The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1914-07-24
IT WAS A SURPRISE
BY ALLIE CLAYTON.


The daughter of the household, aged
eleven, looked up from her book as
the man caller came into the library.
How do you do. Mr.. Dearmore."
she said. getting up politely. You
might as we'll take a comfortable chair
because sister won't be down for ages
She is always slow about getting
dressed and ! suppose now she'll be
slower than ever because she won't
care if she does keep you waiting"
well, why shouldn't she care, I'd
like to know" inquired the caller with
an assumption Of surprise designed to
be comic.
The young person hitched little
closer to him In her eagerness. Il just
found out!" she told him, tonight.
guess they weren't going to tell me,
but sister was SO interested in brush
ing out her switch that she didn't no.
tice me and mother said. You might
have done better IL you'd more ambi-
ton, but. thank heaven, you're engaged
at last! And sister said yes. it was
time and she'd have to make the best
Of it. Why. she's engaged Don't you
understand
you surprise me-" said the caller,
with interest
The young person nodded her head.
TITS awfully exciting to have an en-
gagged person in the family. We never
had one before. | held my hand over
my mouth to keep from asking right
out who 1t was, but l knew If | spoke
they'd make me go away-and then
all they said was that where the
make killing goodness only knew.
What's a trooser?"
"A sort of feminine delirium, | be-
lieve," the young man told her.
Wouldn't you like to read out loud
to me from your book?"
mot when | can talk" the young
person assured him, promptly. I'D
think it was Bob Samson, only he
hasn't been here for ages. He's riding
around ranch cut West now and he
always brought me chocolates and
petted the dog and waited hours and
hours for sister Mother told her one
day for goodness sake when she got
her hands on that huge old Samson
house 20 burn it down and put up an
other one with French gray drawing
room, and other things, but l guess
Bob slipped cog somehow"
"Er-what?"
We'll, Aunt Clara said to mother
that a cog in the wheels must have
| slipped somehow and how did he ever
| get away and wasn't it a pity! So
| suppose Bob did it. always liked his
| chocolates-he brought me just as
| good ones as he brought sister. Some
| times they try to pass off cheap candy
| on me, but | know! Then l feed 1t to
| the dog.
I'm glad 1t wasn't that Siddens
| man. He always called me little one
| and patted my head and he had bron.
| chitis and always coughed before he
| spoke, and sister said she didn't care
II he was rich, but she couldn't endure
a man who wore brown ties and ate
| grapefruit with fork and anyhow he
| gave her the shivers. That was the
time mother scolded so and sister
went to Aunt Claras for a month.
I'm surprised at her getting en-
| gagged, because she'll have to have a
house and meals then and she says
| picking out things to eat is simply
awful and she wouldn't wear her life
away keeping down the grocery bills
for any man and he might as we'll
make up his mind to it. Anyhow, SIS
ter never loses her head, because
mother says SO, and she'll make him
toe the mark. Mother says that with
her sweet smile sister could make a
man believe white was black, but that
seems foolish. Wouldn't you know
black If you saw it?"
81 used to think | was able to dis
tinguish colors,' admitted the caller.
But you're different" said the
young person. ut isn't as though you
we're one of sisters trailers-that's
what dad calls EN-. 1t doesn't make
any difference to you. Only l thought
If told you about it you'd understand
why she didn't hurry to get down
here, now she's interested in one par.
ticular man"
We'll" said the caller, "Ill tell you
a secret. I'm the particular mani"
The young persons eyes bulged,
"Honest?" she squealed. "Why. | was
never SO sur-r-p-prised in my ll-life!
And you never petted the dog once!
My, but you're quiet!"