Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-03-26
CHAPTER XVI.

Zone small boys head to be hated,
and five women, each owning two hands,
normally furnished with five fingers
apiece, all engaged on il. How many
fingers all laboring for you, Dren2
There Is a sum 10 addition"
Liza Martin held up one hand. On
its index finger a small unfinished hat
Of plated palmesro gyrated swiftly.
The boy to whom that intricate mathe.
NAUTICAL problem had just been submit
ted brought an ancient hobbyhorse to
an abrupt halt and precipitately dis
mounted, the better to criticise the un.
finished hat.
A moment Of reflective silenoa With
his pink palmed nauds folded behind
his back and his yellow curled head
poised judicially he delivered himself
adversely, "My hat that did float away
on the duck pond was a nicer hat than
that"
II know it was, you small migrate.
That was the work Of a professional.
She pulled him nearer to her by one
rosy ear. "And, Dren, now that hats
are worth their weight in gold, you
must become mor circumspect. You
should never have let it float away.
But, Dren, I gave you a sum in arith-
metic to do, and you have not done it.
How many fingers have worked On this
hat of yours? Come. now, l will help
you a little.
mamie Colyer brought the palmetto
from the woods, Mother Martin cured
It, Grandmother Strong split it into
nice little narrow strips, your mother
plated 1t, and hereI Am sewing it into
shape. You ought to feel tremendously
important, Dren."
II do" said the boy, promptly ap-
propriating her homage.
II don't doubt it" Liza laughed and
stopped for a fresh coil Of the plated
palmetto you see we expect great
things Of you, Dren. You are all the
man we have about to protect us when
Seth is out in the fields. But how about
that sum? How many hands all work.
ing for your"
Twelve, " mid Adrien laboriously.
"Twelvei You must be counting in
your own, Dren, and they don't count
for much at anything yet awhile, You
are wrong, Dren- You generally are
wrong"
The boy received this cutting sum-
mary Of his own ~inadequacy with COM
posture. He was more deeply interested
In the work Liza had resumed than in
his own possible shortcomings
us that going to be . hat or a cap?'
"A hat"
with = brim and q blue ribbon
bAnd7'
"A brim certainly. A blue ribbon
bAndl Dren, you are exacting."
II think my grandmother NJ give
me a blue ribbon band. Ny grandmoth-
er can give me everything I want She
gets everything out Of the big chest in
the hall up stairA Ny grandmother has
everything. Don't you think % tool"
Evidently you approved Of your grand
mother, Dren."
"She IL better than my other grand
ma was. She ays l look like my papa,
and sometimes she cries into the big
chest. My papa is = soldier. He don't
come to see mamma any lore. My
grandfather is : soldier too. l am .
gentleman. l am not q soldier"
Everybody is that who 10 worth call.
ing man nowadays, my boy"
"Then Seth is a cowards"
Seth is a hero. Seth il q martyr.
Seth has to stay at home to feed nnall
boys. who let their hats get away from
them on duck ponds, and good for moth.
ing women, who q neither fght o
hoe corn."
s'Then are you good for nothing.
LisA?"
"Yes, emphatically. Then, with :
ripping laugh: "Drsn, you are deli
ctoualy entertaining. What would W.
" without or ons mali gsntlenansn
GO be- Continued