The Elk Mountain pilot., 1921-10-06
81 shnnId sny we did,"

/ when we were havin the worst time
tryin' TO print II and make out some
O. the words, said right then. we
were just throwing away our time. 1
said, What's the use? That ole girls
bound to raise Cain anyhow, SO what's
the use wastin' whole lot of our
good time and brains like this, Just to
suit her? Whatever we do, she's GER
tain to come over here and insult u.s.
Isn't that what l said. Henry?'
| Eyes, It is; and said then you
were right. and you are right !"
"Cert'nly l am," said Herbert.
Didn't l tell you she'd be just the
way some of the family say she is?
A good many of 'em say she'd find
fault with the undertaken at her own
funeral. That's just exactly what 1
said!"
"Oh, you did" Florence burlesqued
a polite interest. How virry consid-
crate of you! Then. perhaps you'n
try to be a gentleman enough for
one simple moment to allow me to tell
you my last remarks on this subject
I've said enough"
"Oh, have your" Herbert interrupt
ed with violent sarcasm. "Oh, mol
Say not sol Florence, say not SOP
At this. Henry Rooter loudly shout
ed with applausive hilarity; where
upon Herbert, rather surprised at his
own effectiveness, naturally repeated
his mot.
"Say not so, FlorenceI Say not
sol Say not sol"
"I'll tell you one thingl" his lady
cousin cried, thoroughly infuriated.
'I wish TO make just one last simple
remark that I would care to soil my
self with in your respects, Mister Her
bert IllingswOrth Atwater and Mister
Henry Rooterv'
| "Oh. say not so. Florencew they
both entreated. Say not sol Say
not sol"
''Tn Just simply state the simple
TRUTH" Florence announced. "In the
first place you're goin' to live to see
the day when youll come and beg me
on your bented knees to have me put
poems or anything want to on your
ole newspaper. but I'll just laugh at
you! 'IndeeG?' I'll sayl so you
come beggin' around me. do you? Ha,
har I'll say-I guess it's little too
late for thatl Why 1 wouldn't"
"Oh, say not so, Florencel Say not
sor'
"'Me allow you to have one of my
poemsY I'll say. Much less than thatr
I'll say, because even if / was wear
ing the Oldest shoes got in the world
wouldn't take the trouble to"
Her conclusion was drowned out
"Oh, Florence, say not sol Say not
SO, Florence Say not SOP
The hateful entreaty still murmured
in her resentful ears that night as
she fell asleep; and she passed into
the beginnings of n dream with her
lips slightly dimpling the surface Of
her pillow in belated repartee. And
upon waking, though it was Sunday,
her first words, half slumbrous in the
silence of the morning, were. "Vile
things!" Her faculties became more
alert, during the preparation of
toilet which was to serve not only for
breakfast, but with the addition Of
gloves, a hat, and blue velvet coat,
for church and Sunday school as well;
and she planned hundred ven
geances. That is to say, her mind
did not occupy itself with plots pos
sibly to make real rather 1T dabbled
among those fragmentary visions that
love to overlap and displace one an
other In the shifty retina of the minds
eye.
But in all of these pictures, where
in prevailingly she seemed some sort
OF deathly powerful Queen of Poetry.
the postures assumed by the figures of
| Messrs. Atwater and Rooter (both
in an extremity of rags) were miser-
ably suppliant. So she soothed her
self little-but not long. Herbert in
the next pew in church, and Henry in
the next beyond that, were perfect
compositions in smugness. They were
cold, contented, aristocratic; and had
an imperturbable understanding be-
tween themselves-quite perceptible
to the sensitive Florence-that she
was a nuisance now capably disposed
of by their beautiful discovery of Say
not sol" Florences feelings were un-
becoming to the place and occasion.
But at four o'clock that afternoon
| she was assuaged into a milder con-
dition by the arrival. according to an
agreement made in Sunday school, Of
the popular Miss Patty Fairchild.
Patty was thirteen and a half; an
exquisite person with gold-dusted
hair, eyes Of perfect blue, and an al
Turing air of sweet self-consciousness.
Henry Rooter and Herbert Illings-
worth Atwater, Jr., out gathering
news, saw her entering Florence's
gate, and Immediately forgot that
they were reporters. They become ST.
lent and gradually moved toward the
house of their newspapers sole
poetess.
Florence and Patty occupied them
selves indoors for half an hour; then