Salina High School - Trail Yearbook (Salina, KS)

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and Joe had“a date.” Finally after Joe promised toget“his date” and to take him to the girl’s house, he consented to go. But poor Tim! It was a good thing it was the day of the party and he could not get away, or I ' m afraid he would have beat it back to Arkansas. Tim had but one suit of clothes and this he had bought three years ago to go to the county fair. He had grown some since then and consequently in his own language the suit looked as if it was pulled too soon. His trouser legs lacked two inches of com- ing to the tops of his shoes, and they fitted so tightly that his legs looked as bowed as pump handles. His coat sleeves came a little below his elbows, but were about three inches longer than his coat tail. When in evening array, he put one in mind of a dressed clothes-line. At last it was time to start. Joe took him to the gate of Jane’s house, saying, “just go up and ask for Miss Howard.” “You go in and get her. I’ll wait out here,” begged Tim los- ing his nerve. “I just won’t go in there.” All right,” said Joe laughing. He went up to the door and rang the door bell. Jane had got ready early so that she might save Tim all the un- necessary embarrassment of waiting in the parlor. When Joe rang the bell, she opened tlie door. “Hello, Joe, Where is your cousin?’ ’ she asked looking about. “Ohlbut he’s bash- ful; he wouldn’t come in, but made me come and get you”, said Joe. “ You‘11 have the time of your life, but I want to thank you right now for coming with him . They found Tim where he had been left, and aftei the introduction Joe left them to their own resources. J itn always was reserved but now it was up to him to blow off a little. He tried to think of something to say, but all that would come was: “My Golly, what shall I say?” Fortuently Jane had the tact of most girls and came to the rescue by asking him all sorts of questions about his home and the country in which he lived. But finally conversation lagged. After at least twenty one-sided remarks Jane was about to yive up in despair when Tim suddenly took courage. “Do you think it will rain? he asked. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. “No not to night, it would be more liable to snow,” said Jane Page twenty eight

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Tim Jefferson From Arkansas “Say, kids, which one of you is goingto the party with that fel- low that’s, visiting Joe Goodwin?” exclaimed Jennie Phillips, rush- ing into the room where her friends had assembled to arrange for the “big feed”. “ I just saw him. He’s a peach; Tim Jefferson from Arkansas”. “When did you see him, Jennie?” asked one. “Just now. There he goes. Took!” They rushed to the window to see “the peach”, but at sight of him.thay threw up their hands and shrieked with laughter, all but one, Jane Howard was busy and had not gone to the window; she hid seen the stranger before. When the girls turned, laughing from the window, they saw her serious face. “Well if you had seen — “What’s the matter, Jane?” “Didn’tyou seethe human won- der?” they all ask together. “I saw that gentleman who just passed yesterday but I don’t think it’s anything to laugh at. He’s Joe’scousin, and I think there’s not very many here that would laugh at Joe. He never had the chance that some of you have had, and since lie’s here, it’s up to us to show him a good time, for Joe’s sake, if not for his own.” “Let her talk,” whispered one of the girls, “It’s her way”. “Til bet she has him for the party; that i-i what ' s the matter.” said another. “I have, ’’said Jane quietly, and Tm glad.” The girls looked at each other in open-eyed wonder, but no one ever made comments when Jane assumed that tone of voice. Jane was Joe‘s favorite as she was every other boy ' s in town, and for once no one envied her. Tim Jeffeason was a tall, lean, lank Arkansan, who had never been out of the boundaries of his country until now. His hair was as red as the end of King Henry ' s nose;his face put one in mind of a dominac rooster; and his plaid necktie ar.d his knock-kneed trous- ers suggested at once the backwoodsman. It took no little persuasion on Joe ' s part to convince his cous- in that he ought to go to the party. He was bashful; if he went he ' vould have to take a girl. Joe of course would not go without him, Page twenty-seven.

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and she looked away and smiled. “We have some powerful heavy rains down home,” continued Tim, thinking he had made a pretty good start. ‘‘One night Ma and sister Pol got caught and had to stay all night in an old cow- shed Ha! Ha! Ha!. That was about two year ago.” They had now come to the club house where the party was to be held. L,uck seemed against the stranger. Just as he stepped into the room and all eyes were turned upon him, his foot caught some thing and down came Timothy stretching his full length on the floor. An audible giggle went around, but the silence that followed was equally audible, for Jane — dignified, much admired Jane, had risen to the occasion. She gave them all one quick glance of scorn and reached out her hand encouragingly to the sprawling form. After that during the first part of the evening Tim got along like a hero. When supper time came, however, could Tim find his girl? Ah! I’m afiaid not, Tim. He had scarcely looked at heron the way up there and h id not even glanced at her since he came in: he was too busy picking himself up at first and afterwards too busy keeping from falling again. No wonder he couldn’t find her, though, even had he looked at her. Molly Davis had bought a new spring pattern and every girl in town hid borrowed itjtonight every girl was there arrayed in a pink or blu e princess gown. Tim, however, hunted up Joe and had him point out Jane to him. Tim was still a little confused and as luck would have it he got the one sitting next to Jane, but no one noticed the error but Jane and the other girl. Immediately after supper they turned the party into a dance. Tim decided that he should not dance after the blunder he had made at supper, but he was destined to no such good luck. The girls had shown their disgust with Jane for taking Tim’s part, and when the dance began, one said to her: “Why don’t you get your Plymouth Rock and dance? Yes, why don’t you?I’ll bet he‘sas graceful as a pigtryingto skate,” suggested another. Jane said nothing but determined that they would repent their words. Tim had told her he was a fair dancer and she was con- Page twenty -nine