The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-12-26
A VERY INQUIsITIvE CHILD.

side her father on the sunny side of the car. Her Napoleon hat was tipped iauntily over her brown curls, and she rolled her eyes contemplatively over the passengers. Her father opened his pa per. She was silent for at least mo- ment; then she said: "Papa?"
 "Yes-what is it?' in the Datient-im- patient tone of the family man.
 What makes all the people wear hats?"
 ''To keep their heads warm, sup pose, Don't ask silly questions, Alber- ta.
 ''How can I tell what questions are silly fore I ask you?"
 Well, you might not ask any for a little while,' the father said, looking at his paper.
 But, papa, how am ever going to know about things if I don't ask ques- tions? Say, papa, Willie Morton says that their cat would have taken a first prize at the cat show if they would-a taken him. Do you spose it would, papa?"
 How do I know, Alberta? I never saw the cat"
 But, papa, what do you think? It's a gray cat, and it's got the biggest tail you ever saw. Do you suppose the tail would make any difference, papa?"
 Yes, it might the father admitted, as he turned his paper.
 T suppose cat with a big tail Is valuabler than a cat that has little, teenty tail. Don't you think so, papa?'
 "Yes, of course, Alberta, but can't you be still for about half minute while I read the paper?"
 What makes you want to read? Say, can you read all the words in the paper papa ?'
 The father paid no attention to this, so she raised her voice and repeated the question.
 "Yes, every word" he said, without lifting his head. Look out of the win dow for a while.
 Alberta whirled around in the seat and sat on her heels, her little nose glued to the window, but her change of view had no effect on her flow of inter- rogation. Say, papa, I wonder what's in those wagons over there?"
 Potatoes" her father answered, au- tomatically, and so closed this topic.
 She wriggled around to her old place and laid her cheek against his arm. Say, papa, do you suppose unt Maryll be glad to see us?"
 Yes, of course she will.'
 What do you suppose she'll have for dinner? I wish she'd have baked sweet potatoes, don't you, papa?" The father was buried in an editorial on street car franchises. Papa. do you really think we'll have baked sweet po- tatoes?"
 'Yes, sure"
 Can I eat all I want to? You don't care how many I eat do you?"
 No, I don't, but I wish you would stop talking for one block. I'll give you nickel if you won't speak till we come to the tunnel"
 Five cents is the same as nickel, isn't it, papa?"
 Yes, just the same"
 q believe I'll buy some marshmel- lows with my nickel or some yellow chalk. Which would you buy, papa ?' T would buy just what I wanted most. Now keep quiet while I read my paper"
 Where do they make yellow chalk2'
 Any place." T wonder if I could use white chalk for powder when I get growed up Say papa, Addie Whitely that lives across the street from us, just powders an awful lot. Do you s'pose she evel washes her face, too?" "Yes. But if you don't watch vel be at the tunnel before you stop asking | questions
 l "I ain't going to ask another ques- tion, papa, but I wonder how they ever made a tunnel? I should think tht was making it. Would the men ge | drowned if the water come in wher they was digging the tunnel papa?' Alberta, aren't you ever going tt stop?" the exasperated parent ex claimed, laying down his paper. "Yo, are enough to drive man crazy.'
 Do folks ever get crazy on stree cars. papa?" | No answer from the father. Sh 1 snuggled closer and looked up into hi ] face doubtfully. You don't reall, 1 can that you are SOiHS lO SO crazy, u' you, papa?" This last in a tone of req fear.
 NO, Alberta, I don't"
 But, papa, if you did go crazy ant went to an asylum, I s'pose me an Aunt Mary would come to see you wouldn't we?''
 q suppose so, if the doctors woul Iat mo see company"
 "Wby, don't let let crazy folks SC their own little girls?'
 No answer, so the query was repeat ed until he answered "Yes' in despera ton.
 T wouldn't like to live at a asylur all the time, would you, papa? Say last summer when we was up at Lak Geneva there was a little girl there and she said two of her cousins wer crazy from eating checkerberries tha wasn't ripe. Do you suppose that wa so?'
 "No, that little girl didn't know wha she was talking about"
 And she had pet squirrel ths could eat nuts like everything Wouldn't you think squirrels would gt tired cracking nuts with their teeth?