Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-12-06
THE WHOLE ERRAND.


THE WHOLE ERRANO.
/! What Obllsing Zed Got and Dlsobeying
Harry Missed.
There certainly was a mischievous
| sparkle in grandmother's eyes, as she
. added the last few words to a note she
was writing, folded it up, and put it in
an envelope. In spite of her gray hair
and feeble steps, grandmother enjoyed
little mischief now and then quite as
well as any of her grandchildren.
Harry" she said, going to the door
and addressing boy who was stretched
luxuriously in hammock swung across
the shady porch, Twill you take this
note down to the apothecary's for me?
/ forgot to send it by Zsd when he
; went to the store"
20 grandma" and Harry's face
! wrinkled up into a perfect snarl of
frown. ''Need l go now? It's SO
warm"
on your bicycle on the shady side of
the street." grandmother answered.
Cant Zed go when he comes back?
! Tn just fixed so comfortably"
whats Zed wanted for?" asked a
CHEEKY voice. and the flushed, good
humored face of the chore-boy looked
around the end of the porch. Here's
the basket of things, Mrs. Lindsay"
he added, as he put down well-filled
basket on the steps and wiped his per-
spring face. "Did you want me for
any thing, ma'am?" he asked.
II was asking Harry if he would not
go down to the apothecary's for me,
but he doesn't seem Inclined" Mrs.
Lindsay answered.
''I'n go for you," Zed offered
promptly. "rll cool off walking
down.
well, led, will let you go if you
will be so kind" grandmother said,
after moments pause. "Be sure and
do all the errand, Zed!" she called after
him as he reached the gate.
'.Yes'm," Led answered, with q be-
wildered look on his round, freckled
face. Didn't he always do all that he
was told to? That caution sounded as
if he had been remiss in something.
He understood it twenty minutes
later, when, after the clerk had put up
the package of spices, he stepped
around behind the soda fountain, which
Zed had been watching rather visit
fully. thinking how refreshing
draught of cool soda would be, and
wondering what .'Ice Cream Soda"
meant.
What will you have, sirr' asked
the clerk
why, don't want any solar stam-
mered led. THAT is, I'd like some
well enough; but haven't got any
money"
That's all right" answered the
clerk. The order in this letter is to
give the bearer glass of ice cream
soda; so I suppose you won't object?'
A broad smile nlumined Zed's face,
as he remembered Mrs. Lindsay's in
junction to do all the errand. She had
meant this treat for him, since Harry
had declined to do her errand. STRAW
berry, he said. as promptly as if he
had been used to ordering ice-cream
soda every day of his life.
Wasn't it good, though. that tall glass
of sparkling soda, with that delicious
ice-cold lump of strawberry cream
floating in it? led breathed a sigh of
perfect content as he sat back in his
chair and leisurely dipped out the re-
freshing mixture with a dainty long
handled spoon.
Zed was glad that the bowl of the
spoon was so small, because then the
cream would last so much longer.
When he went home, grandmother
was sitting On the porch with her
knitting, while Harry still rolled about
in the hammock, having some pangs
of conscience in regard to his dis
obligingness, though grandma uttered
never a word of reproach.
Here's your package, ma'am,' Zed
said, s'and that ice-cream soda was
prime; I'm ever so much obliged for
it, and he beamed all over at the re-
membrance of his unexpected treat.
WHAT! shouted Harry, sitting up
right in the hammock. HAS Jenkins
got his ice-cream soda in, and did Zed
have some, grandma?''
YES" grandma answered, placidly,
picking up stitch in her knitting that
Harry's exclamation had made her
drop. Part OF my order was that the
bearer should have some ice-cream
Soda
''Oh, why didn't you tell meP''
groaned Harry. I'D have gone in a
minute. grandma, if HAD known that. y
Yes, have no doubt you would,
grandma answered, TRANQUILITY; 'but l
thought that the boy who was willing
to do my errand for the sake of being
obliging deserved the treat"
.'Oh, to think what missed!' Harry
mourned as he fell back in the haul-
mock, and am afraid he regretted tho
lost ice-cream soda more than the fact
that he had grumbled about doing an
errand for dear, patient grandmother.
who was always devising pleasures for
him.
After that, when he was inclined TO
grumble over an errand. he remem-
bered what he had missed that day BY
his unwillingness, and went at once;
but he never found ice-cream soda
waiting for him at the end OF his jour-
NJ ~