Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1910-06-17


limited satisfaction from dilating on
the merits of the dictionary to the
other boarders.
If you ever want to look anything
up" she said cordially, Just drop into
our room and see what the dictionary
says. Youll always find it on the
stand in the front ROOM"
The Culbersons lived in a boarding
house where dictionaries were a rare
commodity. Indeed, Ruths was the
only one about the house, except Mr..
Winters edition, which contained only
the words in most common use.
But somehow as soon as it became
known that there was large dietion-
airy in Mrs Culberson's room on the
second floor and that everybody had
been given free access thereto the de-
sire for knowledge was given won
derful impetus.
But the person who found occasion
to refer to the big book most frequent
ly was Mr.. Winter. Mr.. Winter was
a grocer. OF course, in his business
he daily met with many terms that
required elucidation. Hitherto he had
found the pocket edition perfectly sat
isfactory, but after the advent of the
unabridged dictionary, the much-worn,
green-backed little book suddenly lost
its usefulness and never an evening
passed that Mr.. Winter did not rap az
Mrs, Culberson's door and politely re-
quest to come in and look at the die
tionary q minute"
His prolonged visits annoyed Mrs.
| Culberson at first, His presence pre-
vented her scolding at Ruth, and as
he, himself, seemed deeply immersed
in scholastic lore, thus forbidding
opening conversation with him, the
poor old lady's evenings became sea-
sons of exquisite torment,
II don't know what makes him come
up here so Often" she said, petulant
ly, one night, after he had closed the
dictionary aDd gone away. He's an
awful bore"
ITS your own fault he comes salt
Ruth. "You invited him"
"Of course l invited, him." re torte'
Mrs. Culherson. 81 Invited all Q
them Doesn't be annoy you?"
/ NO." she said softly; Il don't. kno'
that he does"
AS the spring 6laYs took on tb ne
OF summer, As8. Culberson becar
more fretful Ruth became : young
Ind psettier, Bnd Mr.. Winter studl
y still later hDlr each evenin in bli
Hul Oblivion o5 the added h sat If |
Eyas iht.
Il Mel. CGlksrsnn had long sin
'ceasad sitting zap waiting for him
go, bat babe hi m good nig hit and we
ITO bed in the alcove.
One evening in early j une. 1 o,clo,
passed and Mr. Winter had as v
made no vement toward Dol,
'away. Ruth watched him closely,
She always dad when he seemed q
crossed with the works before hin
ana she nntiC ed that he had NOT tnr,
'sediE page for' more than an hour
Ito looked up at length and tho,
| eyes met. Ruth felt her face ausbin
hot and wit h the realization NJ no
weakness the flush grew deeper
Wis a pretty knotty problem Tho
l hmEe been puzzling over to-nigbt
F%~A q Sl6ns
"0oIldnit you find what Won war,
looking fOr?" she asked softly.
Aaruly know. | found the word
@arAed. Whether it will ever mean
NC me what i would like It to mean :
do mot KNOW Here 1t is. | have boan
fO'o&ing at 1T good deal lately"
t1s turned the big dictionary around
tiYl she could read the line over Wit,
hiSs finger rested There was, ono nnns
unuerilned with pencil and she
kn ." IL was the one he wished her.
to zee. 1t spelled love.
"ls that ever TO be for naY. no
a1keL n"
The blush had deepened into scarto4
thea. FOR a moment a look ~ ~
ceeeing happiness transfgured bn.
face, but "A moment later the old +ra,.
bed expression drove Il AWAY cho
urnad the leaves of the dictionar,, tnv
he casnae to the word mother"
'Phacs all right" he said, and nod
ed toward the alcOve.
Away oYeA' near the back oF the
ook her next answer was foupd
Ruth" called out Mrs. CuIbersor
narter of an hour later, what made
IT. Winter stay SO unusually late
lis EVENING"" '~f'
He was looking at the dictionary
other."
Did he find what he Wanted?" ash.
Mrs. Culberson.
yes mother" said Ruth, 81 BELIEVE
} did."-Grit. yS-~.' ee''e'a