Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1897-10-14
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fl Queer Compact.
BY Martha z. White.
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e IENNIEt Jennie! Wait for mel"
Il shouted Lizzie Dyer through the
open window as she saw her friend go
ing by the house on her way to school.
"Oh, haven't you gone yet. Lizzie? L
thought it sas late."s
Late? No, indeed, '-said Lizzie, rum
ning, hat in hand, to meet her friend.
You must have queer kind of clock
ut your house. It's only half-past
eight"
I'VE do have the funniest time about
our clocks. We heve four. The big,
nply one in the kitchen loses half an
hour or so day, and the grand marble
clock in the parlof is so fine we don't
iare touch it, for. fear we'll do some
harm. And the other two-let me see
one stops every few hours, and the
other, being on high bracket in Wills
bedroom, nobody recollects to wind; so
it doesn't go at all. It's hard work tell
ing the time at our house. We're al
ways kept in practice, adding and SUBJ
tracing"
'Well, I'm glad it's SO early, for I
want to propose some fun. Mother told
me last night that when she was a little
girl she used to keep a journal and
put down every day all the cross things
chat were said to her. Wasn't that
queer idea? She said she had the jour
aal still in the old horsehair trunk up
n the garnet, and she promised to get
out the next rainy day and read it
10 me- I'll coax her to let you hear it,
100, for I knosv 1T will be jolly. That
made me think how funny it would be
/ b &afI nnh
,ther all the horrid things the girls
and boys said about US at school. Will
you do it? I won't get angry if you
won't"
"All right" assented Jennie. "On1y
{ hope nobody says anything very
dreadful about me. 1 don't see as L do
anything to make them"
''No, indeed Neither do l." replied
Lizzie, with emphasis.
So the girls agreed not to tell each
other anything until Friday night, for
they were both high in their classes
and they didn't intend to be distracted
from their studies.
Accordingly the next Friday night
they walked off together. and, sittin g
down by the beach, began to compare
notes.
"You begin first" said Jennie, "for
I'm kind of afraid. I won't say one
word till you are done, no matter how
angry 1 feel"
every WE'LL" answered Lizzie.
But still she kept on drawing figures
in the sand and seemed in no hurry to
begin.
Then she thought:
fan he
first, and that1l make it easier to tell
the big things" So she began: tom
Melvin told me last Monday that he
thought aagirl as rich as you might put
five cents in the Sunday school box
only you were so stingy. He said Lulu
Bowen put In five cents, and she wasn't
half so rich
''Did Tom Melvin say that? oh
wasn't it mean?" said Jennie, he1
cheeks alp ablaze.
81 thought you weren't going to say
anything until 1 got through" re.
minded Lizzie.
''Well, didn't intend to; but can
help it. So there!"
81 know what will be better" SAID
sympathizing Lizzie. Lets take turns
You tell me something now"
ooh, that will be bettert Let me see
[ didn't hear anything about you Mon
day; but Tuesday Augusta Gibson sale
you were so stuck-up because you hap
pened to be Number 1 that she JUS
hated you. She said you must have
learned sleight-of-hand performance.
from your Uncle Joe, so you could lool
in the history on the sly and recite per
feet every time"
''Oh, what a falsehood!" exclaime C
Lizzie, springing at an imaginary Au
gusta. why, I think she's too NEAR
to livei Girls that are so awful stupit
are always thinking everyone els,
cheats"
Lizzie sat down again, feeling relieved
by her outburst. e
''Of course it's a shame" said Jen
ME, but it's a comfort to know w,
would never say such horrid things"
Eyes, it is" said Lizzie. "Oh, it
my turn, isn't it? I didn't hear any
thing about you Tuesday or Wednes
day; but Thursday Eva Stanford sal,
you brought such big lunches to schoo
and you never gave anyone a singh
bite. She said you'd rather take hom
what you had left than to give it to any
one else, although you were the riches
girl in town.
Jennie was silent, for she had moth
ing to say. 1t was really fact tina
a number of times she had carrie.
home plums, apples or grapes, rathe
than give them to the girls. OF course
she and Lizzie always snapped; bu
then they were chums, which made
difference
Eva said you had SO much, sh
thought you might give little to poo
Susie Baker, who never has thing blu
bread and butter" continued Lizzie.
well. what did YOU saw tn that .