The Era-leader., 1921-07-28
BILL JONES
By JACK LAWTCN.
,et.y~eet.:s
&c. 1890, Western Newspaper un.oaJ

IL you QOn stop Wa!'Ing around
Man," he said, "Tll move ON. It's i'm
! possible to read or even to think ir
your uneasy presence. By all that's
reasonable, what is the matter with
you?"
Nan caught up porch pillow and
aimed it at her brother.
You are the NATTER" she replied
| you and the rest of our aimless
| crowd. | am 50 tired Of motoring with
silly C}aud Barnett, and you had no
right to promise William Launceiot a
| meeting with me this afternoon. His
name shows what he would be like ;
don't want to know him.
Bob regarded his sister.
"Your real trouble" he said frankly,
us too much good fortune. If YOU
had to get out and work like some
girls it would be better for you.'
Nan merely nodded her pretty head.
81 think so too," she said~~"and the
same to Yourself"
ST." her brother lazIly remarked,
"am contented with things ns they
are. The rule does not apply, How
ever" he laughed as he opened his
book, IF ambition overwhe'ms you get
out on the farm and help Cy with the
grapes"
"Tll do it, she said; "tt will be diff.
ferent, Pm going to put on a gingham
dress and start for the vineyard now.
| will apply tncognito-Nancy Tucker
from Tuckersyille; don't you dare
breathe a word"
Bob grinned.
"Ies-you-will,' he jeered, bnt
Nan was gone. Her pink singham
dress was appropriately faded, and
she tucked her hair under common
garden hat and steered her little car
farmward. She found a convenient
parking place in a wooded spot, and
walked on In a CHEEKY sense Of ad-
venture. The pickers were varously
assembled and the spreading vine
yards made an inviting picture.
The man called Cy was not pleas
ing, as she had hoped to find him,
Nan was really a bit disappointed;
perhaps In all this picturesqueness she
had also hoped to find a divertingly
picturesque personality, Cy was mat
ter of fact to bruSqueness.
"Get busy If you want the JOB" he
answered her tlmid application, and
pointed out the way.
Nan approached the loaded vines
hesitatingly, then smiled, and began
her task. The morning was extremely
hot; to the end Of the orderly row
seemed a "long, long trail" indeed,
But presently as she hummed and
conscientiously picked, a man came
down the long trail with basket.
Good day for picking" he pleasant
ly remarked.
Nan nodded. She was not acQuaint.
ed with the etiquette Of the vine.
yard. but as the young man inter-
spersed soft whistled tunes with cas-.
ual conversation, she forgot about eti
quette and answered him In good
n9t11red camaraderje.
"My name Is plain Bill Jones" he
told her; "easy to remember. Pm not
working here regularly-just filling In.
And you-?"
Nan turned down the brim of the
garden hat to hide her confusion. "I'm
Just filling in, too," she said.
"Where are you going to eat your
lunch?" Bill Jones asked in the friend.
ly manner which was not in the least
presumptuous.
II am going to eat mine back in a
shady spot near the fence. Aunt TIL
ly fixed a generous packet of sand
wiches for me, and dOughnuts. You
will have to have one Of those. Aunt
TITLES doughnuts were made to be
shared"
"Tharks," said Nan; II will"
But the shrewd dark eyes read her
subterfuge as she attempted to slip
away.
"You haven't brought lunch with
yon," accused Bill Jones. "please stay
and share mine"
And some way or other the appeal
ing please" was impossible to re-
sist. Two soiled and weary pickers
promptly made their way to a certain
shady place near the fence, and com.
muned as they ate their meal.
II think" said Nan at last in small
voice, that I'll just work an hour
more, then 60. It does make ones
back ache, doesn't it7"
Bill Jones was at once sympathet.
ic. "Stop right where you are, If you
feel that way" he advised.
Nan went slowly and regretfully
down the road to woOdsy spot where
she had parked her car; it seemed a
ptty to have to run away from the
only really happy day Of ones visit,
just because convention made that sort
of HAPPINESS forbidden. Whatever