The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-07-18
A NARROW
ESCAPE
BY ALAN HINSDALE

peter Simple" replied the youth.
"Know anything about farmin'T
"No."
what wages do you expectT
"Whatever you choose TO give"
"well, considerin' that you lool
strong and are willing 10 leave tn,
wages to me I reckon Ill take you on
I'll feed you and give you SIS month
So Peter Simple the next day wen
TO work on the farm. II was the sea
son when the 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, "Pve
took on a new man today. and ! want
to say to you that you're not to get
mixed up with him."
La, pa! Do you think I'm goin' to
take up with a farm hand? | want
somepin better'n that"
Nevertheless Amanda scrutinized each
new hand her father employed with an
eye. II he was young. to discover
whether or not he would be worth APP
propriating. When she inspected Peter
Simple he was In shirt and trousers
tossing hay on to wagon with a
pitehfork. 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 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 hes father hired Josh Whit
taker. Whitaker was man of thirty.
red headed and freckled. He owned
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 $4,000 In
vested In mortgages she dropped Peter
and took up with JOSH
When a 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.
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
be 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
house. paid him his wages TO date and
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 OH the wedding trip
stopped over at New England city.
A football game between the teams of !
two colleges was advertised, and the
bride persuaded the groom to take her Y
10 see it. There was the usual kick 1
ng about of the ball by small boys j
and the shouts of the cheer leaders a
md the yells of the crowd, and then :
The teams pranced onto the field like ;
icrobats into q circus ring.
Good gracious. JOSH" said Amanda.
Look a-there"
where? What?"
That Teller is Peter Simple as sure
Is my names Mandy"
$50 he is. BY gum"
There was Peter sure enough In the J.
oggery of football man. Both bride r
md groom scanned the score card to c
ind Peters name among the players n
{ was not there.
SAY. mister" said Josh to a young
ter on the ground directly beneath
i'm. "can you tell me who that young n
nan is over there taking off his sweat
RI"
THAT? That's Harkinson. the rich.
st man In his college. They say he's er
forth millions" n
There was no more comfort for Ell e
her Mr.. or Mrs. Whitaker on their h.
ridal trip Amanda looked sour \,
nough to turn lemonade to vinegar
nd Whitaker could not look pleasant =,
hen bis wife sulked. When they
-ent home and the bride had told who !"
eter Simple was Farmer Doyle and ID
Is wife turned as sour as their daugh-
r. VI
Jimmie Harkinson in May. becoming nj
ware of the fact that he would be
unked at his graduation school ex- co
availed himself OF the ma ha
onal demand for food producers to ST
, farming. for the board of education
'omised payment to all boys who no
ould do so. Harkinson. not caring to an
known as himself. chose the name
Peter Simple that be bad picked out tn
a story book. wa
Had Farmer Doyle not discharged
% be would have avowed his wealth
Amanda and gone 70 college In the