The Huttig news., 1915-03-27
GETTING ACQUAINTED
ssssssssssesssssssssssss,
By ALLEN BROCK.

his feet securely around the porch rails and started an after-dinner cigar.
 Isn't 1t funny" he remarked, re- fiectively, after meditative puff or two. what difference a summer cot tage makes?"
 The little group on the veranda looked at him lazily, awaiting further exposition of his theme.
 You know" continued Bob, I've always been little afraid of the Far ringtons, especially of Nell"
 That's because you're badly nicked," said Sam. with brotherly can dor "A fellows always afraid of a girl when he's really nicked'
 No such thing" said Bob. I've never been one of the diffident, self sffacing kind that thinks he's a worm the dust whenever he compares himself with girl he happens to ike"
 No. I'll say that for him." admitted sam. Excessive modesty has never been one of his af1lictions."
 When you get through roasting" said Bob, pleasantly, "Pll go ahead and tell you some more about my gisit.''
 Yes, let's hear about the Earring tons," said Jessie.
 Well, what I meant by being afraid of them was that never felt quite as though I could go to their house with out making kind of set piece of it gloves and stick and visiting cards and Is Miss Harrington in?' with my politest accent. It wasn't that they were stiff or ceremonious or anything of that sort. If they had been the kind of people that sentence you to one chair when you come to call should never have gone near their house. They were always cordial and informal enough, but somehow even their informality always had such polite little finish to 1t that I used to feel as though l never could be quite so nice as they were, no matter how hard I tried. Mrs. Harrington would come in and put me at my ease with just the correct little social
 
 amenities according to the precepts she had learned at Miss Winters finishing school Mir. Harrington was friendly in dignif1ed way that seemed to call upon me to address him as sir He would offer me cigars that never felt quite free to smoke until Bert took me down to the billiard room, though Nell and her mother all ways insisted that they liked cigar smoke. Somehow l used to feel that they would all be corking people to l1now when 1 really got to know them Bert was the only one with whom was on real comfortable scrapping
 When they invited me to go up to heir cottage last week of course they old me the usual story about thei, informal, primitive way of living pack to nature and all that sort ot hing-but I've been 5luffed like that before and wasn't prepared for the pleasant reality"
 Was it a reality?" asked Jessie
 T went up with Bert Saturday night" narrated Bob. When we got to the place Sunday morning the first was on the dock in bathing suit in- dustriously trying to untangle a fish line. Hello, boys he said. Hello, Heaton! Give me hand with this blankety, blank line, will you? Say, have either of you fellows got any makings? The only thing don't like about life in Lonsomehurst is that it's so confounded hard to get smoke when you want one.'
 Then he took me into the boat house and showed me confidentially eight black bass that he had bought from a boy that morning and that he was going to catch after breakfast. By that time Nell came to the door of the cottage.
 Hello, kids!' she called out I'm so glad you're here! Breakfast is ready. and I'm starved
 Collars and stiff clothes wers rig idly barred, and it didn't take me long to get into a sweater. where I stayed
 After breakfast Mrs. Harrington asked me in matter-offact way to turn the ice cream freezer, and as Nell helped I didn't mind. Once, when we were tasting the cream, we bumped our heads together and after that we felt lot better acquainted.
 Then we went in swimming and dried in the sun on the dock, and Nell and I stumped each other to hop over the cracks on one foot. After that she showed me how she could ride on the flying Dutchman, a contrivance that some children had rigged in the back yard. It is long board that spins around on a pivot. and you have to straddle it. jockey fashion, to stick on. When I asked Nell whether she had learned that accomplishment at Miss Winters. the suggestion over- came her and she rolled off"
 T suppose when she gets back to town you'll go around there to call with gloves and stick and visiting cards?" asked Sam.
 Bob grinned. Not on your life"