West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1894-03-29
CHAPTER XIII.
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"Give me 10 cents worth OF saffron,
quick" said the bad boy to the. grocery
man as he came in the grocery on gallop
early one morning with no collar on and
no vest. He looked as though he had been
routed out of bed in hurry and had
jumped into his pants and boots and put
on his coat and hat on the run.
IL don't keep saffron, said the grocery
man as lie picked mp ~ barrel of AK han
dies the boy had tipped over in his hurry.
"You want to go over to the drug store
OH the corner If you want saffron. But
what on earth is the mai
AT this point the boy shot out of the
door, tipping over basket of white
beans. and disappeared in the drug store.
The grocery man got down on his knees
ON the sidewalk AMI scoopcd up the beans,
occasionally looking over to the drug
store. and just as he got them picked up
the boy came ont of the drug store and
walked deliberately toward his home. as
though there was no particular hurry.
The grocery man looked after him, took
mp 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
seen him running down town a dozen
times during the day, and once he rode
mp to the house with the doctor, and the
grocer surlnised what was the trouble
Along toward night the boy came in in
detected sort of a tired way. sat down on
a barrel of sugar and never spoke.
What is tia boy or girly" said the
grocery man. winldng at an old lady with
o shawl over her head. who was trying
to hold paper over pitcher of yeast
with her thumb.
How in blazes did you know anything
about it," said the boy as lie looked
around in establishment and with some
indignation. We'll, it's q girl, il you
must know, and that's enough" and he
looked down at the cat playing ON the
floor with a potato, his face picture u
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 Tor it, that
young one is going 70 have hard life
unless you mend your ways. You will
be using it for cork to 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
have been all over this town trolling for
nurses. They thinka boy hasn't aot any
feelings. But wouldn't care goldarn
If Ma hadn't been sending me for neu-
rslgia medicine and hay fever stuff all
winter when she wanted to get rid of
me- have come into the room lots of
times when Ma and the sewing girl were
at work OH 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 go over on the west side after
some old woman that knew Ma, and they
have kept me whoopiny ever since. What
does boy want Of sister unless it is a
big sister? don't want no sister that
nave go. to .old and rock and hold a
bottle for. This affair breaks me all up, -
and the boy picked the cheese ont of his
teeth with silver he cut from the coun-
ter.
well, how does your Pa take itY'
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.
fred him out into the hall. Pm sat there
ON my hand sled perfect picture of de-
spair, and thought it would be a kind.
ness to play IN on him. | found tho cat
asleep ia the bathroom, aud rolled the
cat mp in a shawl and brought 1t ont To
Pa and told him the nurse wanted hiIn
to hold the baby. Il seemed TO DO Pa
| good to feel that ho was Indispensable
around the house, and he took the cat ON
his lsp as teuderly as you ever saw q
! mother hold her infant. Well, got IA
( the back hall, where he couldn't see me-
aud pretty soon tho cat began to wake ur
and stretch himself. and Pa said 'S-h-h
t0otsy; go TO sleep now and let its PA
Z hold it, and Ia he rocked back and forth
/ On the hand sled and begau u sing BY
low, baby That settledi Il with the cat