The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-10-25
E0eningS Story
The Finish&a 8unch.
BY MARTHA Nee. WILLIAMS.

ion" Hawkins began impressively.
that the thing is unthinkable. Quitei"
Nobody asks your opinion, so why
net keep it to yeurself?" Miss Marina
countered- Are you afraid of poison
ing yourself with suppressed advice p"
IF I am to be insulted," Hawkins
said, rising pompously, why let's get
it over and done WITH
Miss Marina tossed back at him:
Lord, Sam" she ran on giggling, IF
YOU knew what a fool you look when
you put on the great megul air You
surely would can it for one WHILE
She held No ranoor against her step>,
brother; rather the tolerance of use
and wont. He wasn't wholly a bad
sort; only such a ninny about some
things. Witness his belief that to look
on him was to Yove him by anything
betwixt fifteen and fifty. Equitably,
She had been so busy safeguarding
Sammy since he put on roundabouts
small wonder he had accepted her
valuation of himself.
IF you persist in your folly, there is
nothing for it but to go camping this
next fortnight" he began reflectively.
"Grassn get you past redemption in
one week, let alone two" she said.
And I won't let the neighbor boys
come and plew you out, as they did
last year."
well, what am to do?" sammy's
voice trembled. with mothers heart
so weak, you know it would kill her to
see me married"
"You'll find safety in numbers,
silly" Miss Marina comforted. You
can't possibly marry six girls at once.
Net any more than you could make UP
your mind which, supposing any OF
EN- would have you.'
You're bound to have them?"
''Surest thing you know. That's the
word with the bark on it. So behave
like man even if you can't be one"
81 don't see why almost tearfully.
But I do see why" obstinately.
Here I've got good place, room and
to spare. iashins to eat and drink,
nobody but myself to care for-and
these slips of things, working hard all
year with no chance OF fun and fresh
air. They shall have both-and things
to eat, and sleep late as they like, and
ride and wade, and roll in the hay.
You go about your business, and III
see to it not one of EN- even looks
at you
';But-but I'll have to look at
them" plaintively.
"No-you can be biindfolded till you
get out in the field-and eat with just
nanny; she'll be dragon over you"
Miss Marina expounded. "Now listen
hard Unless you make this crop
you planted, don't go incoming off as
you've been doing this last two-three
years. I won't stand to the promise of
making up the rest of your college
money I've got it to spare, but sup
plying orutches is no way of teachlng
a fellow to walk on his own feet"
Sammy got up-tall, lean, indecisive
of step and motion. When are-are
they coming?" he asked TREMENDOUSLY.
To-day. at 10 O'clock" Miss Marina
answered. 80 if you want to fly the
coop, and. the crop, better be quick
sammy did not fly the coop. but the
fresh air bunch would surely have cost
hirna his crop, had not Miss Marina
bounded him rernorselesSly to its tend
ance. The bunch was NOT slow to
sense his attitude. BEING young, fen1i-
nine and overflowing, with suppressed
deviltry. its component units ran rings
all around him. BY the third day,
they followed him as small chicks do
"a mother hen, asking him all about
everything, pretending a thirst for
farm knowledge and training in farm
Marina, but she allowed two days for
the tide to spend itself. Since it
mounted high and higher she smiled
grimly and took command. How
would your like to put in a crop of
navy beans and some late cucumbers?"
for planting-you can come back
around labor day, and tend to the
picking. I'll have work done mean
itime-charging it to you, of course
but that won't take SO much of the
profits. Are you gameF If you are,
why, next year you may be real farm
erettes.o
Game. OF course-theya picked up
hoes and rakes gingerly. but with an
eager seeming, and obeyed orders as
best they could. Sowing the beans
was hard work=Miss Marina insisted
the rows must be straight. The ground
had been plowed and narrowed, but
rows had to be laid off with the
hand marker=which was heavy and
tiresome. Cucumber hills meant dig
ging deep holes, filling them with very
rich earth and sticking in many. seed
Sammy was ridiculously eager to help,
and be helped, but was sternly shooed
back to his own proper employment.
His mother divided her time betwixt
weeping over him and cooking special
dishes to be surreptitfously eaten, the
while looking daggers at hard-hearted
Marina, who had wilfully brought
Sammy Into such peril:
After two days of planting, the
bunch was rewarded with a picnic
down by the big spring. Not the hen
party with wading and swimming in
the Blue Hole Miss Marina had meant
1t to be-lnySterlously, even Inlracu-
lousy, half a dozen young fellows
from farms round about, came bright
land early saying, with naive cunning
they had had notes of invitation by
the hand of the rural carrier. Miss
Mariana laughed outright-she was
not a bit put out, rather amused. to
see how youth will be served Since
the other fellows were on hand, Sam
my had a color of reason for appear
| ing. He was unroariously welcomed
the bunch ringing him about, hanging
to his arms in triplieate. and calling
him "old dear" with melting sweet
| ness. Method in their madness soon
appeared. He was induced to bring
| out his cherished ukelele. and play
upon it jazz, out of date, but still suf-
ficient to dance to.
Then and there Miss Marina was
made acquainted with the hesitation
| the one-step, the fox-trot, and beins