The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-05-02

Added Years


is fitting and you are getting DID," said
the girl who likes to talk, go live at
a summer resort for a few years.
81 still can swim a half mile and l
yet break into a speedy run when
am in a hurry. I don't use crutehes
nor false teeth. Nevertheless, this
season a crushing sense of my anti
guilty has descended upon me. When
Investigated the queer feeling that
surrounded me | found 1t was the at
mosphere of the shelf | was upon
There l was. tucked away coldlyi I've
been peering out over the edge lately
at what Is going on down below and.
believe me. 1t Is both appalling and
entertaining
"Just a few years back the Daggett
children used to go by with their
nurse. They were scrawny and quar-
reling and Tom Daggett always made
Susie cry. l used to think what a
mercy 1t was that their parents were
blind enough to love them, because.
goodness knows, no other human be-
81 wish you could see Tom this year.
He Is the best looking creature in five
counties and all the girls are crazy
about him. They hang on his slightest
word and If he asks one to go canoe
ing she nearly faints with Joy. The
other night he led the cotillon at the
party. AS for Susie-I helped her
make dolls dress Just yesterday, l
believe, and yet at that same dance
found myself admiring a willowy, dark
eyed, rose checked, naughty young
person, and bless me II 1t wasn't Susie
Daggett!
at seems perfectly absurd that she
should be sitting up later than 8
o'clocki She isn't satisfied with being
a belle among the boys of her own
age. selfish thing! but she has to grab
out for the older men, too! I'll have
to box her ears If she doesn't look
out.
"Just year ago | realized only
vaguely that the eros vs. had daugh-
ter. Lillian was a shy, silent little
thing, always slipping out of sight and
incoming by herself and scared to
death when any outsiders appeared.
| don't know what has happened to
her, but | suspect that some one told
her she was pretty. and that settled
1t. l can't turn around now without
setting eyes on Lillian Crosby in the
most distracting outing suits, work
ing her eyelashes till | know they're
getting frayed and smiling at precisely
the angle to show her dlmples!
"'We're going to have a hay ride
she told mo casually once when there
was nobody else to talk to. The
young crowd, l mean Dear me,
should think 1t would be so stupid for
the rest of you, with nothing to do!
II restrained myself from grasping
her firmly by the shoulders and shak-
ing heri Haven't I taken hay rides
till had so much hay down my neck
and In my ears and eyes and throat
that l never wanted to look at hay
stack again as long as 1 lived? Haven't
| had suppers on the beach and eaten
sand in the deviled eggs, ants in the
sandwiches and June bugs in the
cake and thought l was having the
time of my life? Haven't | sung
We're here because we're here, be-
cause we're here till l swallowed
mosquitoes all the way home?
Haven't l fallen over the fence try
Ing to get Into the front door in the
pitch dark? And then that infant has
the nerve to act as though all the joys
of life were denied me, just because
Portable, choked up expedition instead
Of sanely eating supper at home!
1.-THE last straw. however, was when
Jim came over from Chicago to see
me. Naturally, l wanted to show him
the place by moonlight. 1t was not at
all that we were hunting secluded
spots! Besides, all the chairs on our
front porch were occupied. Quite cas-.
ually We headed for the summer
house on the lake shore but as we
stepped inside l heard some one muir
muir: Did you ever care for another
girl before mel! 1t was Lillian and
Tom Daggett!
81 should have spanked them both
and sent them home, but I contented
myself with saying, in a stern tone;
Oh, excuse me- Then we walked
on. knew OF most charming re-
treat under the wild grape vine, where
you have a lovely view Of the moon.
lust before we stepped around | heard
a deep masculine voice of nineteen or
twenty blurt out: Susie, did you ever
care for another man as you do for
me?'
81 grabbed Jim Historically at this
and we ran. There was another in
FAINT couple at the end of the pier and
still more infants were out in all the
rowboats. There didn't seem to be
any place on earth for Jim and me ex-
cept under the lake or up with the
old people under the glare OF the arc
light telling stories about what hap.
pened before the war.
Vim growled in disgust: Before |
come here again wish you'd manage
to kill off a few dozen OF these pestif.
erous children There are so many
of them that a few more or less won't
really matter, and then we'd have
room to breathe!'
Il think III have to! I'm going TO
begin with Tom Daggetts freshman
friend He said that the resort would
10 q nIca nlara II thare weren't so