The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1921-10-05

Herbert, he would sit upon the top of
the high fence, usually at little dis
tance from him; like Herbert he
would rise at intervals for the better
study of something this side of the
horizon; then, also concluding like
Herbert, he would sit again and write
nrmly in little notebook And sell
dom in the history of the world have
any sessions been invested by the par
'icipants with SO Intentional an ap-
pcnrance Of importance.
1.'l! '%ns what most injured their
l'nc observer at the somewhat distant
back window, upstairs at her own
place of residence; she found their I'm
portnnce almost impossible to bear
without screaming. Her provocation
was great; the important Importance
of Herbert and his friend, impressive
~ mnneuvering upon their fence, was
so extreme us to be all too plainly visI
ible across four intervening broad
back yards; In fact, there was almost
reason to suspect that the two per.
formers were aware Of their audience
and even Of her goaded condition; and
that they sometimes deliberately In
creased the 0utrageousness Of their
Importance because they knew she
was watching them. And upon the
Saturday Of that week, when the note
book writer's were upon the fence at
intervals throughout the afternoon,
Florence Atwater's fascinated indigna-
tion became vocal.
"Vile thingsl" she said.
Her mother, sewing beside another
window Of the room, looked up In
quiringly.
what are, FlorenceT"
cousin Herbert and that nasty lit
tie Henry Rooter."
"Are you watching them ngainT
her mother asked.
eyes, am" said Florence, tartly.
''Not because I care to- but merely
to amuse myself at their expense"
Mrs. Atwater murmured deprecat-
ingly, Couldn't you find some other
way to amuse yourself, FlorenceT"
"I don't call this amusement" the
inconsistent girl responded, not with
out chagrin. "Think I'd spend all my
days starin at Herbert Illingsworth
Atwater, Junior, and that nasty little
Henry Rooter, and call 1t amusementT
'"Then why do you do itY'
"Why do I do what, mamar' Flor
ence inquired as IL In despair of Mrs
Atwater's ever learning to put things
clearly.
"Why do you spend all your days
watching them? You don't seem able
to keep away from the window, and
1t appears to make you irritable. I
should think IL they wouldn't let you
play with them you'd be too proud"
"Oh, good heavens, mamal"
Don't use expressions like that,
Florence, please"
"Well." said Florence, II got to use
some expression when you accuse me
OF wantin' to play with those two vile
thingsi My goodness mercy, mama, I
don't want to play with 'eml I'm
more than four years old. I guess |;
though you don't ever seem willing to
give me credit for 1t. I don't haf to
play all the time mama; and, any
way. Herbert and that nasty little
Henry Rooter aren't playing, either"
Aren't they2" Mrs. Atwater In
quired. II thought the other day you
said you wanted them to let you play
at being a newspaper reporter, or edi-
tor, or something like that, with them.
and they were rude and told you to go
away. Wasn't that itf'
Florence sighed. mo, mama, IL
cert'nly wasn't"
'1They weren't rude to your
ayes, they cert'nly wersl"
"Well, then"
"Mama, can't you understandT r
Florence turned from the window to
beseech Mrs. Atwater's concentration
upon the matter. ut isn't playing I
didn't want to play being report
er; they amt playing"
Aren't playing, Florence"
"Yes'm. They're not. Herbert's
got real printing press; Uncle 10.
seph gave 1t to him. It's real one,
mama, can't you understandT'
"I'll try" said Mrs. Atwater. "You
mustn't get 80 excited about 1t, Flor
ence."
"I'm not |" Florence turned vehe-
mently. II guess It'd take moro than
those two vile things and their old
printir' press to get me excitedl /
don't car" what they do; It's far less
than nothing to me All l wish Is