White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1927-11-25
CHAPTER CONTINUED

A'A 'HS past Icu years VI IHOIe, IT.
quired children to attend school uT
to the age of fourteen years, and re
Gently longer. Don't tell me you are
over twenty-four years old-only {
year younger than / ami"
But you see," Nicely offered in ex
PLANTATION, pop he was school dl
rector and could do what he liked
He's awful determined That's why
our Jake he won't live at home nc
more, Pop he's so determined. Leave
him think things right and he
wouldn't listen to even Roosevelt Or
or even you yeti"
do you know" he said after an
'instant's silence, 81 am seriously dis
pleased with you today?"
what for, Mr.. Creighton?" she
asked plaintively. "What did I-done
:---did?"
"You were fifteen minutes late
When l say I'll meet you at half-past
four l don't mean a quarter to five"
"But-but I was here before you
Mr.. Creighton" she answered in sur
prise. 81 didn't keep you waiting
] waited"
"That's not the point. The point is
you weren't here at half-past four.
on't-let-it- happen-again! !"
"But-how do you know l wasn't
here-seein' you wasn't here your own
self?" .
"Never mind how l know. / know
lot more about you than you think
] do, my little girl! '
"Oh!" She looked at him queerly-
almost as though she were trying not
to laugh.
"Now, then, why were you fifteen
minutes late?"
81 had to mind my step-moms baby
whites the others helped Pop with
his CIDER 'dfaef4'aaaa9g4lksln'.
"And them" Size. continued, till
was through all had to wafft-till Pop
was out of the way; darsen't leave
him see me come away! Well, l
guess anyhow not!"
Gle is determined with you, too,
is he?"
swell, I guess anyhow then!"
"You use five words, Nicely, where
two or three would suffice. Instead of
ss-anyhow-then,' just an
swer yes"
II know l talk awful dumb p Nicely
humbly admitted, looking abashed. 81
don't see why you bother to make
dates with common thing like me J.
that l don't"
"'Make dates?" he repeated dubl-
ously.
Eyes, and listen oncet,. Mr.. Creigh
ton"-Meely lowered her voice
though the nearest human being was
two miles away-"that there grabbed
old-maid sister Of my step-mom's
that's come to help out over my step
MONS confinement, she's suspicioning
me ~
"Of meeting me?" he asked a bit
uneasily. He had such very strong
reason for being afraid of an awk.
known that he philandered with a
farmers common daughter.
Zach, she don't go so far as to sus.
picion my Date is swell like you
Mr.. Creighton. She says to me, she
says, 4 know who your Date Is, he's
that there blond young man at Gent
myers farm! she says. And me,
just left her think it was him."
"But," st. Croix demanded, instant.
ly jealous, and himself as suspicious
as the "old-maid sister," what rea.
son does she have for thinking your
Date is the blond young man? You
must have given her reason"
Zach, well v' Nicely cast down hel
eyes and looked self-conscious "rc
be sure, Mr.. Creighton, there's others
that admars me besides yourself
that's only to be expected, amt it?"
"And do you have dates with this
blond young MANI"
"Well, to be sure, since 1 knowet
you, Mr. Creighton, other ones does
seem awful common to me, that they
dol"
st. Croix had a passing twinge Of
conscience for his own responsibility
in possibly spelling this girls chances
for a contented married life with 6
husband of her own class. But he
treasured himself with the reflection
that from the first she had sought
him out quite as much as he had pur
sued her. Seducing an innocent virgin
was certainly not one of the things he
was capable of doing
"What have afraid Of" said Nicely
"is that my step-mom's old-maid sister
will take a sneak on me some day
and follow me up here unknownst-
she's just that mean dispositioned
And you see, Pop he'd say you WASH,
keepin' comp'ny with me fur really
not to marry me; swell like you yet
Well, / guess anyhow not"
"Is your stepmother's sister a per
manent fixture at the farm?" st. Croix
uneasily inquired
mo, thanks be! Till my STEP
MONS well again, her sister goes-and
good radiance |"
st. Croix had often noticed with n
slight surprise that in spite of her