Short stories, American; United States -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction
"Do you go out on it sometimes?"
"Oh, lots of times! My father's got a boat," he said, eying her to
note the effect of his words.
She was correctly pleased and struck with wonder. "Oh, has he?" she
cried, as if she never before had heard of a man owning a boat.
Jimmie continued: "Yes, an' it's a grea' big boat, too, with sails,
real sails; an' sometimes he takes me out in her, too; an' once he
took me fishin', an' we had sandwiches, plenty of 'em, an' my father
he drank beer right out of the bottle--_right out of the bottle_!"
The young lady was properly overwhelmed by this amazing intelligence.
Jimmie saw the impression he had created, and he enthusiastically
resumed his narrative: "An' after, he let me throw the bottles in the
water, and I throwed 'em 'way, 'way, 'way out. An' they sank,
an'--never comed up," he concluded, dramatically.
His face was glorified; he had forgotten all about the pail; he was
absorbed in this communion with a beautiful lady who was so interested
in what he had to say.
She indicated one of the plates, and said, indifferently: "Perhaps you
would like some of those sandwiches. I made them. Do you like olives?
And there's a deviled egg. I made that also."
"Did you really?" said Jimmie, politely. His face gloomed for a moment
because the pail was recalled to his mind, but he timidly possessed
himself of a sandwich.
"Hope you are not going to scorn my deviled egg," said his goddess. "I
am very proud of it." He did not; he scorned little that was on the
plate.
Their gentle intimacy was ineffable to the boy. He thought he had a
friend, a beautiful lady, who liked him more than she did anybody at
the picnic, to say the least. This was proved by the fact that she had
flung aside the luxuries of the spread cloth to sit with him, the
exile. Thus early did he fall a victim to woman's wiles.
"Where do you live?" he asked, suddenly.
"Oh, a long way from here! In New York."
His next question was put very bluntly. "Are you married?"
"Oh no!" she answered, gravely.
Jimmie was silent for a time, during which he glanced shyly and
furtively up at her face. It was evident that he was somewhat
embarrassed. Finally he said, "When I grow up to be a man--"
"Oh, that is some time yet!" said the beautiful lady.
"But when I _do_, I--I should like to marry you."
"Well, I will remember it," she answered; "but don't talk of it now,
because it's such a long time; and--I wouldn't wish you to consider
yourself bound." She smiled at him.
He began to brag. "When I grow up to be a man, I'm goin' to have lots
an' lots of money, an' I'm goin' to have a grea' big house, an' a
horse an' a shot-gun, an' lots an' lots of books 'bout elephants an'
tigers, an' lots an' lots of ice-cream an' pie an'--caramels." As
before, she was impressed; he could see it. "An' I'm goin' to have
lots an' lots of children--'bout three hundred, I guess--an' there
won't none of 'em be girls. They'll all be boys--like me."
"Oh, my!" she said.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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