Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1913-03-21

nterferin' !u these here sentimental
affairs is a mighty tici,liSh business,
and Inl here AZ thi, picnic to have .
good time. In -oin to have 1t. too,
Saying VIII. n. ne beat a hasty retreat.
But lie had hardly succeeded in pac.
ing section of the picnic crowd be
tween himself and Mrs. Todhunter
when young G.rl came running along
his trail. breathess, and with mis-
Chievous eyes.
Mrs. Todhunter wants YOU to come
right back to her. colonel" she an
nounced. She's short Oh men to help
her, and she's awful busy. Wants you
to come right away, sir
Colonel Todhunfer glanced whimsi-
caliy at the messenger. Amt that just
like mans wife? She didn't want
Judge Boiling when she saw him. Oh.
no. It's me she wants. And III bet
she's got the hardest job on the
grounds picked out for me right now"
Then he turned to the amused girl
Thank YOU. Miss Louise" he said
rupfully please tell Mrs Todhunter
III be there in two or three minutes"
Suddenly. but little distance ahead.
! he sHw Tom Strickland parting from
| Mary. They We're n handsome couple
the coIonel's daughter an exquisite type
of the we'll born southern girl. her hair
and eyes IL rarely pure brown. her skin
of almost baby fairness. Il proud little
mouth. a Joyous bearing: the youth II
tail and well built young country bred
gentleman. his eyes a clear blue. his
hair a snnburned yellow. his mouth
and chin clean cut and firm. Colone
Todhunter approved heartily of both.
AS Mary left her companion and went
to join her mother. Il second girl. with
obvious intent. crossed Tom Strick
lands path She was of Il different
type. Il plebeian beauty. black haired.
with passionate eyes. full red lips, Il
| suggestion of rich animal life in her
movements
You ought to be ashamed Of your
self. Tom Strickland" she said in n
low tone. little break in her voice
You let me drop like | was sOmethin
you despsed just the minute you
caught sight Of Mary Todhunter. |
wouldn't treat dog that way. Tom"
There was something pitiful in the
utter frankness of surrender with
which the speakers eyes confessed her
liking for Tom Strickland. Colonel
| Todhunter knew her well. She was
the granddaughter of old RATE Dog
gett, who had been private soldier
in a Confederate regiment during the
civil war. The family belonged to the
class once known as poor whites"
but old Doggett had been a good SOL
der, and Lottie-May. his granddaugh
ter, owed her membership in the
Daughters Of the COnfederacy to the
esteem in which be was held.
This was even more than a conces-
sion to inferior caste. The darkly
''-Autiful country girl whom old Rafe
UogYett's son had married in another
state had gone away from home one
day, leaving her baby daughter behind.
and never returned. A picturesquely
handsome Indian herb DOCTOR" who
had been peddling his wares in Nine
|
have paid bold attentions to her. dis
appeared at the same time. Lottie-
May Doggett, inheriting the same vital
beauty of soft roundness. red lips and
sensuous black eyes, had grown up In
| Nineveh, defiant. under the shadow Of
her mothers shame.
Tom Strickland stared at the girl.
plainly surprised. why. Lottie- May
he exclaimed; II won't let you think
such thing! I only hurried to say
'Howdy' to Miss Mary because she had
Just got here. Anyway"-and here he
smiled teasingly-"I could see with one
eye that STAN Tucker was just wild
to have a talk with you"
Lottie-May's eyes flashed "Stam
Tucker-shucks" she cried scornfully.
II wouldn't wipe my feet on him. Tom.
when you're around, and you know It.
But can tell you one thing'-and here
a note of proud vanity sounded in her
voice-"tryin' hard as he is to git Miss
Mary Todhunter to marry him. just
like you are. STAN Tucker loves me
more in one minute than he will love
her in his whole lifetime"
"Lottie-May." calculated Tom angri
ly. you mustn't talk like that. You
ought to be ashamed. You've got no
right to couple Miss Mary Todhunter's
name
mo. no. that's it, interrupted the
girl holly. IL mustn't mention Mary
Todhunter's name in the same breath
with mine. 1t amt right. you think
Well, willard l hate her! hate
herr
II didn't mean that. Lottie- May" pro-
tested Tom. You know | didn't mean
that
But the girl was gone. Hagar-like.
she moved with a sort Of outcast pride.
her pretty head held high. her eyes
flashing. In moment she had disap-
peared In the crowd
Tom" said Colonel TOdhunter. ad.
vancing. you'd better be hurryin' to
where Mrs. Todhunter is and make
your peace for stealth Mary away.
You're in hot water. young man"
Tom Strickland flushed consciously.
Colonel | reckon YOU heard what xOt.