Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1917-07-13
GIRL IN OvERAllS
BY JANE OSBORN.

'hc iduuci iOokeu uOWu WHICH, loi tiic
fourth time that day, she heard an
alarm clock-One of the large, insist
ent, braZen-voiced sort-ringing in the
next cottage.
1t was twelve O'Clock, and it seemed
to the girl as she welded brush satu-
rated and dripping with verdant green
paint, that ii was about time the latest
sleeper had arisen. And, besides. as
Margot of the paintbrush knew, there
was nobody in the cottage next door
but a certain very diverting two-year-
Old lassie named Peggy and her moth
er. Why the alarm clock? For the
Gregory cottage and the Kenyon cot
tage, located i'm the middle of coy
little pine wood not far from the lake
We're the only habitatiOns for mile or
so.
There it was that Margot and her
brother spent their vacation and week
ends, and because MargOts brother
had merely grunted vague promises
every time she suggested that he put
much-needed coat of paint on the lit
made up her mind to paint it herself.
Suddenly, without any warning. the
ladder slipped and MargOt was left sit
ting on the ledge of the sloping roof.
She worked her way along until she
reached one of the windows. Her feet
danGled just above it. She tried TO
persuade herself that she enjoyed sit
ting there looking through the pine
trees.
Il wonder If l shall have to sit here
all day till Tom gets home? How hun
cry l shall be" she was rejecting And
then she heard the twO-year-old Peg
gy's shrill voice of rebellion in the next
cottage, and she thought of her neigh
Dor.
"Oh, say, Mrs. Kenyon!" she called.
"Mrs. Kenyon, Mrs. Kenyon, won't you
come and help me?'
There was an echo of the baby wall,
then sounds under the trees through
the brush and then a tall young man
stood below her. His sleeves were
rolled up to his elbows and over his
white flannel trousers was firmly tied
a blue-and-white Bingham apron.
would you awfully mind setting
that ladder up against the hOuSe?" she
said. I'm hOusepainting and it slipped
and I'm hungry and / want to get
down."
The man leaned the ladder up
against the house. 1T is great to be
able to do things like that" comment
ed the aproned young man. Il like
painting"
Il don't mind the part you can reach
from the ground" replied Margot. I'm
going to spend the rest Of the after
noon doing the porch and the things
that l can reach. l have had enough
of ladders for today. I'll go up again
tomorrow, though"
MargOt stopped at the shrill call of
the alarm clock next door.
There it goes" said the young man.
impatiently, and making hasty apollo
gies he darted through the underbrush
toward the other cottage.
Half an hour later the girl, her over
alls covered by bungalow apron, the
green paint washed from her hands
and her face, walked rather timidly to
the end of her pine clearing.
"Mr. Kenyon" she called. "Mr. Ken
yon, if that is your name"
And when the young man, this time
with Peggy wailing rebelliOusly under
his arm, came to meet her she asked
him whether he was alone. He told her
he was.
'Then you are hungry, l am sure. 1
have made some cinnamon toast and /
know you would like some. Shall /
bring it to you or will you come over
and have it in our house,"
They compromised by deciding to
eat it under pine tree midway be-
tween the two cottages.
"Why do you have alarm clocks
sounding all the timer" asked the girl,
pouring out a dainty cup Of iced choc-
Olate for her new-found friend. She
had brought tray full of goodies for
their informal repast.
"Well, it is this way" said the young
man, pulling a book from his pocket.
"What else could you do? Look at this !:
g 80 a. m, get up and dress the baby !;
z a. m, milk, Zwieback 9 a. m, orange
juice; 10 a. m, cereal, cup of milk; II,
bath; 2 p. m, broth, vegetables, stale
bread, baked apple; 6, cereal and
toast; 6 80, put to bed; 10 p. M, milk
How on earth can a man keep track
Of things like that? How am / to re-
member when / am in the middle of
fixing up the house, for instance, that
II is time for orange juice or bath or
a dish of milk?"
Let's swap jobs" suggested the
girl. I'D like to take care of Peggy
if you'll finish painting the house. And
my brother needn't ever know and
neither need your sister"
A week later Margot said: 81 sup
pose your sister will think it is won
derful because Peggy has been taken
care of so well. My brother thinks 1
am the most wonderful girl he knows
because / have done all the painting
and everything"
Il don't know that my sister-in-law
will be so surprised" confessed the
man.
"Why not?" asked Margot.
Because it has all been cooked up.
You see she told me that the prettiest
girl she ever saw lived next door and