Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-09-26
Evening Story
HIS OPINION.
BY Napoleon s. zarick.

| BY Napoleon s. zarick.
Copyright 1915. by the McClure)
Newspaper Syndicate.)
AS Miss Carman walked down the
avenue, she held her skirts above hel
dainty patent feathers. and her head
with its jaunty hat, was held higher
still, the color flaming high too, In
her round cheeks and showing OF
charmingly against the background Of
her chinchilla collar-which in itself
was 4 marvel of height and enegance
as well. The rustic of her skirts. and
the defiant. nodding plumes empha'
sized the annoyance in her voice.
II shall resign from the club--that's
all-and. what's more. I'll resign from
every club I belong to! A woman's
club-huh! A cats club would be a
better name! Nothing on earth would
induce me to stay another day In the
hateful thing, and I'll resign az soon
as I can reach pen and ink to do 1t
with. Every one of them Is in, league
to see the whole thing fail because I've
put my very heart and soul In It to
make 1t 60. Well. they'll be In a
pretty mess when give 1t all up!
There's not another one who'd have
worked as hard as have. and the club
will all go to pieces II this entertain.
ment doesn't 60 through. I don't care
I'D be too glad for anything!
She had overtaken boy Of seven
or eight--a dirty little boy, with mud
dy shoes and worsted cap. Miss Car
mans anger could not efface her inter
est in youngsters. and especially In a
boy who scuffed his feet so attractive
ly, and who could balance curved
stick SO cleverly. when he was not
battling it against the fences he
passed. ,oz'.~., ~
He was walking in an leisurly way
that indicated ease Of mind and plenty
of. time to get home before dinner.
As she neared him, the stick wavered
Fl thought 1t was going to hit me, I"
she said, and smiled. Then an IRE.
sistable desire to talk to the little fell
low took possession OF her. The more
she thought Of those clubwomen, the
better she liked this boy.
He glanced at her and smiled shyly.
Although her elegance dismayed him,
he recognized promise Of comrade-
ship.
II know what that stick makes me
think off, she said half to herself as
she passed him. This was a subtle
move and worked admirably.
1;'What?' he asked, running little,
to as to catch up.
al h1, ~, hnvA k3o 1{kf1n
fellows interests. 1t was soothing to
feel that somebody appreciated her
efforts, even IL it was only little boy
why" she said, looking ahead and
speaking gravely-she had learned
that to look now child acquaintance
straight in the eye was to embarass
him" why it makes me think of a
bow, ar. Indians bow, you know, that
he strings up and shoots arrows with"
1T makes me think Of one, tool"
exclaimed the boy.
She slowed little, but imperceptib-
ly--so as to seem to be accommodating
him.
only" she went on, giving swift
glance at the stick and it's owner, 1T
Is, sawed in a curve; 1t isn't real
rod. bent to that shape. don't be.
lieve I could string 1t up and use 1t
for killing people"
II could" he asserted. I'm strong.
Me an the boys go in the woods
sometimes an chop down trees. One
boy chops on one side, an another on
t'other Then we carry 1t of an chop
it up, an sometimes we make bows
an play Indian Once went to the
country"
''Indeed!'' said Miss Carman In
mild surprise, and she smiled down
n him sympathetically.
The boy smiled back and showed q
gap in his front teeth, with the prom
Use of further incisors cleaning from
his pink gum.
Yes, an rode the pig an he
threw me of In the pond, an the
ducks all few up all over me, an
an" In his excitement he met her
eyeH again, and certain restraint
fell on him. She felt that she had
made mistake to. look at him then,
SO she said quietly:
~ don't believe you ever went to the
700 here" Then she gazed long and
( arnestly across the street, to give
linn time to recover.
Yes, have" he declared after
pause, and then he fell behind little,
rafting his stick again on an iron
fence. Say. | went there once he
called as the distance, between them
widened She didn't turn Should
he let that lady go. thinking him such
a baby that he hadn't ever been to the
zoo He ran up to her side. She
knew children. She was sure he would
come. Il say have been there
Oh" she answered
Yes, me an the boys went one day.
There was. big grounding, as long
as from here to that ferce''the dis
lance was about twenty feet-"an' they
had to put concrete under the dfrst ~