can find
where Ann Wright's waist begins or
ends" complained the latter Individual
bitterly. she's all waist. Nights
well try to fit broomstick. Best
can do is to hang her clothes on her
and let it 60 ut that. With her sister
Belle, now, It's different"
So Ann meekly accepted the dress
makers hanglngs and surveyed with
longing Bellies plump proportions. She
sighed the morning Of May 18 as, ut 5
o'clock, she donned her short blue dem
i'm skirt and looked at her small but
muscular arms, white down to the el-
bows and brown beyond. She took
pride and comfort in her garden, but
she wished her hands were as white as
Bellies.
Her face lighted as she opened the
gate in her hedge and saw Stephen
leaning on one Of the line fence posts
impatiently awaiting her. In his new
role as gardener, with overalls and big
hat and with that odd expression Of
dependence on his clean cut face, he
did not seem to her half as formidable
as the Stephen Long who had for ten
years gayly sauntered through the
hearts of half the girls in Bridgeport,
his own untouched; danced at their
weddings and stood godfather to their
babies
II tell you what" he began as soon
rs Ann appeared, "I'm glad to see
some one looming over the horizon who
knows trife about gardening. What
are you going to plant next?"
Nothing" replied Ann promptly.
"This morning I'm going to sow things
onions, for instance"
To her own surprise, her voice was
mischievous. A strange feeling Of buoy
ancy possessed her The sun was send
ing red heralds up from the east to pro-
claim perfect day. Belle was asleep.
unconscious of the drama Of the gar
den. and Stephen--well, Stephens eyes
were smiling Mt her, but not just as
they smiled on the public at large
"Mother isn't up yet" he began hest
tatingly $50 I brought along rag and
a string He paused and held hand
out to her appeallngly. 1t was the men,
Der wounded the previous morning.
Ann promptly dropped her hoe and
attended to her surgery.
"Say," began Stephen suddenly.
watching the operation, "do you al
ways wear that bonnet in the garden?"
"Yes," returned Ann innocently. al
ways"
Stephen sighed. ~ should think 1t
would be awfully hot away back in
there" meditatively gazing within as
Ann raised her head.
But the bonnet slowly shaken was
the only reply. In some ways Its
wearer could not see beyond its pro-
iecting sides. For fifteen minutes ST.