The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1911-04-19

THE very first evening he came to
see me father brought out all my old
to show him. My photo
graphs are more than a joke-thsy
are family disgrace. Mother says
II she didn't have me to exhibi. IN
proof that don't really look like
them she would throw them all away
First there was my baby picture
that looks like compromise between
a monkey and a scrambled egg. Then
there is the one with the short sleeves
and abbreviated skirt that makes me
look as II ! had on pahtalettes. To
add to the fearful sight there are two
little round curls pasted on the brow
like something dreadful that had hap.
pened before the war. The worst of
It was that. no matter how narrowing
they were, they were all unmistaka-
bly,. unquestionably and indubitably
me.
After Fred had seen all the photo
graphs the family sat around and
harked back to the days Of my nm.
regenerate youth. All the horrible old
family traditions about me were
trotted out They told how | ALWAYS
made straight for the coal bucket
as soon as was nicely washed and
dressed They said never was
known to be clean Ave minutes after
the great feat of dressing me-which
you would think required the help
of half dozen strong men from the
way they tell it-had been accom-
plished. They told how l shrieked
when / was bathed, how stuck beans
in my ears and cut off my hair SO
that my head had to be shaved. They
related how had to be spanked every
day when mother tried to teach me
to read. and thousands of other anec-
dotes that long since should have
been consigned to oblivion.
Mother told of the attack Of ~.
phoid fever ! had at an age when no
well-regulated child would have
dreamed of such thing. She went
on to describe in detail all the in
fantile diseases that used to bring
home
Never once did the family leave
the subject of poor me during the
entire evening. Finally Fred's face
took on set smile and his eyes
grew so CLASSY that was afraid he
was going to have fit.
"The next day we went over to see
dear old Aunt Lizzie, who has been a
sort of second mother to me all nv
life, and whose heart would have been
broken II she hadn't been the first
one outside Of the family to meet
Fred. Aunt Lizzie started In with my
first appearance on the scene. Dear
me, what a good time she did have
telling about It! She said was the
ugliest, reddest scrap of humanity abe
had ever seen.
Fred has always said that what
appealed to him most strongly about
me was that | was SO entirely fem
inine. He never has cared for ath
letic girls. OF course. never breathed
that l was noted for being the great
est tomboy in town Coming home
from Aunt Lizzie's we met Tom
Meyer.
TON just stuck his hands In his
pockets and grinned and said, Hello,
Mabel as though we were both about
ten years old.
When we got home and men.
toned that we had met Tom, my
brother, Of course, had to tell about
the time Tom pushed me into the
mud and ! got up and fought him for
It. Brother Dicks really proud of the
way used to fight. He thought Fred
would be delighted to know that 7
could lick any boy of my size when
/ was six years old.
"The climax came when our old
rector came to call and after telling
how / tried to climb into the font
when he baptized me he shook his
finger at me waggishly and said to
Fred: You'll have to watch this young
lady carefully or she'll give you the
slip yet. Did you ever hear how she
treated
Then, aided and abetted by my
marble-hearted family, he went on to
tell about all the fiirtations had
ever had from the cradle up. And /
had really convinced Fred that he
was the only man / had ever thought
of twicel"
The girl with the engagement ring
heaved a deep sigh.
I'VE are still engaged" she said.
land Fred insists that he feels Just
the same as ever toward me, but !
can hardly believe It,"