The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1917-10-04
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IN DESPERATION !.
BY c. 3. LEWIS.


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Phineas Talbot was bashful as 6
baby. If any neighboring woman came
in and lifted him up, he cried because
he could not hide his face. He was
school nothing SO gave him the fidgets
as to have his teacher call him or a
pretty girl smile at him. AS youth
, he was still more bashful. His mother
had to coax and bride him to get him
to go on an errand to the store. If a
girl came to the Talbot house, away
went Phineas on the run.
Phineas grew to a bashful manhood.
He learned piano making, and, in time,
he opened a little agency. 1t was al
most torture to have two or three
young ladies enter his place and begin
to talk music to him. Bashfulness hurt
his business, and men often talked to
him about it, but he was born to blush
and stammer. He might kick himself'a
dozen times day, but it would do no
! good.
There was something in store for
Phineas, and the perspiration stood on
his brow at the mere thought of it. He
! lived with his mother and lived very
contentedly, but she was old and grow
ing older, and the day would come
when he would have to set up home
for himself. A single man, bashful or
not cannot make a home for himself.
He has got to have a wife to do it.
Great heavens Phineas had got to
ask some woman to be his wife, and
how was he ever to get through with
it without being made cripple for |
life!
Every morning when he went to his
place Of business he passed a house |
where there was good-looking girl
Sometimes she sat in the window view
ing the street and sometimes she was
working among the flowers in the front
yard. Of course she never smiled at
him, and of course he took one look
and then looked away.
On a certain summer morning the
unknown maiden ran across the street
bareheaded to speak to young lady
of her acquaintance. Just then Phineas
Talbot came along. Just then, as well,
a man came along leading a COW.
Every sight was a new sight with her.
She missed the blackberry bushes and
bullthistles growing in the pasture.
She was nervous. She was perturbed.
Presently she grew excited and afraid.
All at once that COW concluded that
she would return home before some
thing awful happened. She started on
her return down the street just as the
girl started across the
street for her home. She made for the
girl with a below and her head held
low down. There was scream of ter
screams from pedestrians,
and Phfneas Talbot had jumped two
'eet high. He saw and realized every
hing in moment. 1t was his duty to
20 to that girls rescue. Bashfulness
,hained his feet for half minute
Then sort of crisis seemed to come. =
lie must do it or die. He rushed out
nto the street and grabbed that COW
y the horns and prevented a tragedy.
he COW tossed her head and lifted
'hineas clear off the ground. She
wung her head to and fro and swung
i'm with it, and in one of her swings,
attended to land him on the roof Of
ouse she fell down and her owner
anne up and recovered his rope.
Phineas wasn't much the worse fol-
Is hero work. He was gone almost be-
IRE the good-looking girl had real
ad her danger and recovered from
er fright. A small crowd gathered
nd she was conducted across the
rect, and every one had word OF r
'aise for the daring young man who
Id seized the opportunity as well as
e COW. Phineas hurried down to his
Top, and he sat down to commune
18th himself, and he soon saw another
lost rise up before him. Although
hadn't been in society much, he
lew the rules of good breeding. He
d saved that girls life and he must
II upon her to talk the matter over.
he didn't call she must think him
or.
It haunted him all day, and when he
mt home at night he went by light
street He told his mother as soon
he got in the house that he had
en- feeling strange all day and
ought he would go to doctor. The
lady was looking for something
e this and she told him straight out
It he must make that call. Phineas
lid not get out Of it. He delayed