THE BEE: OMAHA. SUNDAY. MARCH 15. 1922.
B-B
MISS PUTTY, FACE By Vingie E. Roe
2.
Blue Sage Flat's Infant Terrible
Helps the New Schoolma'am
to Find Her Heart Under
Slrange Circumstances. '
Tli In n't bfw tiMtlni "m of IUu
Ht.t waa In er. flunk, tgtiobl tr. The It
UUla lliey had ! been "a-hoUre" befor
wrr siraaVing ait aero lh ry, genii
lo4s In different dlret-llona, railing boisterous
I." roll other In t enterW of young
splnia released ("'in lit Km ily'i bondage in
tl. little hmis on the flat. TH new sthuol.
nteVm wauhed them through lb mirbl
Mur that wa llirrntenlng to blot out h world
ii central, and wondril how on earth h wa
rtir going lo aland nln month of them and
thi.
A horrible panic w all Insid her.
Tli". youngster had looked at hr In UUnk
a ma. when ah put the first orthographical test
lo th primary ilia, which consisted of the
youngest two I'allie. anil openly and without
permission tld her that kuhah-tuh diil not
pell cl! The eldest Crawford boy Informed
her ratlfinly (and with condescension) that
lhat feat waa a' compllnhd hy see.al-te. They
w. r a rolonutl wall raised 6lnt her and
hound together hy that uuhkest of all con.
Ifmpl. that of rhl!d for a teacher whom It
thinks I Incompetent. How on earth on
Some to break through Hint with tli newer
method? llow waa aho going to pierce tha
fg of Ignorant let lo upon them hy their
foimer tearher who had. without a doubt,
grounded them In pelllng by letter Instead of
ound!
It wa Incredible And they wiped their
I.ttla nosei frankly on their sleeves. They drank
from a community dipper In tha pall on tha
porh without regard for hygiene. They aUred
at her open mouthed when aho told them, early
in the day. that It was not aanltary to borrow
each other chewing gum.
So you can aee. dear reader, that tlio new
ihoolma'on"of Bluo Fag Flat waa 1. that aha
wa a product of normal, that aha waa far very
far-away from her native heath on thle for
saken flat, and that thin waa the flrat day of the
flrat term of her first achool.
Therefore It la to bo hoped you will excuao
her when I tell you that tho last atraggler the
fat. square, bland faced Dinklcmelr In It hood
and heavy stockings, though the time was only
Indian summer had hardly disappeared down
over the slope tnto'the fringe of sycamorea about,
the prairie stream that hedged the Flat, when
she laid her head down on her unpalnted, an-
dent desk and cried.
It was a pretty head, covered with thick,
brown hair that had just enough curl in it to
make It stand up and fluff, and there waa a
pinky white neck below the fluff. There were
the tips of rink ears showing, too. for this
schoolma'am did not believe in hiding those
necessary adornments entirely. Neither were
her sensible dark skirts quite so short aa those
she had seen back at home, nor her neat blouse
quite so low at the neck as those one met every
day on the streets of the towns.
Score one for the new teacher.
But now she had reached the Jumping off
place of her couraiae and endurance, right now, ,
at the first getaway of her race In the new life!
It had been coming all the nightmare week she
had been at Tom Atkins' house across the stream
and down a mile. It had been started when she
left her mother and all her friends In the little
Kansas town so far so frightfully far away.
True, Mrs. Tom was kind and sympathetic,
not without a certain tact, and the mile and a
y half walk through the tall trees that spread
T,alon3 the stream was more than delightful!
True, also, Blue Sage Flat paid the princely sal
ary o" $120 a month for a teacher from "back
east.' These were assets. But the awful hun
ger of loneliness and the face of the II whom
she feared utterly were liabilities that appalled
her.
So she clinched her hands on the desk's edge
and cried as she had longed to cry all that long
week, with wailing sobs that cut the silences
unashamed.
She was occupied completely and did not
hear the soft thud -of a horse's hoofs on the un
trodden earth .without, so that the rider who
' approached came abreast of the open door with
an unobstructed view up the mean little aisle
between the desks to that young brown head.
The rider, too, was young, and he had a
cocksure face, ready to laugh at a moment's
notice. Also he had a bet with two others of his
ilk to meet the schoolma'am first. He was alert
and a trifle overconfident as he rode in across
the sage, for he knew good, and well that he
had a way with women, but that first glance
intS the house sobered him completely.
