Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1893-10-13
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",i.yr ~ 20 eggs worth uf ~ III.
G1.,,l." sad ill., lad boy t. tn" grocery
Inana~ H. ca;i.. IL In" grocery ona -lll"r
.arlv,I... IL. .rliu- with ~ collar "a ..:..
uuV.>f. lt"fook,l a, though Ire had i'c-u
roat,ri nii Of bed III a hurry ana had
jumped into his pants and boots ami put
on HI coat and hat on the run.
II don't keep saffron. said the grocery
nan II Ii. picked NJ a barrel of az ham
d. tn,- hoy had iilpe'l over in lis hurry.
You want to 70 over 10 the drug store,
On thu corner if you want saffron. But
what un earth Is the Iat'-
Al tins point tn" s'v shot out Of the
dor. tipping over i basket Of White
beans. and dIsaQpear' l III the dru- store.
The grocery man got down on his knees
on the sidewalk AMI scoopcd mp the beans.
occasionally looking over TO the drug
store. and just as he got them picked up
the boy came out of the drug store and
Wake, deliberately toward his home. as
though there was no particular hurry.
The grocery man looked after him, took
up an ak handle, spit on his hands and
shouted to the boy to come over pretty
soon, as he wanted to talk with him.
The boy did not come to the grocery till
toward night. but the grocery man had
socn ann running down town dozen
times during the day. and once he rode
up to the house with the doctor, and the
grocer surmised what was the trouble.
Along toward night the boy came in in
detected sort of tired way, sat down on
barrel of sugar and never spoke.
''What is it-a boy or girl?" said the
grocery man, winking at an old lady with
a shawl over her head, who was trying
to hold paper over a pitcher Of yeast
with her thumb.
''iow in b!azes did you know anything
about it:' said the boy as he looked
around in astonishment and with some
indignation. well, it's a girl, if you
must know, and that's enough" and he
looked down at the cat playing on the
floor with potato, his face picture of
detection.
"Oh. don't feel bad about it," said the
grocery man as he opened the door for
the old lady. such things are bound to
occur, but you take my word for it, that
young one is going to have hard life
unless you mend your ways. You will
be Using it for cork to a Jug or to wad a
gun with the first thing your Ma knows"
Il wouldn't touch the darn thing with
the longs" said the boy as he rallied
enough to eat some crackers and cheese.
"Gosh, this cheese tastes good. hain't
had nothing to eat since morning. l
have been all over this town trolling for
nurses. They think boy hasn't got any
feelings. But wouldn't care goldarn
if Ma hadn't been sending me for neu-
ralgia medicine and hay fever stuff all
winter when she wanted to get rid of
me. l have come into the room lots of
times when Ma and the sewing girl were
at work on some flannel things, and Ma
would hide them in basket and send me
off after medicine. Twas deceived up to
about o'clock this morning, when Pa
come to my room and pulled me out of
bed to 60 over on the west side after
some old woman that knew Ma, and they
have kept me whooping ever since. What
does boy want of sister unless it is q
big sister? don't want no sister that
have got to hold and rock and hold a
bottle for. This affair breaks me all up"
and the boy picked the cheese out of his
teeth with silver he cut from the coun-
ter.
well, how does your Pa take it,"
asked the grocery man as he charged the
boys Pa with cheese and saffron and a
number of such things.
"Oh, Pa will pull through. He want
ed to boss the whole concern until Mas
chum, an old woman that takes snuff,
fired him out into the hall Pa sat there
on my hand sled a perfect picture Of de-
spair, and l thought it would be kind
ness to play in on him. found the cat
asleep in the bathroom, and rolled the
cat up in a shawl and brought it out to
Pa and told him the nurse wanted him
to hold the baby. It seemed to do Pa
good to feel that he was indispensable
around the house, and he took the cat on
his lap as tenderly as you ever saw a
mother hold her infant. Well, got in
the back hall, where he couldn't see me,
and pretty soon the cat began to wake up
and stretch himself, and Pa said 'S-h-h,
tootsy; 60 to sleep now and let its Pa
hold it, and Pa he rocked back and forth
on the hand sled and began to sing BY,
low, baby That settled it with the cat.