Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1928-02-23

~NSNMVS"
"FIirtins!' I'm Afraid Can't RIay
Up. Don't Know How. Afraid I've
Always Been Rather Stick With
Girls"
hilarated at a bit Of normal human
association and talk after her weeks
of strained, artificial relations With
this man, if they kept off Of pedagogy,
she could be herself-up to a certain
point at least Though Of course she
would have to watch her accent). She
almost snatched his hat and coat away
from him as she directed him to draw
ND his chair before the array of dainty
sandwiches, coffee and fruit which she
had spread out.
"But," he said as he placed their
chairs and they sat down. "why is my
company all of a sudden so welcomei
An hour ago it was, You here again ="
"W'sll. since you know the very worst
about me, can enjoy chat with
you. I've been dying for man to
talk to! I've been almost driven to
flirting with the wooden Indian in
front of the village cigar store!"
"'Flirting'? I'm afraid l can't play
up. Don't know how. Afraid I've al
ways been rather stick with girls"
he said dolefully. his eyes on her
glowing face and creamy neck encir-
cled by a fluffy, fluted white ruffie.
What a brute he had been to make
her cry-anything so dainty and
sweet!
81 wouldn't presume to flirt with
the county superintendent" she re-
assured him, "who knows the very
worst about mel"
''The very wOrSt-yOu're Sure?"
"What further do you suspect me
Of? Not knowing the Presidents in
order? Well. don't. Nor the Twelve
Apostles either. And / can't name off
hand the Chinese dynasties for the
past five thousand years. Have some
cOffee?"
She poured him second cup and
how gay she now looked after her
tears. He himself was lonely enough,
in all conscience, and this bit of COM
partnership with such an engagingly
impudent child was. to say the least.
very diverting.
You made this coffee?" he asked.
"Teach that to the girls of your school
and I'll advise your trustees to raise
your salary-and if they taste your
coffee they'll do it,"
"YOu put good coffee before learn
ing and call yourself an educator
Men do like their comforts, don't they?
I wonder why I'm teaching school
anyway, when American cooks are
paid such huge wages. What do
American cooks do with the millions
they earn? Buy country estates and
retire?'
american cooks?" he repeated re-
f1ectively "How about foreign cooks?
English cooks. for instances"
She felt betraying warmth in her
cheeks. He suspected her! No won
der, the way she so often spoke Of
American things, as though she were
not an American
81 should think" she answered
calmly, "that with the terrible unem-
ployment we read of over there, cooks
ought to be cheap. I'm told, Mr..
Creighton" she changed the subject,
as she leaned back in her chair with
a sandwich in her hand, "that you're
a terrible idealist. How do you man.
age it?"
81 don't. Though the alternative is
so self-destructive Do you Gam I to
conclude), like most young people of
this day, imagine yourself cynic"
"How can one escape ft?" 1 have
cousin who was q radical Socialist
until he married a rich wife. l have
an uncle who was liberal in all his
ideas until a fellow-professor at his
college was expelled for his liberal
ism-when my uncle changed his
views. Believe in liberals with ideals?
No, it's asking too much!" She shook
her head over it hOpelessly.
"Did you never know anyone
Creighton asked, "to sacrifice some
thing for the sake OF his fdeals?"
"You?" she inquired, looking at him
over an expanse of sandwich at her
lips.
Heavens, no! was thinking Of
Mr. E. D. Morell, for instance"
editor of Foreign Affairs" she
nodded-then instantly regretted her
too-ready knowledge of this English
editor. Wasn't the mention of him
a bait? Would an American be apt
to know of him? "Of course" she
fastened to add. liberals all over the
world must take heart from Mr.. Mo-
rell's steadfast courage and heroism I"
"Yes-but-he isn't very much