He drew rein and leaned sidewise in his sad
dle,. and his merry, dark eyes became distress
cdly grave. This was a pretty how-de-do. He
had heard all about Miss Ransome. All cow lads
thereabouts had. He knew she had brown hair,
that her eyas were not blue but gray, that she
had worn a brown tailored suit with low shoes
and silk stockings, all topped oft by a saucy
brown hat turned back from her face and lined
with brown stitched pink.
He knew she was a pippin and a peach and
that Mrs. Tom had told Slim Acres that she was
' fond of dancing and that she could play the
piano and sing all the latest songs.
So you can see It was somewhat of a poser
to be handed a wallop like the spectacle here be.
fore him of tears and honest to goodness sobs.
But it is to the credit of tb.e newcomer that
he forgot the disappointment in true anxiety
end wondered what on earth he could do to
turn off the shower. He removed his wide hat ,
it was his best one. reserved for his trips to
town, and decorated by a fancy spotted band
as a preliminary precaution, and cleared his
throat. . '
In just about two seconds he got the pep
all right. .
The brown head lifted with a jerk and a
convulsed face, streaked with salt water, con
fronted him.
Two beautiful wide, gray eyes beautiful
even in their swollen and discolored lids behind
their swimming tears stared at him in half
scared astonishment. A trembling mouth was
parted over genuine pearly teeth.
"Of all things!" snapped Miss Esther Kan
some. "Do you spy on people's privacy out
here? Go away from that door!" ,
Xow it is one thing to go troubadouring gay
ly up to a brand new interest with a weather
eye out for future friendships, and quite an
' other to be sat upon like a toad and a caterpil
lar and a worm. The fairly good looking mouth
of the young man in the saddle shut with a
snap of its own and an imitation sunset drowned
out his tan.
With slow insolence he brushed the rim of
the expensive sombrero, set it back oh his head
at careful angle, straightened up on his horse,
and rode away. When he was well out of sight
beyond the poplar trees he spread an expressive
hand palm down and delivered himself softly
of some choice and carefully selected oaths.
''Not for - mine!" he finished decisively.
"Goodnight, nurse! Get along home. Pronto.
Though dam'f I know what I'll tell those long
legged popinjays at th' bunkhouse." .
Pronto, eager-eyed and shuffling, told off the
miles that lay between the Blue Sage Flat and
- t he Lazy X In all too short a time.
"Well, Lothario, did yuh meet th' little prin.
cess?" inquired Cuff Benson, stopping halfway
to the water trough with a wash basin in his
haad. "l notice j on come from that direction.".
"i'ou nou. toe d4it much," Bired the
riJer Mjni4iy. "Ain't thara any other plara
t rid in that direttion tt Blue fit Hat?
I'm. mue4 Cuff, rubbing u fhln,
'Ptd, h?"
II turned nd rut a tantorlan call.
ha elld, "haras Paha, torn In
front th' IHua Flat with a grouch stacked
up mil high. Coma free,"
A half d"ien roaba. all wahH up for tup
par. ram promptly with gimlet ryei ready to
trvh liabt'a "imird" liamelewly.
Put they had their trouble for their palna.
II unnaddM and turned th pony Into the cor
till, grinning with aum good nature.
"What folks don't know won't hurt m,"
'an'
bunch's pretly all fired
he said.
healthy."
Babe Cutler rode no more toward the Blue
Page Flat, and he paid his bet to Cuff and Sid
Carroll with a pensive readiness that did not
escape the Argus eyes of those worthies and
which roused In them a desire to know its rea
son, t
But if Babe had ill luck in his Initial attempt
to meet the schoolma'am, there were others who
were more fortunate. . Sid, for Instance, who
came home one day a week later grinning fatu
ously and full of tho schoolma'am's praises.
"Gray eyes," he stated pensively, "gray for
sure gray as smoke. An' hair! Say, mamma!
It's brown and curly an' thick as Silver's mane!"
"Look here," interrupted Charlie Spikes,
"why will you compare a lady to that flea-bitten
skate of yours?'
At another time such reference to Silver,
slim.Villins, tough and pretty enough for any
cdwman to straddle, would have brought in
stant fight out of his master. ' . Now, however,
Sid was Jtoo full of his subject and passed the
Insult over.
