The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1916-04-21

Joe frinSie was OF the almost ex-
tinct species that bushes at sight
Of the ordinary magazine cover.
Joshua Pringle had six sons and
no daughters. and his wife was
dead. A rheumatic old negro did
their cooking. Most of the other
housework took care OF itself.
The nearest home that held a girl
was four miles away. OF the main
road. One could not well get within
sight OF the house unless on q visit
to II. There were other girls In the
neighborhood within radius of ten
or twelve miles. And there were
boys who visited them. who saw
them home from meeting. who sat
beside them on the barn noor at
corn stockings.
But not Joe. He was the oldest
OF the six. and so had no prece-
dents.
Meeting was ak miles away -
every other Sunday. The men sat
on one side: the women on the
other. After meeting there was
more or less mingling for social
gossip OF crops and weather A few
adventurous spirits among the boys
sided toward the door az the con.
gregation came out. There they
talked with the objects Of their ad-
Grafton, perhaps walked piece
with them, or even all the way
home.
Joe looked on. longed, admired
the adventurers. and went on home
by himself. No hero In Ivanhoe or
Thaddeus of Warsaw - the two
books OF his home--had ever done
moro daring deeds than these.
80 II went on as his body and his
legs heightened. until by and by his
head was six. feet away from his
feet. And II had gone up there 10
quickly that the feet had way OF
doing awkward things without ade.
quate guidance from the head. But
for all that Joe was an unusually
fine boy. Being the oldest. he had
not been spared for any schooling.
making II up as best he could AT
night and In bad weather. from the
books OF his brothers.
Most OF the neighborhood boys
liked him; some admired him. The
older people spoke OF him with a
good deal OF respect, and TO him as
one OF themselves who understood
farming and could talk crops.
But girls He never had spoken
to one a half dozen times In his
fife, and always he remembered
these few word interviews with a
feeling OF shame. knowing how I'M
favorably he had appeared So II
might seem strange that from his
side of the meeting house he should
lar OF them all to cherish In his
heart. Polly Deane had a dozen ad-
mirers. and was always surrounded
by them or her girl friends when
out at public gatherings. Joe never
had spoken with Polly In his life,
though more than once he had seen
her face dimple into a smile OF
amusement at sight OF him. At least
he thought II amusement.
He was 1s when his head began
to rise little above the six-foot
chalk line he had marked In his
room. And on that very day he re-
ceived his first invitation to corn
shucking. delivered by word OF
mouth through one OF his boy
friends.
Now a constructing. when man
aged properly. is not merely sitting
down upon a pile OF hay or corn
stalks and stripping of the husks
amid babel OF laughter and flying
Jokes. with an occasional discovery
OF a red ear 10 give the privilege OF
kissing the one you love best, but
afterward there Ia a supper-served
In the barn II space allows, II not.
In the house-whcre every gentle.
man" L. supposed 10 seek out his
lady ans sit by her through the
meal
SO Joe promptly declined the invi
taticn, ,hcn on teing urged by the
boys, reconsiderrd and said he
would look in at The door for few
minutes. but take no real part. He
had a Wild desire TO go-his first
party--but reason said no. Polly
would be surrounded by admirers,
with a dozen ardertiy husking TO
discover a red ear With her In view
lie krcw Just hcv II would be in
advance. Some OF the girls would
look across az him and giggle and
whisper to each other and he would
suuIrm and turn red and finally
sneak out He would only peep In
at the door and not let any one see
him
But somehow the boys were so
cordial that Ia allowed himself to
be dragged into seat on the corn.
stalks and then the girls and boys
began to crowd In 80 fast that II
was easier TO remain than to sneak
out facing them all.
Polly seated herself only few
feet away and nodded to him and
smiled. Another girl dropped d.
rectly beside him. but with the boy
che had come In with on her other