Smyrna times., 1907-07-31
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The MOUTHS
OF BAB S.
By TROY ALLISON.
: copyrighted, 1907, by c. H. Sutcliffe.
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= P9 A-sH'eU' loO'' by Z. ii. Sutcliffe. F
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I'D like to come over there" said
small feminine voice somewhere
from the neighborhood of the hedge
row.
Drayton, sitting on his garden bench
with newspaper and a cigar, turned
toward the hedge that separated the
two gardens and located his visitor.
She was evidently standing on some
thlng high enough to enable her to
overlook the adjoining territory.
Drayton went over to the hedge and
looked down into some exceedingly
blue eyes, surrounded by fluff of yel-
low hair, surmounted by a still fufier
blue bow.
Hello" he said, looking down from
his six foot height. "Where did YOU
come fromY'
I've been here often and peeped
through" she cOnfded. Lift me
over" she commanded in the tone of
one accustomed to being obeyed, hold
ing out her arms.
He lifted her over to his side of the
hedge, and she ran directly to his rus
tic seat.
I'm not prepared to entertain la
dies" He stood with his hands in
his pockets and smiled into her up
turned face. What can 1 offer you,
MADAME"
III take chocolate, please" She set
tied her skirts over her chubby little
legs and smiled back ingratiatingly.
Drayton looked dubious.
"Er-I'm sorry to say the chocolate
is all out. Wouldn't grapes dO?'' he
suggested.
'Yes; l dess dwapes will do very
nicely, thank you" And Drayton
imagined she was probably giving a
very good imitation of her mothers
manner.
When he returned from the house
with a bunch of grapes and a huge
peach, he found that she had filled her
lap with his choicest roses and was
hugging them to her face.
''Im doing to live here always. I'm
doing to marry you" she announced.
Drayton, thirty-siX and a bachelor,
actually felt his face turn red.
"Er-when?' he asked feebly.
"Just as soon as you can det the be-
dagement ring"
"Of course, of course, anything you
say, but what might be the name of
my future wife?"
Louise. It's mammals name too"
ut would be lovely to have a wife
named Louise, but you wouldn't like
my house, little girl. It's full of pipes
and things"
Il could stay out in the darden with
the roses, and you could bring an UNI
brella and hold it over me when it
rained," she suggested resOurcefully.
"That would certainly be unique
see you would be able to plan things
! like a real housewife should, but do
you think you could stand the pipes?"
'You could keep all your pipes in one
room, and l could have a little blue
and white room and not have any
pipes, couldn't I? I never have any
pipes in my room"
That's the scheme. Wen plan that
blue and white room right away" he
| agreed heartily.
His hOusekeeper was surprised when
the paperhangers came next day and
did the south room in blue. She was
still more surprised when the van
drove up with all the furnishings for a
Il e.T4
considering how long she had been in
his service. 1t was a special slight foI
DraytOn not to tell her, first of all
that he intended to be married.
But DraytOn, following a whim, was
fitting up the room according to the
child's fancy.
Late one afternoon he strolled dow1
the garden path and found little Louise
waiting for him TO lift her over the
hedge.
"YOur blue room is all finished, little
wife," he said, tossing her in the air
to her great delight. Its ready fol
you to look at told the housekeepel
a young lady was going to visit he
this afternoon"
"Are there blue roses on the wallT
she asked eagerly.
Bushels of them-and little whit
frilly curtains, and a dear little whit
bed-and fairy tale pictures on tn
wall"
"Oo-oo-but l certainly do Low
you She chung to his fingers as the
walked toward the house. did yO
dot the SIepDinr Beauty Dicture2"
'Yes-and Princess Goldilocks-it's
grand room, all right"
"Well, I'll marry you the first thin
tomorrow. and nurse can send over a
my dolls and things"
isn't this rather-sudden? Perhap
your mother would prefer your waitin
until you are a week or so olderT
"No, indeed" airily. Mamma lei
: me do anything want-that is, mos