"An' th' little neck under th' hair is white,
like a candle when it comes out uh th' box ' "
"Yuh make me tired!" said Babe disgustedly.
"There's a shade of pink in her skin."
A great and sudden silence fell on the
group. They regarded the speaker gravely. Sid
put both hands on his hips and leaned forward..
"Is that so?" he inquired drawiingly. "An
where, and when, Lothario, did you find that
out? I thought you'd never met her?"
'Taid that bet pretty prompt, too. didn't
he?" some one else wanted to know. "Seemed
indifferent, sort of."
Babe snapped the ash from his cigaret and
walked away, but the back of his neck was red.
Every one of the bunch behind him saw it.
Each one laid it up as suspicious evidence of
something untoward to be unraveled In future
to the chagrin and discomfort, if possible, of
their mate. . ' 1
And in the meantime Miss Esther Kansome
had, metaphorically, shaken her slim shoulders
and gathered up the reins of her new life as if
lhat first terrible panic had never been, She was
built of good stuff and had soon rallied her spir
itual resources.
She was already fitted into Mrs. Tom's mod
est household as one of the family, and the
beautiful walk through the trees along the
stream had cast its spell upon her. She had
conquered the youngest Dinkelmelr positively,
had coldly informed the Crawford boy of his
colossal ignorance in regard to the antiquated
value of letters as compared to sounds, and had
battered down their wall of opposition like a
soldier. Therefore she was cool and collected
and was already feeling herself mistress of her
destiny. '
She had also relegated the bucket from the
back stoop to a shelf and instituted a system of
. individual drinking cups by means of some thick
paper, scissors and a bit of glue, sitting up half
a night at Mrs. Tom's to accomplish that end.
She was feeling that virtuous self-satisfaction
that comes with all uplift movements when we
are the uplifters.
Those thus elevated don't seem to get the
same effect
At any rate she was that most delectable
product of the whole world, a young girl just
beginning a life work, for the first time self -sup.
porting, interested in her particular sphere, and
the only ne of her peculiar kind within a
radius of many man-infested miles.
It was odd how many male riders found it
imperative to seek straying cattle Jn Blue Sago
Flat how unaccountably thirsty they , became
just about the time they reached the seat of
learning. Half the rangeland knew about those
individual, collapsible, brown paper drinking
cups before two weeks. The Lazy X knew all
about them except Babe.
He displayed a cold, not to say frozen, in
difference to everything connected with mental
improvement, a state of affairs entirely foreign
to his former habit.
When Miss Kansome had been a month at
the Flat, cowland felt a sudden desire to dance.
Dances were few and far between, but the urge
to shake a foot seemed to take the outfits simul
taneously, and word went scurrying about the
ranches that they were to "come one, come all"
to the store at Killer's Crossroads, the time.hon
oted scene of all festivities for 40 years.,
Esther rode beside Mrs. Tom, dnd her gray
eyes w ere bright as the stars themselves. And
you may well believe that there were masked
batteries on every side as she entered the long
room of the store. ' Comely matrons with their
offspring in rows beside them, buxom girls in
ruffles and ribbons, their natural cheeks a triflo
too bright, their figures a bit too sturdy for ex
treme grace, but young and sweet withal, viewed
her with eyea as sharp as needles.
"She's got on brown again," they opined.
"It's crepe de chine, ain't it? An' it's trimmed
with coral. My, aintt a. swell combination!"
"She doea her hair Irk a bob rolled under,
ain't it, Liosie? Curly 'tis so."
"Ves, an' her slippers are brown satin, an.
land sakes, there's a, run In one of her stockin's.
Clear up the side, I do declare! - Great goodness
there's one in th' other one, too!" ,
"No, Lizzie, are you, sure? Ain't it one of
. them clock things they're puttin' in the stockin's
now there's a little arrowhead at top."
A sigh of relief followed as it was discovered
that the damning runs were clocks and no mis
take, i
Taken altogether the new schoolma'am was
as different from 'the general run of her sex
present as an exquisite autumn leaf is different
from a plush covered platform rocker.
At first glance she seemed disappointingly
plain In her slim, trim dress of brown with its
slight touches of coral, her little sleek head
with its rolled-urider hair. Then, as lively mas
culine eyes took her in avidly, there was some,
thing different about her yes, that was it, dif
ferent. They didn't know what, but it was there,
a difference. -
And how sweet and approachable she was!
