The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1909-04-29
A FORMAL CALL

You look sheeplsh, Tom" said Mr.,
Lanman one evening about 10 o'clock
as his seyenfeen-year-old son came IN. .
little more carefully dressed than usual,
and sat down thoughtfuliy by The Ere.
What Is the mafterf Where have you
beeD5 What bss haDpenedT'
Calling father" said the boy.
Why should that make you look Ike
a funeral: Didn't you have good
timer
NO Not very ] went 10 see Fran
ees Davis. Sam went, too and Frances
cousin from Mercersburg was there
II was too grown-Up"
Mr.. Lanman regarded his son with
some amusement The boy was young
for his years. be reflected Then sud
den "reminiscences OF an Incident when
he himself was under twenty made him
smile.
Tell me about It, Tom he said
Why, we always used to have such
Jolly times over at her house. She Is
lots Of FUN, for a girl. and last time her
cousin was here everybody said how
Inc she was. too. But it's all changed
Frances thinks that we have grown
upr'
Il should say you are growing up,
not you have grown" suggested Mr.
Lanman.
well. she acts as II we had already
We got there a little after seyen-they
have supper al six. you know. Maggie
came TO the door. and said that she
would see II Miss Frances was IN We
knew she was. because she had said
she was going to be; but Maggie went
OF. and came back 10 say that Miss
Frances and Miss Brooks would be
down soon
Frances room is just over he par
Tor, and we could hear them trampInE
round. getting ready. Why Is It that
girls make so much noise before they
have their shoes on. and so little af~
terwardr'
Mr.. Lanman shook his bead
At any rate she came down, and
her cousin with her. They were nice
10 us. Of course. but we sat I'D stiff
~. and didn't have any games OF any
thing Once Sam got down on the iioor-
10 show how mis- dog played with the
turtle. and my, the look be gotI
whew!r
Wasn't It a little undignIfedg' sug~
gested his father.
Why. yes / suppose II was. CUT
good gracious we've known Frances all
our lives And that wasn't the worst
About half past eight-onIy 1t seemed
later. because there wasn't q clock IN
the room-Maggie came In with some
lemonade and six measIy little sweet
cakes
why, Tom, You ought not TO speak
that way about hospitality you have
shared"
Il know it. / oughtn't 70 criticize,
but / can't help IT, Why. only two
nights ago we went out ourselves and
made candy. and did all sorts Of things
In the kitchen"
Perhaps that was why they didn't
let you go again tonight"
Maybe. but they needn't have been
so formal about il. Her cousin called
Sam Mr.. Wentworth and he couldn't
remember her last name. so be didn't
cali her anything. except once when be
had 10. and then he pointed at her and
called her she. Frances nearly winked
at me after that-but she remembered
In time. and didn't
when we went home, thes didn't
come to the door with us. and We
backed out. thinking they were going to
All the time. 1t was horrlbler'
Its one Of the things you have to-
20 through. my boy. said his father
I did remember the first time that
TUur mother put on long fresses-IonEr
before she or had any Idea that she
vas going 10 be my wife-she relled me
VT. Lanman. and called her Miss
Wells That lasted most a week
Tom frightened up
Then there's some hope" &c said
After all. Frances isn't foolish. and
he'll see how we boys feel. Coos
lightr'
Good night.~ said his Esther.
Youths Companion.