Abilene weekly reflector., 1918-12-26

| Nett Out uOn WISH WuS 10 Otb
as a house. so that l could give that
chap a llcklng"
He waited in hiding to see what the
girl would do when she returned. She
came slowly. She thought she saw
the fishpole quiyer. She seized 1t and
dung the "fsh" on to the grass behind
her. She had just discovered what 1t
was, and was looking at 1t in wonder,
when the small boy left his lair to
say:
81 saw the guy when he done It'll"
"Did some one put this old boot on
my hook?' she asked.
"He did, Miss, and he's right over
there in the willers."
Gertie walked down to the bridge
and over it and up the bank to the
clump of willows, where the two
souled artist crouched. He saw her
coming, but there was no escape for
him. He Strengthened up and raised
his hat.
The girl looked him up and down
with contempt, and he felt obliged to
say:
II did it as a jokel"
Are you what is called comic
supplement to a Sunday paper?" was
asked.
Pm sorry l did it"
"Oh, don't apologize. There are
men of all sorts of caliber. you know" !"
But"
But Gertie had turned her back on
him and was walking away. When
she rejoined the boy, the latter said:
Say, that guy is stopping over at
Farmer Turner's. Do you want me to
go over there and lick him2 You
made his knees wobble, but l can
make his hair stand up"
Il guess he got enough" was the
reply, and yet the girl did not con-
gratulate herself upon her victory.
Had it been such great crime after
all?
Wouldn't almost anyone else have
taken it as a joke?
Couldn't she have taken 1t as joke
but for the small boy?
The "guy" was good-loOking and a
gentleman. A gentleman sometimes
Jokes as well as other sorts of men.
He had said he was sorry, and would
have gone further if she had consent
ed to listen. He had blushed and been
confused, and had gone away as IL
looking for hole to hide in.
Miss Gertie had a temper quick TO
flash and quick to cool off again, and
by the next morning she had made
reasonable excuses for the joker. So
it was with the small boy. His father
had said 1t was a good joke, and his
mother had smiled at it, and the lad
had come to feel 1t duty to go over
to Turner's and tell the guy that he
was sorry he had given him away. He
was on his way to Turner's across
the fields, when he caught sight OF
Gertie on the highway. She was in
the old buggy and behind the old
horse which her grandmother had
owned for nearly twenty years. She
was headed for the village and the
postoffice.
A quarter of mile beyond the girl
was the guy" He was running down
the hill and waving his hat at her.
"Now then, is that feller crazyT
asked the small boy of himself, as he
mounted stump to see the better.
From the brow of the hill the artist
had seen pair Of horses and wagon
coming on the dead run. He had iIi- .
stantly realized that the driver of the
lighter vehicle would not take the
alarm until too late. He was within
five rods of her when he recognized
Gertie, and as he reached the head
of the old horse he grasped the bridie
and fairly dragged the outfit into the
ditch. AS it was a wheel was taken
off the old buggy and the girl thrown
out. She was somewhat bruised and
terribly scared, and. of course, Mr.,
Yorke had to assist her to the house,
while the small boy remained on the
spot to pick up the pieces and assure
old Dobbin that he had had the escape
of his life.
That evening the same small boy
called on Gertie to see If she had any
toes broken and to add:
'Did you give the guy any more
fitsY'
"Why no." was replied.
'Do you think him nice?"
Ell think So"
ais he a heroT
"He must be-"
"Then you'll marry him, Of course
and I'll be left high and dry That's
what a boy gets for showing a girl
how to go a-fishing and catch an old
bootl"
RevoIutionizing Salmon Industry.
Construction of power plants that
will cost $6000000 and that will revo-
lutionize the salmon packing industry
In the whole Columbia river basin,
are forecasted by application of Nc
= -.