The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1923-08-02
LITTLE THINGS
BY MYRTA ALICE LITTLE

Before the big upheaval Bett,
Brown was contented as a pink-eyet
rabbit In pink clover patch. Shit
helped her mother with the house
work and wrote stories and sold then
to the newspaper, which was printed
In the city. ten miles away. The,
Betty's sweetheart, Tom Saunders
was q farmer. He lived In the big
two and one-half-story brick house OF
Big Hill. Wednesday and Saturday
evenings he always called on Betty
and they usually went driving with
the red-wheeled buggy and the black
mare, and talked plans.
Toms plans were perhaps about the
new Holsteins, or the hay crop, the
yield of corn or the new potato bins
Betty loved the smell of farm. so
she always listened with brown eyes
wide open, lips parted and, maybe, a
sturdy hand tucked into Toms and
one of her molasses cakes tucked Into
his mouth. That Is, she always lis
tened until the time of the big up
heaval.
1t was one evening the last week In
August The heat Of the first part of
the month had cooled down into fall
like breezy time. with the chirp Of
crickets and the elderberries turning
blue-black along the meadows Tom
had washed the wagon with especial
care that night after supper and had
put on brand new shirt with a blue
stripe In 1t that matched his eyes, and
new pair of khaki trousers. Tom
had special plans for that night. But
so had Betty.
Tom started leading up to his plans
first. The second crop was going to
turn out fine. Doubt If they could get
men enough to harvest 1t. Milk checks
a third more. now that they were dis
tributing for themselves, and-Tom
had been thinking-the brick house
was big enough for two familfes-why
couldn't he and Betty-not wait for
spring, but be married along in sep
TENDER some time, take the little trip
they'd planned.
Betty's mind being packed full of
her own new, strange plans, she prob
ably heard just two words Of Toms
eager. shy pIanning-"married" and
together" They gave her her cue
She shook her curly head and plunged
swiftly into her own tale. She pOked
a closely-written letter into Toms
hands.
ats an offer to write regular things
for the newspaper. got It yester-
day." she said, before Tom had read
a dozen words. II went to see them
this afternoon. Ny cousin, Nat. works
there, you know, and he recommended
me. They're going to let me write
about big cities and touring cars and
theaters. rye engaged my room.
There1l be GRAND work around the
ONCE, suppose, but-Pm almost on |
the stan. Tom, and II 1 keep on I |
may be-editor-s0me day-andN"
"And-our drives and pIansr' STAN
mered Tom.
"But this is-bigi" said Betty.
THE most wonderful chance"
"Our plans look pretty big to me.
GIRL" said Tom.
But, Tom. you ought to have some
ambition for me. They told me over
at the ONCE I'm too smart a girl to
be buried alive In a little country
town, and Just cook and sweep"
Bought woodland joins our farm
today" said Tom, quietly. Deco
ready tomorrow. Made enough on
surplus to swing 1t. We can have a
house Of our own. you know. Betty,
any time you say. Have girl to help
you, If the work is too hard"
1T isn't the hardness Of It. It's the
-smallness," said Betty Brown,
quickly. I'm not going to be buried
alive, tell you. I'm glad woke up
,efore 1t was too late"
SO Betty went to live in the city In
tiny fourth floor room, tramped the
narrow city sidewalks. breathed the
'tifiing city smells. jostled crowds.
md wrote three-inch city tales. 'Cov-
r police court-1O a. m" "Cover
iris club" they told her at the news
'aper Office.
Betty got busy, buster than she'd
yer been before-the hurried, city
ind Of busy, and she got hotter
through the Indian summer, tlreder,
rosser. 80 useless feeling that 1t hurt :
lear down to the toes Of her fast
shoes. She wanted q I
aste Of homemade molasses cakes
nd honest-to-goodness vegetables 90
luch she could not even touch the q
oast lamb that tasted like roast beef, t
0rk and veal. She wanted one drive
! the red-wheeled buggy, one sniff of 7
besides dirt and smoke and
rease, one feel Of air on the hilltops
nat used to get into her stories, and 8
ever did any more.
Toms weekly letter finished her, y
nd all It said was: working night I
nd day. Hand short ON the second
rop" ;,
Betty explained as well as she could a
} the editor. packed her trunk, fairly
aped on board the three o'clock
ain, walked clear to Toms house
ON the depot, and marched into the