Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1917-10-04

at suit Fanny say, AN you be good
'nouncer, cause you a fine, big man
an got a big, gram voice. Men you
learn befo' long be a waituh, Genesis,
an git dolluh an half ev'y even you
waitin', sides all at money you make
cuttin' grass daytime Well, sub, Is
stan up dom 'at %'nouncin' ve'y mex
night, White lady an ge1'mun walk
todes my do, l step up to 'em-I step
up to en- this away"
Here Genesis found it pleasant to
present the scene With some elabora-
ton He dropped the handle Of the
freezer. rose, assumed a stately but
insratiating expression and stepped
up to the imagined couple, using a
pacing ard Rhythmic gait.
Then, bending graciously, as though
the persons addressed were of dwarf
ish stature, "'Scuse me-" he said, "but
kin | please be so p'lite as to 'quiah
yo' name?" For a moment he listen
ed attentivcly, then nodded, and, re-
turning With the same aristocratic un-
dulations to an imaginary doorway
near the freezer, "Misto an Missuz Or
losko Rinktum!" he proclaimed sono
rously.
Jane looked at him thoughtfuIly
DO you like it. better than cuttin'
grass, Genesis?' she asked.
He paused to consider. "Yes'm-
when ban play all lem tunes! Ny
s%oo'ness. do SCUM gram
You can't do it tonight, though,
Genesis" said Jane. "You hat to be
quiet on Sunday nights, don't you?'
"Yes'm. Aim got no mo- k%aytunun
till mex Friday cven'."
ooh, l bet that's the party for Miss
Pratt at Mr.. Parcher's!" Jane cried
Didn't 1 guess right?"
"Yes'm. I reckon I'm a-goin' a see
one yo' family at night-see him dane
in, wait on him at ref-eshmuns."
James expression became even more
serious than usual. willie? l don't
know whether he's goin', Genesis"
Ian name" Genesis exclaimed.
"He die eff he don git invite to at
BALI"
ooh, he's inyited!" said Jane. Only
/ think maybe he won't 60"
"My goodness. Why ain' he goin'?"
Jane looked at her friend st%uliously
before replying. "Well, it's a secret"
She said finally, but it's a very inter
sting one, an I'll tell you if you never
tell"
"Yes'm; | ain tellin' nobody"
Jane glanced round, then stepped a
little closer and told the secret with
the solemnity it deserved. "Well, whom
Miss Pratt first came to visit Miss
May Parcher, Willie used to keep pa
pas evening clo'es in his window scat,
an mamma wondered what had be-
come of EN-. Then, after dinner, he'd
slip up there an put 'em on him an
go out through the kitchen en- call on
Miss Pratt.
Then mamma found 'cm, an she
thought he oughtn't to- do that, so she
didn't tell him or anything, an she
didn't eel tell papa, but she had the
tailor make 'em ever an ever so much
bigger, cause they were gettin' too
tight for papa. An, well, so after that,
even if Willie could get 'em out O
mammals clo'es closet where she keeps
'em now, he'd look so funny in 'em he
couldn't wear 'em. We'll, an then be
couldn't go to pay calls on Miss Pratt
in the evening since then, because
mamma says after he started to 60
there in that suit he couldn't so with.
out it, or maybe Miss Pratt or the 9th,
er ones that's in love Of her would
think it vas pretty queer an maybe
kind Of expeck it was papa's all the
time.
Mamma says she thinks Willie must
have worried a good deal over reasons
to say why he'd always so in the day.
time after that an came in the
evening. An now they're goin' to have
this party, an she says he's been get.
tin paler an paler every day since he
heard about it. Mamma says he's pale
some because Miss Pratt's goin' away
but she thinks it's a good deal more
because-well, if be would wear those
evening clo'es just to go calm, how
would it be to go to that party an',not
have any? That's what mamma thinks
an, Genesis, you promised you'd new
er tell as long as you liye!'
"Yes'm; I ain tellin'," Genesis
chuckled. "1'm a-goin' a git me ono
mem waituh suits befo' long myself
SOS I kin quit wearin' at ole Henry
Gimlet suit what b'long to Fanny, an
have me a privut suit O. my own
They's a secon'han' sto' ovuh OF the
avynoo, where they got swallertail
suits all way fun sevum dolluhs to
nineteen dolluhs an ninety-eight cents
I'm a.
Jane started, interrupting him. "Sh!'
she whispered, laying a finger warn.
ingly upon her lips.
William had entered the yard at the
back gate and, approaching over the
lawn, had arrived at the steps of the
porch before Jane perceived him. She
gave him an apprehensive look, but he
passed into the house absentmindedly,
not even finching at sight of Clematis.
And Mrs. Baxter was right-William
did look pale,