White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1928-02-17
CHAPTER VT-Continued


sigh, "me 1 amt got nothin' to be
proud of-but my kar'kter!"
"YOur-what?"
my maur'l kar'kter."
you mean your character?"
"Uh-huh. It's all l got"
You've got something else" He
reached for her hand, drew off her
cotton glove and clasped her fingers
"You've got" .
But she worked her hand free of
his and drew on her glove again. my
fingers is cold"
He frowned. She might be glad he
wanted to hold her hand!
you not only have my mother, but
your father, on the SCENT" he re-
preached her. "What did you do to
make him suspicious"
1T was that there futch-Aunt Rosy
toP him about it. Did he-was he to
see your faltered the girl-and the
suspense in her voice was not as
sumed.
"No, but had this letter from him."
He drew an envelope from his pocket
and handed it to her. "Read it-and
see what mischief your fudge has
made all round, my dear!"
1t was pathetic little note, Nicely
felt-poor Mr.. Schwenckton anxiously
endeavoring to protect his hayward
child, yet equally anxious to avert dis
sension with his powerful neighbor by
casting on him any base, unfounded
suspicion; pointing out to st. Croix
the impossibility of any safe or honor
able relation between him and his
daughter due to their unsurmount-
able differences in station, wealth and
education. Somehow, the most pa
thetic part of it to Nicely was the poor
mans struggles to write intelligent
English. "Whiles we have always
been in comfortable circumstances, yet
limited, but honest and honorable"-
sour females in our family being ever
Virtuous and very Chaste and never
disgraced us, though many tempta-
TONS"
Nicely remembered, as she found the
words all spelled correctly, how as
siduously the farmer had, one evening,
to her justification, been consulting
the dictionary and how he had asked
her to spell for him several long
words.
She was relieved to find that Nettie
was referred to only as ''My daugh-
ter" and not by name.
"Poor Pop!" she sighed as she re-
turned the letter to it's envelope and
passed it back to st. Croix, "he means
SO well by us children!"
$50 you see, Nicely, you've got to
be careful. No more fudge"
Il never conceited 1t would give all
this here troubleW she lamented, on
the verge of tears.
st. Croix looked shade less au.
stere "Where'd you get the spiffy
coat?" he asked. "Looks for the world
like English tweed"
ats the teachers. She left me Dor
row the loan of it off of her."
snow, look herel Why can't you
say simply that she lent it to your
instead of all those superfuous words
she let you borrow the loan OF 1t
off of her! Ye gods! She lent 1t to
me- That says what you mean
doesn't it? Five words instead Of q
dozen"
Zach, WE'LL" pouted Nicely, looking
again as though she were on the verge
of tears-and then suddenly, to her
CONSERVATION, she quite uncontrollably
misunderstanding her hand against
her mouth to keep from laughing hys.
terically. Fortunately for her, he took
it for suppressed sob.
'There, there, my dear" he said
half impatiently, half remorsefully
"Never mind! You're past teaching
anyhow Look here, Nicely, why
haven't you ever mentioned that the
teacher boards with you? You've
talked of everyone else in the house.
hold"
"Well, you see, / had afraid you
might want to be gave an interduc.
ton to her and she's so pretty, I had
jealous"
"She is pretty little thing. But
WONDER" he grinned, what my broth
er, Marvin, thinks of such a little
ignoramus teaching a district school
/ didn't know they had such crude
teachers as that in the schools ~
But she's awful good in. geogra.
ply! She can bind every state on the
patchwork quiltp
"'Quilt'!
"You know-the map. And sums You
had ought to see her do sums oncet
My-goodness To be sure, she can't
talk very correct. She gets her WIS
and we's mixed terrible! But United
States history! Why, she knows even
the footnotes, now mind I'm tellin'
you'll"
While she talked, he watched her
with shining eyes, but it was her raw
fishing self, not Nettie's proficiency in
sums and footnotes, that caused the
shining
II declare, Nicely, In that coat you
could pass for anything at all You
look positively like swell! Patri-
clan, actually!" He laughed, little
dreaming, of course, that the girl I'M
derstood why he laughed; why he
thought 1t funny that Nicely Schwenck-
ton should look "patrician, actually"
"And If really was so pa-higl-
toned like look in this here coat"
she responded wistfully, "you could
marry me then! Amt, Mr.. Creigh-
Hn?'
Marriage isn't the happiest relation
between man and woman, Nicely