The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1917-10-27
A NARROW
ESCAPE
By ALAN HINSDALE

TAKEN Oh 10 the crop gathering force.
PETER Simple replied the youth
Know anything about farmin'?''
mo"
What wages do you expects"
Whatever you choose to give"
well, considerin that you look
strong and are willing to leave the
wages to me reckon III take you Oh
III feed you and give you SO month
So Peter Simple the next day went
to work on the farm. 1t was the sea
son when She war between the United
States and Germany had been declared
and the raising of cereal food was of
great Importance.
Amanda" said Farmer Doyle to his
daughter that evening when she was
wiping the dishes after supper, I've
took on new man today, and l want
to say to you that you're not to get
mixed up with him.
La, pal Dc you think I'm goin' to
take up with a farm hand? l want
somepin better'n that
Nevertheless Amanda scrutinized each
new hand her father employed with an
eye, if he was young, to discover
whether or not he would be worth ap-
propriating. When she inspected Peter
Simple he was in shirt and trousers
tossing hay on to q wagon with a
pftchfork. He had a fine figure, and
it showed to advantage in the costume
/. he wore. 1t seemed to Amanda that
he was worthy of consideration. She
went into the dairy house, got a pitch
er of buttermilk and took it out to him
He drank it with thanks and an admir-
ing gaze at Amanda.
Peter was secretly Amanda's favor
lite till her father hired Josh Whit
taker. Whitaker was man of thirty.
red headed and freckled He owned
a farm, but that season he got an idea
into his head that with so many farm
ers in the field prices were bound to go
down. So he leased his farm and to
put in his time in July and August
went to work for Farmer Doyle. AS
soon as Amanda learned of Whitta-
ker's farm and that he had $500 in
vested in mortgages she dropped Peter
aud took up with Josh.
When man, or, rather, boy, of
seventeen falls in love he goes down
clear over his head and keeps on GO
ing down till he touches bottom. Pc
ter, who was in a worldly heaven
while Amanda was smiling at him.
was ready for suicide when he found
himself supplanted. Amanda's par
ents saw it all and, though they had
scolded her for encouraging Peter.
urged her on when she encouraged
Josh. Many smile passed between
the couple when at supper.
A week before the end of September
an engagement was announced be-
tween Amanda Doyle and Joshua
Whitaker. 1t seemed to Peter that
the bottom had dropped out of his life
He tried to find Amanda alone that
he might beg her before it was too late
not to blight his life He had made
up his mind to tell her something that
might induce her to change her mind.
Lucky Peter! Farmer Doyle came
along and saw him waiting for Aman-
da at the hour she always went to milk
the cows Doyle called Peter into the
iLOdSCB pau L1ll LIS w uSCS " hdlC anu
told him to vacate the premises. Peter
surrendered and was never again seen
on the Doyle farm
Amanda in the autumn was married
to Whitaker and on the wedding trip
stopped over at a New England city
A football game between the teams of
two colleges was advertised, and the
bride persuaded the groom to take her
to see it. There was the usual kick
ing about of the ball by small boys
and the shouts of the cheer leaders
ald the yells of the crowd. and then
the teams pranced onto, the field like
aerobats into a circus ring.
'Good gracious. JoshT'' said Amanda
Look a-there!'
Where? What?''
THAT Teller is Peter Simple as sure
as my names Mandy
$50 he is By gum
There was Peter sure enough in the
toggery of a football man. Both bride
and groom scanned the score card to
find Peters name among the players
1t was not there
Say. mister" said Josh TO young
ster on the ground directly beneath
him, 'can you tell me who that young
man is over there taking of his sweat
err"
"That? That's Parkinson. the rich
est man in his college They say he's
worth millions"
There was no more comfort for Ell
Their Mr.. or Mrs. Whitaker on their
bridal trip Amanda looked sour
enough to turn lemonade to vinegar.
and Whitaker could not look pleasant
when his wife sulked When they
went home and the bride had told who
Peter Simple was Farmer Doyle and
his wife turned as sour as their daugh-
ter
Jimmie Parkinson in May. becoming
aware of the fact that he would be
f1unked at his graduation school ex
aminations. awaited himself of the ma
tional demand for food producers to
go farming. for the board of education
promised payment to all boys who
would do So Harkinson, not caring to
be known as himself, chose the name
of Peter Simple that he had picked out
of story book
Had Farmer Doyle not discharged
4 II