Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-11-10
A KNOT OF JASMINE.

I'D UN away Sue, love, an don't
n be stealin' mumma's raisins.
Look here. my little GEL" said the wom-
an, smiling at the child, there won't
be none left ter put in the duff fer
daddy's dinner tomorrow"
Civ US han'ful, mumma, an Suzie
won't bother yer no more" said the
child, coaxingly, holding out chubby
brown hand, and jerking her pink sun
bonnet to the back of her head.
Such winsome, dimpled, little
creature she was, in her short pink
frock, bare-armed, bare-legged, and
brown as a berry, with a tangle of
yellow hair and bright blue eyes as
she stood there smiling at her mother.
her moist red lips parted, and showing
a row of milk-white teeth.
''There. now, Sue, run to yer dad
bit, he's asleep under the wagon" said
the woman, as she filed the child's
hands. "Bill, will ye have an eye to
the child?" she shouted.
"Aye, aye, mussus,' sleepy voice
answered from under the wagon,
where Bill Jolley, hawker and carrier,
lay with a newspaper over his face,
doing off the effects of the township
tanglefoot.
"Come ere, Suze; come an stay
alongside O. yer old daddy" He settled
himself comfortably, and turned lazily
on his other side. Little Sue had
pulled a wisp of shivery grass as she
came along, and she slyly began tick
ling the back of her fathers neck.
"Now then, Sue, quit that there
thicklin', dye hear, yer young noos-
ance yer" said the man good-natured-
ly.
''If I'm noosance," pouted Sue,
"wot did yer have me fer, dad? sides,
I amt noosance; ants is noosance,
cause ehey bite like fun; goanners is
a noosance, SOS snakes an buZZhies,
an dingoes; but little gels amt no
noosance," said Sue, shaking her head
wisely. IT didn't ask yer ter have me
God sent me, mumma told me-"
"Some little gels I know is rum
little beggars," said Bill Jolley, rolling
over, and fitting his hat, to look at the
child, ''but you amt a bad little stick,
takin' yer by and large. Look ere,
Sue, you go an cut branch off tina
strychnine bush over there, my gel,
an keep the buzzfies off O yer poor
old daddy while he has a snooze."
Little Sue ran to the edge of the
river, and came back carrying glossy
green branch She sat down pa tiently
and tapped away the flies till her
sturdy little brown wrists were tired
Bill Jolley was snoring in the shade
of the cart as the sun went down.
Little Sue lifted his hat gently and
peered into his face.
There amt no flies on dad now, an
I'm awful tired-'sides he's fast asleep
Shoe; garn out o that, you ugly old
goanna, an don't come 'sturbin' my
dad-if you had dad ter fan ter sleep
yer'd give little gels like me Barcoo
start. My dads awful sleepy to-day
Mumma says it's tanglefoot what
makes him sleepy, but dad says it's
swipes. Wonder what swipes is.
say, dad, yer don't want yer little gei
Ter stay here no more? Do yer, dad
Do yer, dad? There now, I've asked
him three times, an he never said
nothin', so I'll go an have play with
my bald-headed child" Sue went to a
hollow tree. From it she produced an
armful OF cardboard boxes, and bat
tered wax doll, with no hair on.
..Was yer lonely without yer moth.
er. bald-headed child:" said Sue
fondling the doll; "'cause yer see had
to fan my daddy ter sleep. Daddies
is such nossances, bald-headed child
Don't you never buy no daddies; you
have God for big daddy. When &c
to God I'll take you with me, an you'll
have wings same IS me. an your hair'll
grow long again, an so curly. Moth
er'll be an angel too, an soil daddy
but he won't get no tobacco and tan
glefoot up there; he'll be yarded up
keepin' his feather wings clean, an
playin' tunes on a gold harp like
good 'un. Stay there bit, bald-head'
ed child, an I'll make you castle or
the road, where it'll stand without
1umblin' down. There amt no humpe'
ty-bumpetys on the road like there is
on the grass. You lie there awhile, my