Those who had nonchalantly passed through
the Blue Sage Flat and "knew her well," pre
sented themselves with bows and scrapes, to be
accepted one and all for a waltz or one-step.
The girl found herself swamped with partners.
The Lazy X was large and prominent on the
list there almost to a man.
"Great Scott, Babe, if you don't hurry,"
warned Sid, "you won't get a chance before
morning!"
"Why," drawled Babe, coolly. "I don't know's
I care a whole lot."
"Eh? Say, wise boy, you losin' your mind?
Ain't no one died an' left yuh a legacy, have
they?" v .
But Babe was already bowing elaborately
before a bunch of blushes and pink ribbons and
didn't seem to hear. ;
This was a great dance. Lights 'and lanterns
glowed in rivalry to the youthful faces, the
spaces of the raftered roof gave back the "shuff
shuff" of the gliding feet, and young hearts
beat high.
"Dearie," beamed Mrs. Tom, "you've got th'
whole bunch locoed! How many times has Sid
Carroll ast you?" .
"Five," said the schoolma'am modestly. "He
dances well."
"An' Babe Cutler?"
"I don't know."
Now, she knew well that the tallest, straight
est, handsomest boy in the house the one with
the blackest eyes and hair, the most indefatig.
able dancer was Babe Cutler. Sid had seen
to that and that he did not ask her for a single
step. She knew also that he had looked down
the aisle of the Blue Sage schoolhouse once to
behold her in ignoble tears. There had been, on
sober second thought, nothing criminal in that.
Any one might ride by the Flat in fact, how
many of these youngsters hadn't? But there
was in her consciousness an uncomfortable
sense of shame for her own hot words, and that
was sufficient to make her hold her head a trifle
higher when she passed him on the floor,' to give
her an added air of superiority toward him.
As far as Babe was concerned, there might
have been no new girl in the country. He
just didn't see her, so to speak. But you can
bet his comrades did, and took in all the signs.
"There's somethin' happened," Cuff told a
couple of the Lazy X boys in whispered confab
when the night was half over. "Never saw his
nibs so plumb cold sto raged in my life. Can't
tell me he ain't seen her before." And they
.went in solemn file to find him.
"Babe," said Sid, "we're wise. Tou're scared
to ask her for a, dance. ' Bel you Silver against
your Pronto you don't dare."
Now what healthy male of 24 ever took any
thing like that?
Babe flushed and scowled.
"If you're so all-flred smart," he said, "intro
' duce me."
There was a crowd about Miss tansome, as
usual, but it fell apart for-the boys from the
Lazy X and when the girl looked up she met
the same dark eyes she had seen before, though
they were as distant as moons.
For one heady moment she meant to refuse
his stiff invitation. Then her good sens tri
umphed and when t.j music struck up Babe
found himself drifting out with the little figure
in his arms, its silken feel a new intoxicant.
Babe made some rambling remark, but her reply
was so cool th8t he did not repeat the effort
and they danced out the number in a strained
silence.
"What one earth's th' matter with Babe Cut.
ler?" Mrs. Tom wanted to know as they rode
home in the chilly dayn. "He only ast you
once an' him th' greatest lady's man in all the
country."
But the schoolma'am was half asleep and
did not answer.
v She was not so far gone in dreamy slumber,
however, that she could not catch Mrs. Tom's
guileless meaning, of Babe's intentional slight,
and her inward soul stiffened with embarrass
ment. She wished violently that she had re
fused him, as she had at first intended. ,
Why On earth hadn't she? Just why hadn't
the?
Wait .until the next opportunity just so.
But no such mortification was going on in
the breast of the cowboy.
His grandiloquent renunciation of the down
ward spread palm that day at the Flat seemed,
since the dance,' somehow vague and unimpor
tant. The feel of the little, sleek, brown-clad body
in the bend of his arm had filled him with fatu
ous comparisons. Wasn't a "skirt" in the coun
try that felt so kind of light and straight and
soft underneath. They were more solid, those
other girls; you could grip them good and hearty
and swing them wide on the corners. But this
Kirl, now holy smoke,- you couldn't pull no
rough stuff like that on her. Why, those little
feet of hers would simply fly off the floor if ydu
swung her hard. Tou had to kind of loosen up,
let her turn herself, and follow after all sort
ct respectful and at your distance. And that
wonderful soft, slippy feel of her
The openly sung praises of the new school
ma'am which greeted his ears at the Lazy X
made him weary. He who was supposed to be
a connoisseur on feminine charm smoked in
pained aloofness and had no comment to make.
