The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1917-07-25
TICK AND CATHY

Win leak1n pipes Ne 5 d mdu NC SonI
worry none. Let him come in"
But it wasn't the plumber
Been lookin' over your place,
ma'am," the caller said affably, as he
advanced into the Don SHOWS every
where the need of a good, handy man
like me. Lucky l got hungry trarnpin'
an seen this house an come in for q
bite"
us it," dryly. II never give a bite
to a tramp"
"Who said give7" Indignantly. II
work for everything I ask. An l amt
a tramp. l worked In a printin' shop
where l come from, an was thinkn'
Of tinsmithin' at the next town. But
I amt farmed in quite a long spell, SO
I b'lieve I'd rather do that now.
"Must be mighty old, the way you
talk" scorned Cathy.
I'm twenty-four, but age amt moth
in. l started out at fourteen, maxim
up my mind to be w~ell-rounded in all
trades. That's why I've tried en-"
"Plumbin'?" inquired Aunt 'Lizbeth.
"Three months with a bunch Of rob-
bers over in the next state"
waters drippin' in my kitchen
right now" lamented Aunt Lizbeth.
S'pose you could fix it up as a special
job, me not hirin' you reg'lar?
"But you are hirin' m reg'lar," he
grinned. "Got any tools and things to
mend the pipe with?"
"Cathy1l show you"
The fellow turned and regarded
Cathy as he would an UNUSUAL curiosi-
ty, a provoking grin on his face.
"Pretty Stingy on looks" he COM
mented, 'but that amt sayin' she can't
cook, which is the main point"
Aunt 'Lizbeth's lips frightened as the
two went back toward the kitchen,
Cathy's angry answer rising high
above the bantering voice of Tick.
81 can't have them two In the house
together, even If I could afford a man,
which I can't" she thought.
But when dinner came there was no
Tick.
"An that starvin' was just talk"
snapped Cathy. "Bet he stole enough
along the road to keep him stuffed all
the time"
"Did he do the plulnbin' job all
rightr
EYES," grudged Cathy, "just as goods
the best kind Of plumber could, an in
half the time. When he started of he
said he wsIs goin' to look the farm all
wei to find out what IT. could do an
what needed bein' done most"
They waited supper for him a half
hour before he slipped In, tired but
bright-eyed. =.
SWELL" helping himself literally to
fried eggs and ham, 81" guess I've left
my footprints pretty well over the sands
an loans Of this farm. I got 1t all
planned out"
"Tm afraid I sha'n't be able to-"
began Aunt Lizbeth, when lie went on
calmly:
Its that big t~wenty-scre lot south
Of the house. It's fine, level, rich
ground, but amt been cropped in three
years, I should Judge by the weeds. It
amt no use to you. Here's the way l
fgger it. I got the farmin' bee in my
bonnet, hard. I'll take the big lot an
farm it on sheers, half an half. I'll
spend half nay time on the lot, an the
other half workin' for you round the
place, croppin', tinkerin' an maxim a
good garden. Suit?"
"I-guess so. But I been tryin' to
sell that twenty acres TO Mr.. Bush Of
the, farm beyond. I ask NJ thousand
dollars, and he offers only eight hun
dred dollars. I'd bate for you to git
in a crop an then SELL"
"S'pose you give me a thirty days
option" considered Tick.
Gall right" acceoed Aunt 'Lizbeth.
Thirty days later, Tick entered Aunt
Lizbeth's room with a brisk, business
like air. Cathy followed him to the
door with an embarrassed self-con-
sciousness she had never shown be-
fore. -~4-"-~."r">
"Why Cathy," Aunt 'Lizbeth called
at sight Of her, where have you been
all this afternoon?"
"She drove into town with me-" an
swered Tick for her. "We got married,
an got the money"
Got married-you?" echoed Aunt
'Lizbeth, feebly. "Why, you've hated
each other"
HAS seemed that way" assented
Tick. But / been lynn to you right
along, in a concealin' way, Mis- Liz
beth. What l really come in here for
was to study Cathy-though she didn't
know. My grand-dad vas her grand
dad-in-law or something, but with us
not KNOWN each other nor related in
any way. Grand-dad was an umbrella
mender, an felt himself awful rich,
with q whole thousand dollars in a
bank. He didn't want it to 60 out Of
the family, so left it to us If we'd get