Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-12-22

AkzAAlL ~
'THAT CALF HAS SIMPLY BEEN EVERY
WHERE"
calls shall have to make tomorrow, and,
Just think of it, shall see the calf for the
first time since she left us!''
"Y-e-e-s," remarked Greville apprehen-
Gively. "I'm afraid-that is, I think-that
Christmas hasn't grown as much as you
might expect during the winter. It's been
bad winter, you KNOW" anxiously.
"Why, how do you know about herr"
asked Miss Minrl, astOnished. "You
haven't seen her since Christmas have
your
well, yes. I dined once or twice at the
Willoughbys. I forgot to mention about
it. The calf wasn't well-quite as robust
quito as fat, mean, as you might like.
But then''-with q miserable effort at a
smile-'I think that's all the better. I
don't care much for fat calves myself"
"She ought to be fat, said Miss Minna,
lapsing into anxious reflection. "She ought
TO be very, very fat. You have made me
quite anxious about her. I'll call there the
first thing. Perhaps their food does not
agree with her.
"No," said Jack, "perhaps it doesn't I
should think myself that browsing off tho
back fence and an occasional rejection off
the clotheslne wouldn't agree with most
calves"
'The calf will fatten up all right now
in the spring weather." remarked Mr..
Percy, with an evident effort at cheerful
ness. From what have heard, she'-
"What, Cousin George said Miss Min
Ia, "have you actually heard something,
too, and never told me?"
A rather weary look overspread Mr..
Percy's usually calm, genial face eyes,
few times going in and out on the train, !"
he said, "tho matter has been mentioned
to me. The whole neighborhood seems to
think 1t has a proprietary interest in
that calf and that it is my business to
keep 1t fat for it. But these things
mean nothing. I've tried not to allow
myself to be annoyed by them.''
Miss Minna looked grave and trifle
angry. lone need not be annoyed" she
said; "they might be made solicitous. I
wish you had spoken to mo after the very
first remark you heard. Something is
surely wrong.'' And she rose from the ia
BILE and left the room with decided air of
distress
''There's going to he a bully time over
that calf remarked Jack when she had
gone out of carshot well hear nothing
but calf now fer the next six months"
IL fear SO, said Mr. Percy YEARLY
And Greville looked grave and troubled.
Bright and early next morning Miss
Minna stepped brisk]y down tho lawn
turned outside the gateway, she came face
artist whose bold canvases were the talk
of tho town, and whose suburban home
was adjacent to the Percy residence.
"Ah," said Miss Minna, chow glad I
am to see you. was going to call on you
later in the day. I'm getting up little
luncheon
"Miss Gasco1gnc, interrupted Mrs
Merington sternly and ignoring the men,
ton of call or luncheon, sis it-can it be
possible that you gave that calf to the
Willoughbys?''
EYES," said Miss Minna timidly, her
heart sinking down into her boots, for she
knew now that something awful was in
vance, II did. Why"
her voice growing higher and her utter
ance moro and more rapid as she went
along, "is it possible you can ask me why?
Is it possible. you are not fully aware that
that miserable calf is starved? It's not
credible that the wretched brute can have
been chasing all round the country de-
etrcying property-yes, property of both
house and land-in search of food without
your knowing it.
Il never heartta word" said Miss Mia-
ma, "belore last night, and then only
enough to make me suspect something. I
was just going over to learn the truth
now"
"Just this moment" continued Mrs
Merington, II have chased the brute out
of Mr. Merington's studio. Will you think
of it9 Will you think Of that starved brute
actually demolishing corner of my hus-
bands canvas? It has done it. 1t has
licked his palettes. 1t has smeared, torn
and tranpled everything. 1t has literally
ruined the studio. It has wound up by
eating tho crown out of my husband's
hat"
A tear stood in Miss Minna's eye. She
was overwhelmed at this chapter of de-
struction, yet sorrow for the calf was up
permost
ttPoor Christmas!' she said. "Mrs.
Merington. am sorry for all this What
on earth stall do about it?'
"Get it h1ck, get it back without days
delay. If you don't, there's no telling
what will happen. The whole neighbor-
hood is up In arms and those Willoughby
people don't care for anything Nothing
will rouse them. Oh, what that poor
brute has suffered from those imps, those
perfect fends Of children! The first thing
they did was to make horse of it,: one
rodo it'while the other. pulled its tail to
1nake it go. Oh, we'vs seel it ALI How
tho brute has lived through it, how you
have never heard of i'll understand
neither!'' !, =, i. .:5..s.s
! 4: "And thought, put in Miss Minna
feebly, "that Christmas would be 50 happy.
They said they would care for her 80, and
the lovely house they had for herl'G''.
- 6 House! The beast has never sseen the
inside Of a house. The house Is filed with
coal 1t wandered the other night over to
the Holts', and Mr. Holt gave itshelter for
tho night Next morning it broke OUT and
deyoured his crocus bed. Oh, what and
where hasit not devoured z she cried, grip
ping her umbrella and extending itwith q
sweeping right arm gesture WI ichE seemed
to embrace land and sea. !" That calf has
simply been everywhere 3 = Ss ::
The case was looking dreadful Miss
Minnafelt as though she could have sat
down by the roadside and swept, hub the
hour was one for acti lon, and with fear at
0hS