Metropolis weekly gazette. (Metropolis, Ill.) 1???-19??, 1917-08-31
A NARROW
ESCAPE
By ALAN HINSDALE

w nat your hume uSheu L dFIneE
Doyle of a young man about seventeen
years old who had applied to him to be
taken on to the crop gathering force.
Peter Simple replied the youth.
"Know anything about farmin'!"
mo"
"What wages do you expect?"
whatever you choose to give"
"Well. considerin that you look
strong and are willing to leave the
wages to me l reckon I'll take you on.
I'll feed you and give you SIS month";
SO Peter Simple the next day went
to work on the farm. 1t was the sea- /.
son when the war between the United
States and Germany had been declared
and the raising of cereal food was of
great importance.
Amanda said Farmer Doyle to his
daughter that evening when she was
wiping the dishes after supper, I've
took on new man today, and want
to say to you that you're not to get
mixed up with him"
La, pa Do You think I'm goin' to
| take up with a farm hand? l want
somepin better'n that"
Nevertheless Amanda scrutinized each
new hand her father employed with an
eye. If he was young. to discover
whether or not he would be worth ap-
propriating. When she inspected Peter
Simple he was in shirt and trousers
tossing hay on to a wagon with a
pitchfork. He had a fine figure, and
1t showed to advantage in the costume
he wore. 1t seemed to Amanda that
he was worthy of consideration. She
went into the dairy house, got a pitch
er of buttermilk and took it out to him.
He drank it with thanks and an admir-
ing gaze at Amanda.
Peter was secretly Amanda's favor
lite till her father hired Josh Whit
taker. Whitaker was man of thirty,
red headed and freckled. He owned
farm, but that season he got an idea
into his head that with so many farm
ers in the field prices were bound to go
down. So he leased his farm and to
put in his time in July and August
went to work for Farmer Doyle. As
soon as Amanda learned of Whitta-
ker's farm and that he had $500 in
vested In mortgages she dropped Peter
and took up with Josh.
When n man, or rather, boy, of
seventeen falls in love he goes down
clear over his head and keeps on GO
ing down till he touches bottom. Pc
ter, who was in worldly heaven
while Amanda was smiling at him,
was ready for suicide when he found
himself supplanted. Amanda's par
ents saw it all and. though they had
scolded her for encouraging Peter
! urged her on when she encouraged
Josh. Many a smile passed between
! the couple when at supper.
A week before the end of September
an engagement was announced be-
tween Amanda Doyle and Joshua
| Whitaker 1t seemed to Peter that
the bottom had dropped out of his life.
He tried to find Amanda alone that
he might beg her before it was too late
not TO blight his life. He had made
up his mind to tell her something that
might induce her to change her mind.
Lucky Peter! Farmer Doyle came
along and saw him waiting for Aman-
the cows. Doyle called Peter into the
| house, paid him his wages to date and
told him to vacate the premises. Peter
surrendered and was never again seen
on the Doyle farm.
Amanda in the autumn was married
to Whitaker and on the wedding trip
stopped over at New England city
\ football game between the teams of
| two colleges was advertised, and the
bride persuaded the groom to take her,
| to see 1t. There was the usual kick
ing about of the ball by small boys
and the shouts of the cheer leaders
and the yells of the crowd, and then
the teams pranced onto the field like
acrobats into a circus ring.
Good gracious, JOSH" said Amanda.
Look a-there"'
Where? WhatF
THAT Teller is Peter Simple as sure
as my names Mandy"
$50 he is. By gumv'
There was Peter sure enough In the
toggery of football man. Both bride
and groom scanned the score card to
find Peters name among the players.
| 1t was not there.
"Say, mister" said Josh to a young
ster on the ground directly beneath
him, ''can you tell me who that young
man is over there taking off his sweat
err
THAT? That's Parkinson. the rich
est man In his college. They say he's
worth millions"
There was no more comfort for Ell
Their Mr. or Mrs Whitaker on their
bridal trip. Amanda looked sour
enough TO turn lemonade to vinegar.
and Whitaker could not look pleasant
when his wife sulked When they
went home and the bride had told who
Peter Simple was Farmer Doyle and
his wife turned as sour as their daugh-
| ter.
Jimmie Parkinson in May. becoming
aware of the fact that he would be
fiunked at his graduation school ex-
| amInations awaited himself of the ma.