The Lamar register., 1923-03-07
LITTLE THINGS
BY MYRTA ALICE LITTLE


rabbit in pink clover patch. She
helped her mother with the house
work and wrote stories and sold them
TO the newspaper, which was printed
in the city, ten miles away. lhsy
Betty's sweetheart, Tom Saunders,
was a farmer. He lived in the big,
two and one-half-story brick house on
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 Holstelns, 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
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 u 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 blue
stripe In II that matched his eyes, and
a new pair of khaki trousers. Tom
had special plans for that night But
so had Betty.
Tom started leading up to lbs plans
first. The second crop was going to
turn out fine. Doubt II they could get
men enough to harvest 1t. Milk checks
third more. now that they were dis
tributing for themselves. and-Tom
had been thinklng-the brick house
was big enough for two families-why
couldn't he and Betty-not wait for
spring, but be married along In sep
tember 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 planning-'married" and
together" They gave her her cue
She shook her curly head and plunged
swiftly into her own tale. She poked
closely-written letter into Toms
hands.
Its an offer to write regular things
for the newspaper. l got It yester-
day." she said. before Tom had read
dozen words. 81 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 I've engaged my room.
There'll be errand work around the
Office | suppose. but-rm almost on
the stan, Tom, and II keep on /
may be-editor-some day-and-"Is,,
"And-our drives and plansT' staIl-
mered Tom.
But this is-bIgl" 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 office I'm too smart girl to
town, and Just cook and sweep"
Bought woodland Joins our Farm
today" said Tom. quietly. Deed
ready tomorrow. Made enough OF
surplus to swing II. We can have a
house Of our own. you l13ow, Betty.
any time you say. Have a girl to help
you, II the work is too hard"
1T Isn't the hardness of 1t. It's the
-smallness," said Betty Brown.
quickly. I'm not going to be buried
alive, l tell you. I'm glad woke up
before II was too late"
So Betty went to live in the city In |
a tiny fourth floor room, tramped the |
narrow city sidewalks, breathe,i the |
sitting city smells, jostled crowds.
and wrote three-inch city tales Coy |
er police court-10 a. IN" Cover |
girls club" they told her at the news
paper office.
Betty got busy. buster than she'd |
ever been before-the hurried city
kind Of busy, and she got hotter |
through the Indian summer, tireder, |
crosser, SO useless feeling that 1t hurt
clear down TO the toes of her fast /
wearing-out shoes. She wanted "A |
taste of homemade molasses cakes |
and honest-to-goodness vegetables So
much she could not even touch the |
roast lamb that tasted like roast beef,
pork and veal. She wanted one drive |
In the red-Wheeled buggy, one snifr OF !
something basFIaS ,ftrt and aY,,,i,a .n.t