Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1898-04-29
Papa's April Fool.
By Minna c. Denton.
DAPA's comm! Papa's commit"

nAPA'S comm! Papa's commit"
A few minutes later papa, turn
ing into the lane that led home, saw, adj
vancing to meet him, long process
sion.
First came the gray collie, which had
been shut up at home until it's mother
should be well out of sight; for town is
not safe sort of place for little colts,
and what if it should get lost from
Mother Morey? Next was Towser,
barking welcome to his returning
master. Third was Tom, eager to in
yestigate that mysterious parcel on the
seat beside father, that might possibly
be boys new straw hat, if the eggs
and butter had sold well. Fourth and
fifth came Annie and Ella, each carry
ing by the hair of it's head corncob
baby that had been too precious to
leave behind in the header box where
they had been keeping house. And
lastly, trotting bravely on behind the
bigger people who never would wait,
was baby Sam, who knew from blissful
past experience the possibilities of
nickels and candy stores when papa
went to town.
So the farm wagon stopped and
waited at the corner, in order that all
members of the procession Except the
two first named) might have the full
benefit of the long ride up the lane.
In the house there were two people
who, though they could not run to meet
the wagon and get ride, were watch
ing quite as eagerly for fathers return.
Eyes, there he is" said Sarah looking
out of the window. ''We ought to have
letter from Aunt Jenny to-day,
oughtn't we, mother?"
"Yes, but I s'pose we shan't see it
till tonight or tomorrow, probably,
when we find it in the teapot, or under
the tablecloth, or some such place.
You know father has to have his joke"
I'll tell you something else we
ought to get to-day, Sarah," added Mrs.
Hawkins, suddenly. "You know grand
ma wrote they had started that box
with the children's summer suits and
your new dress in it last week. Well,
there's more than time for it to be
here to-day. Father'H be sure to hide
it somewhere be only too good
chance for an April Fool joke; but
we must keep our eyes open. You go
down to the barn and get the eggs,
Sarah, SOS to kind Of keep watch of
him while he's unloading"
Although the nests in the msngsrs
and haylofts remained uadistdrbed for
some time to come, Sarah accomplished
her errand so yen that, little later,
she and mathsr were eagerly examin-
ing the contents of the long anticipated
box from grandma's.
Il found it on the other side of the
hedge, mother. He'd sent all the chill
dren up to the barn with something,
and then he slipped it down there. /
s'pose he thought he'd hand it over
when he got ready
well, Sarah, you needn't say any
thing about it. It's our turn to try the
April Fool scheme now"
and Annie and Ella and Sam with the
desirability of silence upon the subject
when they came in after filing the
horses drinking tub, and found their
pretty new sailor suits and white
dresses, gay with sashes and neck rib
bons, with surprise packages of maple
sugar and raisins pinned into the peck
cts, all laid out on the bed in Sarah's
room. OF course everything had to be
tried on and admired right away; and
IN the midst of it all papa came into
kitchen and wanted to know why, sup
per wasn't ready.
But mother and Sarah were deter
mined to celebrate the first of April
They hurried out and got supper on the
table before father should begin to
suspect something from the mysterious
whispering and laughing going on in
Sarah's room. They awed the younger
members of the family into promises of
absolute reticence for the rest of the
day concerning the arrival of the box;
land they made valiant and, on the whole,
successful efforts to sustain the CONVEX