Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1918-11-08
LITTLE MISS CALIPERS
How a Sick Lumberjack'S Daugh.
ter Made Good.
BY N. J. COTTON.

| rude log shack, half mile below th'
landing and camp Of the Kilkenny
Lumber company, and YEARLY threw
down his string of wooden figure tab
lets and calipers
It's no USE he dejectedly exclain
ed, Il cant go on with that scaling
The rheumatism has got me worse
than ever, | don't know what's to be
done. | asked Dunn for lay-oh to
night, and he told me il I quit now
1t would be for good. He's had 1t in
for me for a long time and l sup
pose he thinks this is his chance tc
ship me-"
I'm sure l don't know what is to
become OF US, with a payment due on
the farm" complained Mrs. futile, a
little worn, tired-faced woman.
Say, dadl" cheerfully exclaimed a
sturdy, rosy-cheeked girl of eighteen
throwing an arm lovingly around his
neck. why cant take your place on
the log pile? have been with you ever
since | can remember, scaling tim
Der"
Why, gal" replied the old man,
tenderly stroklng her cheek, its no
place for you among all those rough
men"
But | know the most of them,
dad, and | am not afraid"
Amos futile loved his daughter
better than anything else on earth, and
he was proud to have her offer to
sion into ho Dat
lively he shrank from consenting to
her coming in contact with
all those rough men. For sew.
eral moments he tenderly regarded
her in thoughtful silence At length
he spoke, but with evident reluc-
lance.
Well, Rita, II Dunn is willing you
may try 1t, but If any OF those Jacks
insult you, gal, tell me, and I'll crawl
up there on my hands and knees and
shoot the cusses."
Then next morning Amos Tuttle
could not get out Of bed, but his sub.
stitute, cheerful and self-reliant
promptly at seven o'clock swung the
calipers and figure tablets across her
shoulder and resolutely started for
the landing. Clad in short skirts and
red sweater, with long CATERS and
overshoes, and her riotous curls con
fined by long topped Canadian to
boggan cap, she successfully defied
the cold and was a most bewitching
wood nymph personified.
Jim Dunn, the boss, was alone
on the landing when she arrived. The
teams had gone up the mountain
after their first load, and the landing
men had not come up from the camp
Dunn was big, coarse, illiterate man
who kept his job by sheer muscular
force.
Hello, little one," he exclaimed In
a coarse, familiar voice.
Rita acknowledged the greeting as
graciously as possible. She had an in
stinctive dread of this man.
Father is laid up with rheumatism
May / take his placer"
Dunn regarded her a moment ir
open admiration before answering
then laughing coarsely he said:
IT'S irregular, gal, and might cos
me me job, IL the company knew
It, But, I'll be DANCED II | won't dc
1t, on one consideration. II you'll give
me kiss every morning, I'll do 1t,
he finished,
Rita's heart sank
rs there no other alternative?" sh,
asked.
Il don't know what that jawbreak
er means; but ] reckon you mean, II
there another loop-hole? | opine there
amt, It's kiss a day, or you dom
get the job"
Put a daughter of yours In. m,
place, Mr. Dunn" she pleaded
Amt got none, an If had reckon
kiss wouldn't hurt her any" was hi
unfeeling reply. Her plea had fallei
on barren ground. She hesitated
was an infamous proposition he OF
rered but on It hung her fathers job
and they needed the money.
81 accept" she crisply replied, pro
vided you take the kiss when no on,
Is around"
IAN right, my dear, Just as yo,
say. Guess I'll take me first install
ment now"
Inwardly Rita trembled, and an over
towering disgust for this beast I'LL
ed her soul But she resolutely hell
up her head and submitted to tn,
sacrilege,
1t was we'll Amos futile did no
witness the act; II he had Jim Dunn
would never have lived to insult an
other woman.
theoretically wiping her outraged
lips, Rita went to the scalers littl,
shack to wait for her first load o
| timber.
1t was not long before several team
drove on the landing, with clanking o
chains, booming of dragging timber
and hoarse shouts of the teamsters
Rita's debut created sensation. bu
1t was a cordial, good-natured one.
Admiration for the plucky girl VIII,
so bravely took her fathers place amit
such trying circumstances brought on
shout of approval from those rougl
men. One old teamster. a friend O
her fathers, shouted enthusiastically
Bully for yew, little Miss eli
pers!"
A cheer and the name were takeI
up and repeated, until the woods RAM
| with the echoes.
There was not man in camp bu
would have championed her, an,
taken a licking from Dunn, had sh,
appealed to them, But she realized
Dunn was power there, and 1t woult
do no good to appeal to anyone. Whei
she could stand 1t no longer she woult
quit.
A week passed, and Mr.. futile grew