Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1923-08-23
CHAPTER xI.-contlnued.

as the talk. But, as Mis- Percy
says, there amt nothin' sure till It
happens. It's easy seen she amt
struck with that young Chase. She
don't b'lieve he's much in love. Says
he's just as calm as Vegetable soup.
He tends to business just as steady
as if he'd never heard of love, and
he gives right in to all Lorene's no
tions. He amt impetuous 'nough to
suit Mis- Percy"
Mrs. Penfeld was amused. That
red-hot unreasonableness never made
any hit with me. My observation is:
the lover that pursues the hardest,
fees the fastest. What l like bout
Dick Chase is that he keeps his head.
The love tween those two young
people has grown naturally and stead
ily, and 1t stands ten times the
chance to last"
Mrs. Wopple bridled with faded CO
quetry. "Me, l don't know nothin'
'bout that slow kind. Josiah was aW-
full eager"
A vision Of Mr.. Josiah Wopple-
with the sneaking gait and the crafty,
peering eyes-fashed into Mrs Pen
fields mind. She prodded her imagi-
nation to picture the resistless impetu-
osity of his younger days, but found
herself lacking in the requisite visu-
alization
There's all kinds of courtin'," she
said, with polite vagueness. Yes
yes, Lettie! I'm in the bedroom"
Mrs. Wopple rose hastily. "Tll be
goin' if that heather young'un's comm
ln. You got big job to ciyilize her.
Run over when you can, Mis- Penfeld /;
you amt very neighborly. | got a
brand-new dress to show you, and I'm
embroideryin' a beautiful table cover.
/ know you'll like to see EN-"
Eyes, thank you I'D just love to
see 'em. I'll be in as soon's I can
get a minute"
20 Penzie," cried Lettie, when the
caller had gone, Il got the SWEETEST
pickings." Proudly she exhibited an
old pasteboard box well filed with
ink bottles. each containing small
residue-India inks, red, black. "Ain't
1t grand? / guess it was school or
somep'n-mebbe a Teller that 7raws
these here pictures in the paper"
Mrs. Penfield surveyed this charm
ing find with some dubiousness. "We
hain't got any immediate call for ink,
Lettie. And, honest, dear, / hate to
see you so set on prowling."
Lettie gazed at her reproachfully.
sT've always brung in things / told
you 1 would when you said you'd keep
me-"
"Yes, dear, but there are lots of
things that would suit me better.
You've got to get over this habit In
January you must go to school and
learn things out of books, soft lou can
grow up smart"
"Jiminyp exclaimed Lettie, in dis
may. "Ill bet l can't never sit still.
wisht they taught school by running.
And look here, Penzie, you just give
these here ink bottles another up
and-down. They're grand, and I'll be
switched If can't think Of somep'n
to do with 'em."
Mrs. Penfeld, washing potatoes for
supper, decided to accept ink bottles
with polite graciousness 'Put 'em
on the lower shelf in the cupboard,
Lettie Sometime We'll play an ink
game. I'll show you how" She put
the potatoes in the oven and regulated
the drafts.
"AIis' Penfeld," called voice, the
owner of which was nowhere visible.
s'Mis' Penfeld, can you come over?"
THAT'S Mrs Catterbox," said Mrs.
Penfield. Something's happened.
You watch the fire, Lettie, the way
I've showed you"
She dashed through the house,
toward the driveway. She was used
to these calls out of the atmosphere
and had become very accurate in dis
tinguishing one voice from another.
Tenants of The Custard Cup were
prone to shriIl their crises and their
demands in the direction of Number
AZ without taking the trouble to send
their bodies with their voices.
It seemed that Mrs. Catterbox had
become exasperated because her very
young son Jimmy, when sent upon
nearby errands, was in the habit of
losing whatever he had gone after.
Today Mrs Catterbox had sent him
to the corner drug store for ten post
age stamps and had charged him,
with particular vehemence, not to lose
them. Jimmy thought he wouldn't.
For once he would prove his trustwor-
thiness He had therefore immedi-
ately affixed the ten stamps to the
rough material of his coat sleeve, and
that by means of the mucilage for
such purposes provided.
There was no denying that Jimmy
had come home with the stamps.
Further, there was no denying that
no one could readily get them off.
Mrs. Catterbox had tried gentle pull
ing, and had even shipped the outer
fuzz of the goods; but there her inge-
lnuity had failed 1t was left to Mrs.
Penfeld to divest Tommy of the gar
ment and immerse the stamps, face
down, in water, which presently dis
sipated the cohesion.
They'll be worth money when they
dry" she said pleasantly, land you
can stick 'em with mucilage or white
of egg"
But on her way home her mind was
full OF perplexity. II wish there was