The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1917-11-03

yerself ter mum. I'd let yer drive, but
| dissent trust her to yer"
After a sharp 'Gidap!" from Lafe.
the old mare moved slowly a<eay from
the tracks. Jimmie and his host main
tanned an embarrassed silence. The
boy furtively glanced at his employers
cousin and made mental note of the
ragged fringe of whiskers that adorned
the farmers neck. AS LATE shifted a
huge mouthful of tobacco from cheek
to cheek his Adams apple jerked con-
yulsively. Apparently, it roamed about
at will, and disappeared beneath his
shirt collar only to bob up~kmong the
thicket of whiskers with an agility that
completely fascinated Jimmie.
Say" he said at length and by way
of conversation, was you ever to Pas
tor's?'
LATE bestowed the cud in n corner
of his mouth, voided a pint or so of
the attendant moisture and wiped his
lips on the back Of his hand.
Which wanY' he asked.
"On Fourteent' street"
NO" he answered. II never was TO
the city. Gidap!" He fell again to
the rumination of his fine cut. why
dye ask?"
Il fought | seen yer dere wanst,'
Jimmie replied, wild a lady wot play
ed on de trambone. You wuz tellin'
her about de circus comm ter town.
an den yer did a sand dance toged-
der"
LATE gasped in establishment and al
o swallowed his tobacco.
Look a-here, young f%eller," he said.
Il dunno what kind O. dominies you've
got to New York, but up here ministers
of the gospel don't allow no such car
ryin's on in their houses. Gidap!'
Jimmie felt vaguely hat he had Of
Tended and offered prompt reparation.
Excuse me-" he said humbly. 81
didn't mean, to make no break
Freely %granted!' cried LATE. "City
ways amt country ways, | guess, but
you seem "a right nice young Teller.
Gidap!''
Jimmie blushed, and for the rest of
IL tlaN hNilhCl hCDlultd On ally Iul-
Their conversation. Lafe's sister met
them at the head of the farm lane and
greeted Jimmie with a motherly smile.
well. Lafe," she cried. olympia
amt so spry as some. You'd better
come right in an set down. Biscuits
is burnin' this half hour past"
For almost an hour Jimmie tucked
in honey and hot biscuit. with steam
ing coffee and ham. until his rudy
cheeks glistened and the waistband of
his rousers grew taut. By this time
the conversation assumed a more in
innate tone, and eve LATE thawed
out.
We'll, sister," he said, ''y'orter seer
'Lympia when the train came in. |
swan she was scairt out of her witsi'
shell get over it fast enough" Miss
Goodel commented, when they cut
the railroad through the pasture lot"
LATE slapped his knee.
by Gregory" he cried; shell never
get yer it, if that's what she's wait.
ing for! That derned railroad COM
pany won't own my pasture lot for
less than $500 an acre unless they
steal it from me-"
''Mebbe they WILL said Miss Goodel,
IF you stay up till all hours of the
if you want to get ahead of the rail-
road company"
Lafe rose and stretched lazily.
All right. sister," he grunted, and,
taking the lamp from the table. he
piloted Jimmie to the spare room on
the second floor.
Under Lafe's tutelage Jimmie rapid
ly acquired all the accomplishments of
a hired man, and when his vacation
drew toward its close it had proved to
be as profitable for LATE as it had
been enjoyable for Jimmie. A profu,
sion of freckles obscured the healthy
glow in the boys cheeks, and a cast
off suit of Lafe's overalls completed
his transformation into as rustic a
youth as never saw Fulton market or
the Brooklyn bridge.
1t was. therefore. not at all surpris-
ing that he should be hailed as bud"
by the thickset gentleman with the
jet black mustache who drove a smart
looking horse and buggy up the farm
lane.
who lives here. bud?" he asked out
of one corner of his mouth.
Jimmie took in at one comprehen-
sive glance the panama hat, the dia-
mond breastpin and the general air Of
Tenderloin insouciance that pervaded
the strangers personality.
Come again. Jimmie said.
where's yer pap?"
"Pap?" Jimmie repeated.
"Oh, rats the stranger broke in i'm
patiently and drove rapidly up the
lane. Jimmie gazed after him In I'M
affected surprise. That essentially ur-
ban presence in its strange setting of
pasture and meadow affected the boy
like a Whit of East river breeze. and