"A fine stab you made th' other night, Lo
thario," they jeered. "Regular frozen face party.
I bet you said 'Good floor' an' she said 'Very'
and you said "
"Oh, hell!" said Babe disgustedly. "Ain't
there nothin' insfde you poor boobs' heads but
wind? I'd tell a fella."
Miss Kansome walked along the stream's
edge. All the trees were flaming in their au.
tumn livery. The high skleg of this prairie
country were blue and clear. She felt peppy,
' brisk, and businesslike as she stepped along.
Life was on tiptoe now. No more tears, no panic.
The letters she wrote home to that Kansas town
were full of references to her work and her
methods, to her new friends and her ideas of
uplift as applied to the outlying districts. The
eldest Crawford boy trudged beside her. He did
not have to come so far out of his way, but there
was a devilish pertinacity of antagonism in him
that still sent him arguing upon any subject she
tried to instill in him. Today it had been the
subject of wireless and the lad had doggedly
stuck to his query, "How can you talk on a
wire if there ain't no wire? Huh!"
"I do wish, Henry, that you would go home
row. Tou are far past the turnoff," she told
him gently, but Henry persisted. He hung be
hind mumbling at intervals about "no wire" and
"numbskulls."
The teacher was busily thinking of her
monthly examinations and almost forgot him.
She was recalled violently by the boy's shrill
squeak, " ain't it?"
'"Isn't," Henry not 'ain't,' Isn't what?"
"Cowboy from Lazy X. Babe. 'At's Babe,
cure's shootln'l What's he comin' this way for?"
The schoolma'am blushed furiously. She
could have shaken the child. Little pest! Anger
rose in her like a tide. She glanced ahead down
the magic vista of leafy floor beneath tho trees
end beheld a common little range horse, caparis
oned heavily in saddle and rider.
Htfwever, this was Pronto, good as' gold and
favorably spoken of wherever cow horses were
mentioned hereabouts, and he carried his dearly
beloved master gayly forward at a canter. They
did make a gallant picture had any cared to
look for beauu to them, for Babe was lean and.
"No en noticud tha Crawford boy.
Ho wao playing round tko black
board with a pioco of chalk inno
cent childhood emoting itmolf."
graceful and his blue shirt set off his dark eyes
end tho hair that shone black, beneath the tipped
sombrero's rim.
Nobody was looking, however.
They stopped respectfully and the hat came
,off. .
"Howdy, Miss Kansome," smiled Babe as if
there had never been a thought of coldness be
tween them.
"How do you do, Mr. er what did they
say your name was?" asked Miss Kansame in.
noccntly. "I think I met you, didn't I? So
many, you know excuse me."
"See here, Miss Kansome," he said frankly,
"you're so sweet and friendly with everybody
else. Why won't you be friends with me?"
There was open and boyish yearning in
Babe's voice.
The schoolma'am, being 19 and feminine,
caught the note and in spite of herself thrilled
to it. That thrill made her more angry with
herself. ,
"Friends," she said with dignity, "are people
' one can trust," though how the remark applied
to the situation she did not specify.
"You could trust me," swore Babe eagerly,
if somewhat diffidently; "if you want someone
to trust, why, I'm a shinin' mark in that line.
Cuff and Sid, why, when they want someone to
trust really trust they come to me. On sec
rets I'm a Maxim silencer "
"I have no secrets," said Miss Kansome
coldly. ,' ,
"No," hastened Babe, "of course not. No
really nice girl has "
"Ah!" the gray eyes widened and shone bale
fully. "And yet you suggest them to me?'
The cowboy groaned. Could you beat It?
Wasn't he the poor fish proper, always bun.
gling!
"I beg your pardon," he said Btiffly, "I didn't
mean "
"Goodnight,' said the schoolma'am, and if
(here was the slightest possible inflection on the
second word she was innocent of intentional
slang. -
As she stepped out to pass the little horse
and the tall boy standing bareheaded beside it
there was a patter of feet in the dry leaves and
a derisive voice behind.
"Yah! it jeered. "Babe Cutler an' teacher!
Teacher an' Babe. Babe's stuck on teacher!
Tah!"
Miss Kansome turned furiously.
"Henry,' she called in cold anger, "if you
don't, go straight home I shall punish you to
morrow, very severely!"
