Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 250, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 October 1912 — A BLUNDER INTO WISDOM [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A BLUNDER INTO WISDOM

Never before in all his life had Billy Le Voe been to walk with a girl. Ever now it was no fault of his that Peggy Carlton was along. He had, in fact fought bitterly against it, but his cherished younger brother, Bob, had wished a clear field that evening in order that he might make certain statements of unusual interest to Peg gy’s younger sister, Polly. Bob had demonstrated fluently tha. to attain this end Billy must take sister to walk. Now Billy had never had any use for girls, and could not understand his brother’s interest in them, but he had never denied the “kid” anything. So in the end, shutting his teeth firmly upon his rapidly oozing courage, he stalked over to the next house to deliver his invitation. “We’ll go to the shore through Brendon Lane, and then we’ll come back by State road,” he said. Peggy, who was still consumed with wonderment at having been invited at all, made no reply, and in unadulterated silence they entered the quiet, grassy path which he had selected. “It’s a lovely night,” Peggy ventured after a time. “Night’s all right,” grunted Billy, leaving it to be inferred from his emphasis that the night possessed a corner in rightness. He was in no mood for scenery, being on a quest for something sensible to say. He did not succeed, and the birds had the silence to themselves. Peggy tried again; Li “Where’s Bob this evening?” she inquired sociably. “Over at your place. He said he wanted the parlor to himself.” • “So that’s why you asked me to go to walk!” Billy was aghast at his mistake, and also at the way Peggy took it, for she stood still in the middle of the lane and laughed' till the tears came.

“I hope you don’t mind,” he offered lamely. “Not —not if you don’t,” replied Peggy, wiping her eyes; and of course in order to be decently polite Billy had to assert that he was enjoying himself immensely, all of which was very educative indeed for Billy. After this they talked of the Polly-and-Bob affair, and agreed that the children were absurdly young to think of matrimony. The crickets were chirping in an undertone, and a light wind stirred the leaves. “It is a nice night,” Billy heard himself saying, and was surprised again at himself this time. Just then they rounded a little curve in the lane; the woods on the right had dropped behind, and in their place stretched a broad meadow with only a low stone wall between. Billy, glancing ahead saw that which brought him to an abrupt stop. Directly in thqlr path and dangerously near sat a pretty black-and-white pussie. Billy was certain that girls in critical situations invariably scream; so Peggy presently found herself swept off her feet and being borne rapidly over a stone wall and across a poetiened It, you know.” This only seemmitted, though, that neither the poetry of the scene nor the romantic character of the adventure appealed to her. When he came to set her down, he decided, at the sight of her blazing eyes, that he had better have the first word. “It was a—a sort of a cat!’ he blurted breathlessly. “If you had screamed, you’d have frightened it, yo uknow.” This only seemed to increase the girl’s resentment. “What right had you to think I would scream?” she demanded. “Why, any girl would,” he assured her, to air hlh knowledge of the sex, as well as to assuage her wrath. There was an uncomfortable pause. “Are you still mad?” he inquired plaintively, after a time. “Somehow, I can’t seem to be,” she confessed. Billy felt absurdly relieved, but pulled himself together and said gruffly: “The State road’s over there to the right; we’ll have to cut across lots.” They were in the geometrical centre of a 10-acre field.

“How very wet the grass is!” marvelled Peggy. “Do you suppose the — the ‘sort of a cat’ had rubbers on, Billy?” * “You haven’t, at any rate,” he discovered and drew a long breath. “You’ll have to let me carry you again,” he stated boldly, adding quickly, however, “but there really isn’t any hurry; Bob won’t be expecting us — and the grass won’t get any wetter, anyway!” So they stayed and discussed the scenery. Above the horizon the sky was clear gold; it reminded Billy of a ring which Bob had gotten a few days before, anticipating a future need. “That kid brother of mine knows a heap more about girls than I do,” he confessed with sudden humility. “He has learned a lot from Polly,” suggested Peggy, the slyboots. Billy thought the idea all his own, and awfully clever, too. “Say, Peggy, would you—would you mind sort of coaching a fellow?” he asked eagerly. “I know I'm an awful chump, but if you would you know —” "Don’t be rash,” she begged; “you might have to take me to walk again!” “Who’s afraid?” demanded Bill manfully. “Let’s shake on it” Which having done, they had another silence, this one by mutual consent Peggy was the first to notice that the moon had risen. “And the grass is wet” she admitted. “Bully for the geranium kitten!” said Billy Le Voe, some time later, as they stood on her doorstep. “Let’s see if it’s still there to-morrow, Peggy!”—KATHERINE CROSBY.

The writer, who is also an old contractor, has planned and built the house shown in the two Illustrations herewith, several times, with slight changes. This particular plan seems well adapted to the farm, as will be seen by the floor plan. - The first floor has four rooms, bath, pantry and large closet, two large, or three small bedchambers may Le finished on the second floor, also several closets. The large dining-room and living room are features that will be appreciated by any housewife, a living-

room serves many purposes, and should be large, well lighted, and have ample ventilation. The large rear porch, when screened in, will serve as a summer dining room, a cool place in which to do the weekly wash and ironing, and for putting up the winter’s fruit and canned vegetables. The pantry will protect the housewife from the heat of the kitchen and the sink and hot-water tank, will save many steps. The cellar may be entered from the kitchen, the steps being located under main stairway. The bath-room may be entered from the rear porch, a feature which will