The Topeka state journal., 1919-12-04
EDeni1g Story
A Bean for Kitty-Gat.
BY MARTHA McCULLOCH WILL
LIAMS.

BY MARTHA McCULLOCH WILL
LIAMS.
Thar! I knowed we'd better shoe
that old rooster clean away. Now.
he's done crowed right at the door.
somebody's shore ter come and
keteh us right in the thick o. peach
dryin'," Mrs. Beech said plainfhsely to
her daughter Catherine. They were,
under the big oaks in the back yard,
peejng for dear life and cutting off
the sweet yellow peach-flesh in deep,
thick cups"
Thus it dried richly flavorous
Other. neighbors might slice their
fruit, or cut it any Way-Mrs. Beech
always stuck to cups. She likewise
yellow clipgstone fruit. as sweet as
sugar, especially when you waited I'M
till it WAS dead ripe on the trees.
II amt skeered over company"
Catherine said smiling. Everybody
in hollerin' distance has been and
been and heen And the circuit
riders down 'tother end o. the country
then it's a full month too early for
candidates to be ridin'."
Don't keer if it is-somebody'u
rooster sign" Mrs. Beech said dog
gedly. Her son Tug. who came from
the orchard with a fresh basket of
fruit, added teasingly as he set it
down:
"Itll be some o. your beaus, kitty
Cat-you spt~seeh terrible many of
'em l don't hardly see how we-all
ever git anything done"
Catherine flushed deeply but tried
to laugh-she was nineteen and had
never had a beau. Yet she was not
ugly, nor awkward, nor a shreW.
Penny and Jincy, the cousins she
came between in age were both mar
ried, and even Ellen-Lou, Uncle Ben's
girl. only rising fifteen, engaged. 1t
was hard to be set down almost before
she came to herself a fuil-blown old
maid. But that seemed inevitable
already people talked of her when a
likely widower developed as one who
would make a mighty good step
mother. More than that she had
twice been sent for to help bake we'd
ding cake. Her mother said with
sigh il it happened again GATHERINGS
fate was sealed-she'd never known
the sign to fail-bake cake for three
weddin's, you'd never go to your own.
Maybe you will see somebody pass"
Tug added magnanimonsly, again
shouldering his basket. up high in
the tree seen er whole passel o. men
yam side the parster-no they amt
ridin'-jest hoppin' erbout and stickip'
down sticks and doubiin' over like they
WAS a-lookin' fer pins and needles"
Il hope they amt up to no mean
ness-cOnjurin' ner nothin'," Mrs.
Beech said anxiously.- But eff it amt
that, what in the name O. peace can
it be?''
She was soon to find out. The sur
veyors, out locating tentatively new
railway cutoff. ca me upon her around
IL O'Clock, begging and praying for
dinner. Five men, ypung and hungry,
were rather fornnjha ble-still Mrs.
Beech never let anH hungry soul get
away.
She whirled in, and with GATHERINGS
help set out such a meal by 12 O'Clock
as made those who ate it her bond
slaves. After a camp breakfast, ham,
fried chicken. black eyed peas, roast
ing ears, crisp cueumbers and squash
mashed in butter and cream were be-
yond nectar and ambrosia.,
Top these Off with peach cobbler.
very crisp as to crust, very rich and
sweet as to filling, and gorging was
inevitable. After the gorging the men
lay at ease in the shade, smoking, say
ing little but looking gratefully at
thier hostesses.
Thus lying, embarrassment fell upon
them. They had meant to pay well
for what they got; now the longer they
talked or listened to the two women
tho more impossible became the offer
of money. The Beeches were SO sim
ply, so joyously hospitable, SO eagerly
kind, their guests felt instinctiyely the
offer of money would hurt them.
But to go away without making
some return was equally impossible
Once Acton, the head surveyor,
thought of suggesting that the cutoff,
almost sure to come thru the out
pasture, might mean a round price to
the Beeches for its right of way. But
that seemed rather low-as II he hint
ed a payment thru favOrs to come.
whispers went about from one to an
other. behind the backs of hands, or
under the pretense of filling pipes
from a common pouch. They estab-
lished the fact that all five agreed
a money offer was out of the aues-
tion. yet something had to be done. 5
At last Acton had brilliant idea
namely, to take Tug along when
they left upon plea of needing guild
anee, and send back by his hand
either an ronorarium fitting the case,
or an intimation that the Beeches
would get a little later. something
more substantial than thanks. The
rest agreed, still in whispers that it
was way out. They were young
fellows all. and gentlemen, therefore
she was looking the other way. t
She was not strictly pretty, but
there was classic grace in her lengths.
her poses, the turn of her head, with
simple lines of her blue-cheeked ging-
ham frock. Anderson looked at her
least of ali--he was the youngest of
them, just twenty and out of
school. After each look he turned
away his head and puffed hard. as tho.
trying to get a perpIexing problem
All things end-even after-dinner
rests. BY 3 O'Clock the party was
away, Tug walking proudly with 1t at
Acton's elbow. Acton drew him out
adroitly. Inside ten minutes he knew
there was no pinch of poverty in the
Beech homestead. neither any great
plenty of ready money. He gathered
also that Tug owned in full the family
feeling of hospitality
= Boy that he was, he said gayly all
of them must come again-come to
stay, if the railroad were built that
way-and run in whiles If it went five
miles off. "All youll get'H be good
beds and enough to eat-seeh as it is. -
He added. HRJIt m m r11xr LS ri iO1a