The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1928-02-10
CHAPTER vI-continued

my maurI Kar kCer.
"You mean your character
"Uh-huh. It's all i 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?'
ut was that there futch-Aunt Rosy
toll him about it. Did he-was he to
see youy' faltered the girl-and the
suspense in her voice was not as
sumed~
SN6, but had this letter from him."
He drew an envelope from his pocket
and banded 1t to her. "Read it-and
see what mischief your fudge has
made AL round, my dear!"
It wsAs pathetic little note, Nicely
felt-poAr Mr.. Schwenckton anxiousIy
endeayorfng to protect his hayward
child. yeth equally anxious to avert dis
sension with his powerful neighbor by
fon him any base, unfounded
suspicion; pointing out to st. Croix
the iSapossibility 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
benin comfortable circumstances, yet
limited, but honest and honorable. -.
"Our females in our family being ever
Virtuous and very Chaste and never
disgraced us, though many tempta-
tiOns."
Nicely remembered, as she found the
words all spelled correctly, how as
siduously the farmer had, one evening,
to her mystifcation, 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 its envelope and
passed it back to st. Croix, ''he means
- xx,ou Nv, nc childrnr ~
$50 you see, Nicely. you've got to
be careful. No more fudge!p
81 never conceited it would give all
this here troubler' she lamented, on
the verge of tears.
st. Croix looked shade less au.
stere. "Where'd you get the spiffy
coat?" he asked. s'Looks for the world
like English tweed"
ats the teachers. She left me bor-
row the lSan Of 1t off of her."
'Now, look here! Why can't you
say simply that she lent it to your
instead of all those superfiuous words
she let you borrow the loan of it
off of herl Ye gods! She lent it to
me- That says what you mean,
doesn't it? Five words instead OF a
dozenl''
'Acn, well!" pouted Nicely, looking
again as though she were on the verge
of tears-and then suddenly. to her
CONSERVATION, she quite .uncontrollably
snickered-crushing 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"
'sWell, you see. I had afraid You
might want to be gave an interduc-
ton to her and she's SO pretty, had
jealous"
4.She is a pretty little thing. But
wonder" he grinned, "what my broth
er, Marvin, thinks of such a little
ignoramus teaching district school!
/ didn't know they had such crude
teachers as that in the schools r.
'But she's awful good in geogra-
phyI She can bind every state on the
patchwork quiitr'
a'Quilt'p
.'You Knoxville map. And sums You
had ought to see her do sums oncet
goodness To be sure. she can't
talk very correct. She gets her VS.
aud we's mixed terrible! But United
- history Why. she knows even
Ie footnJses. now mind I'm tellin'
you"
While she talked, he watched her
with shining eyes, but 1t 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 a swell Patri-
elan, actualIyl" He laughed, little