"Gosh darn my luck!" said Babe savagely as
he swung back on Pronto and left that place on
a run. "What do I want to hang around for,
anyway?"
But that was more than he could answer.
What youth has ever been able to answer
that question when inamorata frowns? ,
He would put out of his mind all memory
of light little feet and a slender, silken form. At
the very next dance a miracle happened.
Babe Cutler stayed at home!
For the first time since he had appeared on
the horizon of that particular rangeland some
seven years back as a stripling boy the best
dancer in the region was not present,
. And it must be said in justice that If the new
girl noticed his absence she gave no visible sign.
She nailed down her former advantage with
more smiles, more democratic kindliness, and
by daylight she could have had just about any
thing she asked for in that part of the country
from the male half of the population.
The Lazy X was loud in its adoration and
lifted up its voice and sang. This eulogy was
irivel to Babe, yet exquisitely interesting.
Hp smoked and listened.
"White this time her dress was," offered Sid,
"all softy like an" fine, and she had a bow of
ribbon, goldy colored, somewhere underneath
in front. Shone through."
Babe's right arm felt suddenly bereft. He
was jealous of that "soft feeL" could have smit
ten Sid for noticing it. ,
Kight there Babe Cutler met his Waterloo.
acknowledged his defeat in the lists of love. He
turned sickly green around the lips and got up
and left the idiotic group.
Yes, sir, he was in love.
Honest to goodness in love!
He knew it for truth! He'd heard of this
kind that took .sudden; Just a look, maybe, or
a handclasp not to mention a. whole ljng dance
Eumbor and wowie! jou, were a goner.
Thai wa it. II a a goner hr. poor tih,
who only offended her try tint ha cpenad hi
fool mouth!
H rot far that day on th boaa' businxa.
but lh beta' buaineta auRered. H pasxd
three unhrandej ilea in Ip foul an4
nater them.
l or th nM two waek lh boy was tmi'
Inely minerahl". Then vam th flanrio word
fllnnc routi'l th rmhe that Miss Ranaome,
anil keen on the uplift, was Kohl to lv a box
aupper at Hi H'lioplhoua on flu Hat Flat for
lh fkpie im 1 1' vf providing: a library for
Hit U0 of all th countu!
They all do thla along In their Brat or aeeonl
terms.
Now, ther waa nothing In that good iw
to t'lunc Mm Into th nethermost depth ot
(loom, but it did m Plung him.
-CieewhillikliiK!" acclaimed Cuff, (arklini
eyed, "Imiigln th little arirl on that ther plat
form sellm th t'oxea; MMreaa of carrmonlea!
An won't her boi cum high? Hay, boy! II . ,
th rest feel like I do about it. ahe'll Just hav ta
mova a wlula t'urnegle right out here, ahe'l!
has so much moiipy to apend!"
Biibe rode far aaaln, and hi head felt Ilk
tha rnok'a scrambled brain from oscrmucb
thinking.
Could h go to that box supper?
Why not? It did certainly want to go.
Nope. II recalled too vividly those widen
ing gray ryes tli.tt day by th winding- creek.
They were aure void and fight In' mad. Sh Just
wouldn't Mm If he did go and could h
tund that? To see those grinning monkey, '
Cuff and Fid. hoppln' about her darn! Trob
ably have her box spotted, too.
No, air! II dug his spur Into Tronto need
lessly and gasped at his sudden leap. No, air!
He'd stay at home again. Regular old hermit.
Tho night of th box supper was cold and
clear. There were stars above th rangeland,
the creiik of coming wagon, a fire In the school
houk stove, and not room enough by half.
However, every door and window was full of
face, the compart benches that replaced th
seats a solid pack of humanity. TJier was tha
I leu sant hum of expectancy. There were neatly
rombed and gala clad children In conspicuous
evidence. The 11 had been drilled to a 'man,
for there was to be a program.
There was a mountain of raper covered
boxes on the platform.
What flutter of feminine finery along the
benches!
Wh&t edging In of prospective purchasers!
What scanning of fair faces, as this or that
box went up, to catch a betraying blush!
It was all simple, fcenulne, happy.
Sid and Cuff and all the rest ot the Lazy X
boys were there and on tiptoe, all, that Is, but
one.
