Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1921-11-04

can rite an spell fine cant /.
we'll bill kind friend jimmy fayne
has jes sent yOre mothers made up
hear to ask If he can see me and
will half to go down stares and see
what he wants.
yores respectively.
Babe.
Bill Dale folded the bulky letter
and put it slowly back into the envel-
ope. Then his gaze wandered through
a window and to where golden
winged high-holer was hammefing in
dustriously at the top branch Of a
dead tree. He smiled to himself, By
Heck and nearly all of the rest OF
the world for the moment forgotten,
and muttered aloud:
"'Yores respectively, Babe"
"Haw, haw, haw!,' laughed the keen
cared and watchful hillman in the
straight-back chair behind him.
"'Yores respectively, Babel Haw,
haw, haw! Well. Bill, dadsling it, it
shorely to goodness amt nothin' to
turn all that red about When the
nights gone the day comes, don't it?
Bill, old boy, it's the same thing!"
You get out of here, By! Dale
stormed in mock severity. go and
new goods; eh?"
Heck laughed another horselaugh.
rose and went out.
When he had gone, Dale began to
think-of the ultra-spoiled, charming.
aftera- fashion, wealthy, young, high
night devotee, Jimmy Fayne. And he
wondered, and wondered, what would
come of Fayne's quick liking for Babe
Littleford.
After he had viewed the matter from
above and below and all sides around
he frowned like a berserker.
Here is what came of Jimmy Fayne's
quick liking for Babe Littleford-
.
The days had passed swiftly, and au-
tumn was far advanced. Save for a
grew in places sheltered from the
frosts. the flowers were all gone; the
naples were shedding their leaves Of
brown, crimson and gold.
Ben Littleford's daughter had
changed much in many ways. She had
tried as hard as ever mortal tried to
learn the correct use Of words; and
Mrs. Dale had been patient, painstak-
ing and efficient in hes teachings. Not
that Elizabeth was educated, in any
real sense of the word. Far from it.
But her Improvement was, in all truth,
quite remarkable. She wore more or
less costly gowns now, and a few
| jewels, thanks to Mrs. Dale, and
wherever she went she attracted ad-
miring glances.
Jimmy Fayne had been coming to
see her when Mrs. Dale would per-
nit it. which was not very often. Jim.
my Fayne. as Patricia McLaurin had
once been moved to say, was a far
seeing young man for all his weak
nesses he had known I'm advance that
! the laurel bloom would change to a
| rose, and then to white hyacinih h.
Perhaps he even considered the fart
that she would make better wife for
him. and better mother for his chill
dren, than some fragile and oyer-cul-
tured woman of patrician house that
had about run out. At any rate, Jim
my Fayne, the ultra-spoiled, had de-
cided that he would marry her.
During those weeks that had been
made happy by an occasional hou, at
the home of the Dales, Fayne had not
once mentioned marriage. He figured,
and wisely enough, that to be TOO
quick with his proposal would be to
lose everything.
But now he meant to propose, for he
knew that Miss LttIeford intended 60
ing home for viSit-and he knew that
when she went home she would see
Carlyle Dale. The truth was, of
course, that Miss LittlefOrd was go
ing to Tennessee to attend the Oc-
tober term of court at Gainesville.
1T was little after the middle of
bright afternoon. He found her sit
ting on an iron settee in secluded
corner of the lawn, where cape jessa-
mines and lilac bushes grew in order
ly array. She wore light wrap, and
there was an eaSy-tO-read book hi her
hands; but she wasn't trying to read
at the moment.
He barred his head, greeted her
pleasantly, and asked permission TO
sit down beside her. She looked up
at him. He was Immediately dressed.
"Of course" she granted with a
smile that was very winsOme.
He stated his mission briefly, for
Mrs. Dale might appear at any min
ute.
Il came, Elizabeth, to ask you to
marry me-
She sat as still as though she had
not heard. He went on hastily:
II confess that I'm little ashamed
Of trying to take you away from Car
lyle Dale, for he was always very nice
to me. But | may be forgiven for
that l think, because | care for you
great deal. Anyway-'Al is fair