ack, and she had a face
that was clean-cut, like one of them cameo faces on cuff buttons.
Katherine was some like her pa, and a good sort too.

"How sweet you look tonight!" says Old Lady Kimberly to Bonnie Bell
after a time.

She always seemed to want to reach out and touch Bonnie Bell, or kiss
her once in a while--they natural liked each other--Bonnie Bell
especial, from never having no ma of her own, very much.

But after a time our William come to the door and stood there like he
was a pointer dog and had found some birds; and says he, with a stop
between, like he always did:

"Miss Kimberly--ahum! Mr. Thomas Kimberly--ahum!"

XVIII

HOW TOM STACKED UP

I reckon if Katherine's brother, Tom Kimberly, had of knowed how much we
was waiting for a look at him he might of been some fussed up about it;
but when our William brought him and Katherine in he didn't seem
rattled.

He was a right tallish young fellow, maybe twenty-four years or
thereabouts, slim, and with a wide mouth. He had a good deal of brown
hair, which he combed back from his forehead, without no part in it. He
was dressed up like city folks do for dinner, and his necktie wasn't
tied careless, but right careful. He looked a good deal like a picture
in a tailor shop. His hands didn't even seem to bother him like mine do
me sometimes--I often wisht a man could have forty pockets to put all
his hands into.

When he seen Bonnie Bell he lit up. Katherine hurried him over and put
her hand on Bonnie Bell's arm.

"Honey," says she to Bonnie Bell, "I've brought over my brother Tom; and
I want you to like him and I want him to like you."

"That's going to be the easiest thing you know," says he smiling.

He had right good teeth. Bonnie Bell she give him her hand, her arm
straight out in front of her, and I didn't think she shook hands very
hard; but he did. He kept on looking at her like he was fascernated. It
was plain to see that the kid had him on the ropes in the first round.

We went on to the big dining-room right soon. This was the first time
the Kimberlys had ever et at our house, except cookies and tea and
things in the parlor or in the ranch room. When Mrs. Kimberly come into
our big dining-room she taken one look up and down. Maybe she'd been
thinking it was like the ranch room all the way through. That showed how
little she knew about Bonnie Bell.

They was arranged in pairs as long as the women lasted--this Tom and
Bonnie Bell