White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1917-12-23

They disappeared round the corner
Of the house, their heads close to-
gether.
Upstairs Mrs. Baxter moved to the
door of her sons room. pretending to
be unconscious Of the gaze he main--
tanned upon her. Mastering courage
TO hum a little tune and affecting In
consequence. she had nearly crossed
the threshold when he said sternly:
And this is ali you intend to say to
that child?"
why. yes, Willie"
And yet | told you what she saidr'
he cried. 81 told you | heard her stand
there and tell that dirty faced little
girl how that IDIOT boy that's always
walkin' past here. four or Ave times a
day, whistling and looking back, was
in love OF her. Ye gods. What kind
of a person will she grow up into n
you don't punish her for havin' ideas
like that at her age? | never heard Of
such a thingl That worm walkin' past
here four or five times a day Just to
look at Jane And her standing there,
calmly tellin' that sooty faced little
girl, He's in love of mel Why, it's
enough to sicken a man! Honestly, II
| had my way. I'd see that both she
and that little Freddie Banks got q
first class w%hippingf'
Don't you think, Willie" said Mrs.
Baxter-"don't you think that, consid-
ering the rather noncommittal method
of Freddie's courtship. you are sug-
costing extreme measuresf"
well. she certainly ought to be pun
ishedF' he insisted, and then, with a re-
yersal to agony, he ~shuddered. That's
the least of itl' he cried. Its the In
sulting things you always allow her
to say of one of the noblest girls in
the United States-that's what counts!
On the very last day-yes, almost the
last hour-that Miss Pratt's in this
town you let your only daughter stand
there and speak disrespectfully Of her.
and then all you do is to tell her to
go play somewhere else!"
You're all wrought up
81 am not wrought up!" shouted
william. "why should | be charged
with
NOW, nowr' Mrs. Baxter said
You'll feel better tomorrow
what do you mean by thatr" he de-
handed, breathing deeply.
For reply she only shook her head
In an odd little way.
you'll be all right, Willie" she said
softly and closed the door.
Alone, William lifted clinched hands
In a series Of tumultuous gestures at
the ceiling; then he moaned and sank
into a chair at his writing table. Pres
emily a comparative calm was restored
to him, and with reverent fingers he
took from a drawer a one pound box
of candy. covered with white tissue
paper, girdled with blue ribbon. He
set the box gently beside him upon the
table, then from beneath a large green
blotter drew forth some scrubbed
sheets. These he placed before him
and, taking infinite pains with his
handwriting. 'lowly copied:
Dear Lola-I presume when you are
reading these lines 1t will be this after
noon. and you will be on the train moving
rapidly away from this old place here
farther and farther from IL all. As / sit
here at my old desk and look back upon 1t
all while I am writing this farewell letter
hope when you are reading IL you Also
will look back upon II all and think OF
one you called (Alias) Little Boy Baxter.
As | sit here this morning that you are
going away AT last | look back n can
not remember any summer In my whole
life which has been like this summer, be-
cause a great change has come over me
this summer. If YOU would Ike to know
what tie means. Il was something lie
said when John Watson set there yestsr-
day afternoon and interrupted what sad
May you enjoy this candy and think OF
the giver. l win put something In with
this letter. II is something maybe you
would like to have and in exchange l
would give all | possess for one of you II
you would send 1t to me when you get
home. Please do this for now my heart
is braking. Yours sincerely.
WILLIAM 8. BAXTER
(ALIAS) LITTLE BOY