Out in the cold night, like a pariah beyond
the feast, sat that erstwhll careless knight,
that most confident Lothario, Babe Cutler, his
leg over his saddle horn and his black eyes pen
sive with that sadness which ever attends the '
sickness of the heart called unrequited love.
In his left breast pocket reposed something
which filled him alternately with pride and mis
giving, which had caused him laborious day
and Bleepless nights namely, a real, true love
letter, and the best thing of its kind he could
produce.
It was fine drawn, like a draftsman's eleva
tion, on good paper, done with a Speneerian
pen. It had been copied and recopied, changed,
abridged, and amplified, a good 15 times.
It was poetic, with that subtle insinuation
and reference dear to a woman's heart, so
thought its author; it was firm ami strong with
a man's undying passion. One read it must
find its mark in the heart behind the soft brown
dress, or there waa no truth in the old adage of
the brave and fair, "he who hesitates," or any
of the rest.
Babe and opportunity sat in the dark and
waited and they were not be denied Just be
fore the pile of boxes was entirely gone one of
the Bailies, puffed with oratory, came out to
take a breath of air. Htm Babe shamelessly
whistled off the step and man and boy held a
whispered confab which ended with the magic
passing of silver, the ratin flip of paper.
The die was cast.
Babe wet his lips, and leaving .Pronto to
stand alone went to the least thickly fringed
window to watch the stealthy progress of his
plan. -
Miss Kanso"meN was on the platform, her
rounded arms unllfted to the better display of
the box Bhe held. What adorable little wrists!
What pink-tipped fingers! Babe's hungry black
eyes caressed them.
, He saw the Baily boy edge up, innocently im
portant, and stand in the crowd, the tell-tale bit
cf white in his pudgy fingers.
"See!" cried Miss Kansome laughing, her
cheeks flushed, her gray eyes sparkling, "the
biggest box yet! It has paper lace and one-two.
three-five roses! What am I offered for this
cite?" ''..'
"Twd dollars'."
"Two fifty!" '
"Three!" '
"Gone!" she said and reached for the mone,
as she leaned down to deliver. Just here ,the
oldest Crawford boy's-gimlet eyes caught the.
Clint of a letter in his mate's small hand and
with the sweep of the bully snatched for It.
"And this!" called the schoolma'am, "pink
and plain, with a ribbon on top?"
"Five dollars!" cried Sid Carroll, with a
prophetic foreknowledge.
"Ten!" doubled Cuff and instantly a murmur
ran like fire among the bidders that this was
hers.
Soon Miss Ransome was all blushes, for this
box threatened to insult every one sold previous,
ly by its arrogant expensiveness.
Outside in the night Babe Cutler clenched
his fists and swallowed he was past swearing
for he saw that little archfiend, the Crawford
boy, disappear in the crowd with the epistle!
The plain pink box with the ribbon on top
was the last and sold to Sid Carroll- for $37.
Partners were finding each other and settling
cn the benches for that most delectable event,
the "lap supper." The murmuring voices rose
to happy bedlam.
No one noticed the Crawford boy. He was
playing round the blackboard with a piece Of
chalk innocent childhood amusing itself.
But presently a cowboy at the back of the
house with his mouth full of cake stopped chew
ing to look. Some one noticed his absorbed face
and turned to look also. To look was to start
and soon the chattering mass on the benches
became quiet, a sea of faces all turned one way,
for this is what they saw appearing in large,
round, childish script on the broad face of the
blackboard: . v
"Miss Putty Face, Dear Madam. I beg leave
to speak. No longu can I keep silent. It ain't
in the heait of man. Your tupping feet have
walked on my beait, and I aint like I was. I
love you. ,
"1 am as dust beneath those little feet.
Please answu.
"Faithfully and obediently, BABE."
The painstaking scribe waa never to finish
that damning superscription. A whirlwind in
sombrero and boots leaped spectacularly over
the packed benches, scattering cake and con
fusion, and swept him aside. A panting, sweat
ing, wild-eyed whirlwind whose face waa tragie,
and who turned a bay by the blackboard to
meet the general uprising of insult. I-
Foremost In the surge was Sid Carroll, his
trstwhile mate, red with anger.
"If you're meanin" Miss Ransome by that
there asper-a-sion." gritted Sid, "you've got t'
f Slit, an' that right now."
A blow follewed the words, and In 29 sec
onds there was such a howling. Indignant free-for-all
as the cow country had not staged fo'
to Vac (ma JU i
