Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1898-09-22

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and no news Of his promotion from th'
ranks had reached Miss Gwynne. In
deed she had not heard from him a
all. One day she went out to th'
suburbs of the town. where the Daw
sons occupied dilapidated old house O.
three rooms. in which disorder rar
rampant. 1t was Mrs. Dawson's argu
ment that "if body cleaned things VI
they Jess got dirty ag'in. SO what wa,
the good of cleanin'? II want no use
at ALL"
Holding to this conviction Mrs. Daw'
sons domestic labors were By no means
exhaustive. and the house was in an
appalling state of disorder. Ioathsome
TO one of Miss Matilda's orderly in
stincts. Had she not felt that she was
talking TO a possible major generals
wife she would have given ms. Daw.
son piece of her mind regarding the
condition of the house.
Holding this desire in check, she
said:
81 s'pose you've heard nothing from
Sam?"
Nom, amt had line. Geraldine,
you keep away from that there bedi"
sThis last remark was .spIy adj
dressed TO Mrs. Dawson daughter of
five years. who was lounging around
a bed in corner of the room.
Needless of her mothers admonition
Geraldine kept close to the bed, and
e,,11arIv 1.ornfp1 a. bar borJc ond
knees on the floor she cried out. shril-
ly and gleefully:
"peek-a-boo. daddy"
"Here. stop thatl" cried Mrs. Daw-
son, threateningly, darting forward
and grasping the child by the arm.
But Geraldine was rebellious. and she
chung TO the bedstead. crying out
shrilly:
II want to play peek-a-boo with dad
dyi Daddyl daddy! can't play peek
a-boo with you. daddy?"
The child tried TO crawl under the
bed, but Mrs. Dawson grasped her re-
treating figure by the ankle and
dragged her back. saying, angrily:
what possesses you TO act SOP"
'Ill find out" said Miss Gwynne.
with grim determination on her face
and fire in her eye. Striding across the
room she grasped the bcdstead firmly
by the footboard and rolled IL away
from the wall. There. close TO the
wall. lay Miss Matilda's substituted
Sam sat up in corner, abashed and
frightened. with Miss Matilda's tall.
gaunt form towering over him.
She stared at him in silence for
moment and then said, with whitening
scorn:
"a pretty major general. you arei"
Sam grinned foolishly.
II would grin II ! were you, Sam
Dawsonl" said Miss Matilda, with in
creasing scorn and indignation. snow.
you git up there and give an account
of yourself or I'll have you arrested
for obtaining money under false pre-
lenses. will. as sure as shootin'l"
Sans account Of himself is best told
In Miss Gwynne's own words. as she
gave full vent TO her indignation when
she reached home and unburdened her
self to a friend. whom she found wait
ing 10 see her.
1.-THE miserable creature never even
tried to enlist" she said hotly. 81
made him own up that he didn't He
fell in with some creatures as trifiing
and shif'less as himself there in B..
and II they didn't put off up the ceun-
try on a hunting and fishing jaunt!
Yes, they didi ! should think from
Sans looks and what he owned up TO
that they lived like a lot of gypsies.
and that just suited Saynl
Then he traipsed on visitin' lot
of his worthless kin here and there.
He's been for the past three weeks
visitin' some cousins within five miles
of here. and its my belief that he was
getting ready to light out again when
caught him at home. hidinS under the
bed. He couldn't have got much
worse scorching in the war than | gave
him and he'll never hear the last OF II
from mel I'm ashamed TO think that |
| live in town that hasn't patriotism |
enough in Il TO send even one volun- |
teer to the war. But it'll be one while |
before I send another substituted"