The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1909-01-29

from babyhood ii is rather difficult to
pass suddenly to the "Mr Hastings
and Miss Norwood" stage. Both Sam
and Kitty felt the strain, though each
took mental obligation to do nothing
that in any way might be construed
into an overture Of friendship.
1t had all started innocently enough.
Kitty on her way to the postoffice en-
cOuntered Jim Saunders. She regarded
Saunders rs persistent pest. but she
could not very well refuse his sugges-
ton that they stop in at the drug store
and have glass Of soda.
Then 1t happened that they turned
into Bedding street in animated con-
versation. ami Sam could not know
they had met just around the corner.
or all the summer visitors to Au-
most, and Kitty knew it. 1t looked to
him as though she had deliberately ac-
cepted Saunders attentions to punish
him for a trivial quarrel of the night
before.
Kitty was just finishing the last tiny
lump Of ice cream from the bottom Of
the tall glass when Sam entered the
store with Belle Paulding, Kitty's
dearest enemy.
He had bowed stifly in salutation,
and Kitty had responded with a "Good
morning, Mr.. Hastings" emphasizing
the name as sweetly and as coldly as
the frozen delicacy she had just con-
sumed.
That had been the start of the trou-
BILE, but the end had been slow In COM
ing. That afternoon Kitty went mo-
toring with Saunders. though she hated
motor cars, and Belle went buggy
riding with Sam to punish Saunders
for his imagined disloyalty.
Saunders and Miss Paulding had
quickly patched their quarrel up. but
Kitty was unyielding, and there was a
squareness to Sans chin that did not
argue in favor of pliability of person
atty.
With ceremonious politeness each
strove to show the other how little 1t
mattered, but Kitty cried herself to
sleep night after night. and Sam swore
softly, but fervently, at what he was
pleased to term the foolishness of wo-
mankind
SO matters stood when the excursion
of the Auburnville cornet band was
announced. The boys needed new uni
forms, and Dick Potts had promised
to learn the euphonium if they would
buy him one.
All public spirited citizens purchased
tickets. Sam bought two through
force Of habit and then viciously tore
them up, whereby the band profited
another so cents, for Sam was de-
termined to go on that excursion II
only to show that he could 60 without
Kitty.
He had never gone on an excursion
alone save once, when Kitty was
spending week with her aunt over in
Cadyville, and he had had miserable
time. Now he did not look for enjoy
ment, but Kitty needn't think he could
not go alone IL he wanted to.
Much the same sentiment animated
Kitty, though she arranged to go with
a lbdlilSu SlStCl, IL SO ndppChCu
that they passed over the gangplank
together, with the formal greeting that
was now customary.
The picnic was held ont Paddle is
land, out in the lake. a favorite picnic
ground. A narrow strip of land con-
by an abuse Of the imagination might
be said to resemble a paddle. Bobby
Seaton. who was in the primary class.
aptly, If improperly, described it as "a
peninsula with an island at each end"
AS soon as lunch was disposed Of
the elders settled themselves near the
baskets, while the young folk wander
ed of to either end of the island, fol-
lowed by fusillade Of injunctions to
hurry back the moment the first whis-
tie sounded.
Sam and Kitty followed suit, but
Sam made certain that Kitty was
headed for the southern blade of the
paddle before he started north. 1t was
dreary work sitting all alone on the
point, and presently the fresh air and
The soft bed Of pine needles combined
to bring sleep to the worried brain.
1t seemed to Sam that he had en-
joyed only brief nap, but by the
tine he had hunted up the cabin some
Of the boys had built for use in the
duck season and had borrowed the
bathing trunks he found there he was
In the cool water few minutes when
the warning whistle blew.
Madly he dashed from the water into
the hut to find that in that brief In
terval some one had "chawed" his
clothes. His underwear was as full
Of knots as snake that had been
lunchlng OFF a full set Of pool balls,
bis trousers were tied into true low
FRS knot that suggested anything but
sentiment, and the laces Of his shoes
offered q good ten minutes of unpick. 7
ng Sam was still surveying the dam
lge when the second whistle sounded.
BLOW, durn yev' he cried savagely
as he attacked the knots. "If you
can't wait for fellow I'll swim for it.
I'm not goin' to make my dee-bu In
this"
He cast glance of scorn at the in
swimming trunks and at
tackled the knots with a haste that
verified the old adage as to speed.
The boat was a good half mile from
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