The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-10-31
BUTTING IN
BY PERRY NEWBERRY

 drawing it. Don't vanish. Stay - just a little while. Even dreams last for a time.''
 She could feel the pressure of his fingers on her hand, t ght as it was in perturbing thrills throughout her tbody, making her heart beat fast ana her breath come quick.
 Didn't the trout bite?' asked Milly DiEy. endeavoring to regain control of her faculties.
 He glanced quickly at her face, but she was not laughing at him. In stincu.vely he understood the appeal in her crude query. With quick change to Hghtness of manner, he opened the creel at her side.
 You haven't caught th1ngH cried Milly billy.
 Not a single. solitary thing. I don't think there is such an animal IS a trout"
 There's the original ancestor of all the trout family. Now look!"
 Milly billy leaned over the water, and dropped a pebble, while the will low-ware studied the dceps
 "JerusaIem!' he whispered He's whale!"
 "Isn't he! If you could catch him, you might invite me to luncheon again"
 ''Tll invite you. catch or no catch" he cried. 'ESee that parcel? That is food, sandwiches, eggs. cake and cot- fee. And there's my coffee pot
 "rH make coffee while the catch grandfather trout" said MilIy Di11y.
 He built the fire. then went to the work of angling for the big trout, while Milly billy filled a little pail with water from the stream and put it to boil. She opened up the paper parcel and found two sandwiches or roast pork.
 There were two hard-boiled eggs and a large piece of cake, salt and pepper mixed. and little package | of sugar. That was to be tne1r | luncheon unless the willow-ware man | caught a fish. He scrambled down stream to a place in the shadows where he could | cast free to the pool. l Milly billy took her old position the bank and saw his fly drop gently on the water before her. For a second | 1t floated there, then she heard the singing of a reel and saw the wave of line cutting the water. The big trout was hooked. Milly billy went back to the fire to save the coffee-pot which had boil ed over, and, having refilled it, she set the table. They sat down finally to very | late luncheon. They ate and talked and drank black coffee from the same tin cup, and didn't worry over | anything.
 It was just such an afternoon as 1 Milly billy had dreamed. | Her first timidity was forgotten and she talked of herself. her very inward self without fear;' and she showed | him her sketches. 1 In her paint box where she had gone for her sketches to show him, she found a book of poems she had I tucked away-''Mountain Trails. And 1 she brought it forth to look over with him; and the coffee-pot went dry l over the coals of the fire while she was reading aloud with the result of the solder melting and the bottom dropping out.
 l Milly billy jumped to save it, and | burned a long, red welt across the 1 palm of her hand. | The willow-ware man 1eaped to her side, kicked the coffee-pot into the stream, grasped her hand and gave | one look at the scar. In Milly Dillys eyes tears of pain welled up and broke over. Then the
 wil1ow-ware man kissed the long, red welt again and again. | And it seemed all right to Mi1ly 1 billy, and made the pain less severe. | She even put her face on the breast i of his coat and wept, while he bound his big handkerchief about the wound.
 | He looked up when he had finish ed to find that Milly billy was staring with astonlshed. frightened eyes at the ] thicket across the stream. The Willow-Ware man dashed through the shadows and into the l brush.
 She could hear him thrashing about in the dense growth, see him at times when he neared the edge. Never mind," she called. Come back!' She was trembling with fright. ] "1 found no trace of any one" l He attempted to reassure her as they walked up the hill. | He left her at Mrs. Warren's gate. May I see you tomorrow" he ask ed humb1y.
 | Perhaps she answered, and she went into the cottage, her head bow , ed.
 | Mrs. Warren gave her glance of severe disapprovaI. 1 "I seen you coming up the hilI," she said coldly. You was with Battling Lewis. Did you know him before, or did you just pick him up, Miss Dobbs ?''