Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1888-05-19
Couldn't Wait.

Waite took the report and looked at
it. There were five black marks on
it. He turned to Johnnie.
"What was this mark for, Mon
day?"
81 ran by Phil Blake, going out in
the line"
"What was that for?"
81 couldn't wait for him to go
along" said Johnnie, Sand
"That will do said his father, and
Wednesdays mark?"
II upset the ink on my writing
book"
"And two on Thursday~
II wanted to tell Phil something,
and whispered"
Couldn't wait till recess, l sup
pose," said Mr.. Waite, stroking his
moustache to hid smile.
"And l took out my sling-shot"-
Johnnie's cheeks were growing red
der than usual.
"And today ?"
late an apple, and Johnie's head
dropped.
Another couldn't watt" said his
father, "and you went to school this
morning without sweeping the snow
of the steps, and this afternoon with
out giving Ponto his dinner; you
didn't take the note your mother ask
ed you to carry to Mrs. Bracklett !;
you tipped the baby over instead of
going round him and you left the
front door open and somebody came
in and stole my silk umbrella, and all
because you couldn't wait. Well,you
will have to have lesson, young
man, that will break up this habit of
yours" Mr.. Waite ate q cookie,
played a few minutes with baby and
then went down town. Johnnie ate
four cookies and then went down in
to the parlor. Great Aunt Mary
Sherwin sat in the bay window knit
ting.
"Did you ever hear of your great
great Uncle Titus Foss?" she asked,
peering through her glasses at Johnnie.
"No'm," and wondered how old a
great great uncle could be.
"He couldn't watt" continued
Great Aunt Mary, and I'll take you
over to Lyme some day and show
you the hicks in the door of the old
house where he threw the stove hook
at the cat because he couldn't wait for
her to step away. That marks been
there fifty years.
One night Uncle Titus was driving
home from Camden, and he came to
bar with lantern hanging from it.,
right across the road. Twas just be-
fore he got to the toll bridge. Uncle
Titus couldn't wait. He leaped his
horse over the bar. The tollman said
he ran out to tell him part of the
bridge was up for repairs, but Uucle
Titus couldn't wait. The river was
high and he and thehorse were wash
ed down stream and drowned.
Great Aunt Mary ratified her knit
ting needles swiftly, and Johnnie, see
ing that the story was done, ran of
to play.
When he came into the dining
room the next morning he found
breakfast cleared away and mamma
feeding the canaries. She said they
thought they couldn't wait for him,
and Johnnie went into the kitchen
and begged some bread and milk
from Mary. He went back to ask if
his father had left the quarter of a
dollar he promised the day before,
that Johnnie might pay for share in
the football club which some of the
boys in his class were getting up, but
Mrs. Waite said, Papa went to the
Office early, and he told me to tell
you he couldn't walt.
The boys thought they couldn't
wait for Johnnie to see his father, and
as Lew Dunton, boy whom Johnnie
especially disliked, had twenty-five
cents ready, they took him into the
club and left Johnnie out. He felt
sure of sympathy when he began to
tell his father about his trouble at
noon, but, greatly to his surprise, he
was cut short by curt "That'll do,
l can't wait"
~ can't wait for you, john" said
the teacher when he hesitated for the
right word in his geography lesson
that afternoon, and Johniew was mark.
ed down, though he studied hard and
knew his lessen.
He met Mary on his way home