The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1898-08-23
"who ith your" asked the lisper.
81 am the man with the supper. ("


"Where it'll the support" quoth the
lfspe, venturing his head little way
out Of. the wagon. "Mandy tan't dick
'er upper"
''Dick adoyo tucheni adoi, look at
that basket there. The supper is in
It,"
It'll there much tupper?" demanded
the lsper.
."There is enough
9Th that all?" plaintively walled
the, hsper.
do you want more?"
+ ,."Yeth, wanth more, sighed the
haper.
81 turned to the smoldering fire, break
ing some dead boughs that lay in the
grass into fagots and finging them upon
the embers Soon the flames burst from
the. twigs, throwing merry light over
the,camp.
CHOW come down, pals, and you shalt
see'what I have in the basket. Come
now or Pil.be falling, back to the CAV. :"
"Not. with er tupper?'' pleaded the
isper. -
Come, them
US IS COQliuS.
They came, first cautiously descend
ing the ltger, closely, followed by the
child whom I heard singing when
approached, the latter bringing the
baby, three as gaunt little Romans as
ever played by the roadside or begged
penny for swetmeata
1--WE ith so hungry, " walled the lisp
er, pausirg by the tongue of the wagon.
Nth hath 'adnufin to eat all 'er day"
"'Cept some cold potatoes, +" correct
ed the child with the baby. "And her,
tapping the batyss curly head, cher had
to have most Of them. Jimmie and me
IElsS her eat all her could, cause hers
tbeen SICK.
'eGet the kettle for me. Jimmie. " /
said to the lisper. "You shall soon have
some hot tea to warm you. It's q fine
supper Well here when it g ready.
"Willie'll get 'er kettle, quoth the
! lisper, who now seemed to be master of
! the situation. "Get 'er kettle, Willie
Eli poke 'er yog. 4"
| In a few moments the kettle hung on
the sarshta over the fire, the steam
slowly curling up into the leaves of the
elm tree.
| I thrustAa pronged stick through a
thin piece of bread.
''Will you toast this for me, jim
mie?' asked.
"Wllie'u toast 'er bread,' was the
lisper's response. Then turning to Will
lie, all smiling now in the freight he
held out his short little arms.
"Gimme 'er baby, Willie. Now toast
a nice piece for 'er rye" The obedient
Willie toasted the bread, holding his
hand up to keep the glow from his face,
while laid out the supper and looked
to the tea, and the isper busted himself
with the baby, which now perched on
his tiny knee.
When it was all ready, we,gathered
close to the impoverished table, the
seat Of wagon that had been used as a
resting place by the campfire until thus
pressed into our service. With the baby
now Oh my knee did the honors Of the
simple repast. found that the baby
despite the cold potatoes with which its
brothers generously fed it, still could
honor our supper with an aappetite
worthy of better occasion.
| Warmed by the.f fire. its hunger APP
peased. how the Romany chavi could
gurgle and crow, could wink and
chuckle and laugh. too in most be-
wilderinS way!
''Dick 'er chavi, smiled the lisper,
lavishly spreading great pieces of butter
over his toast With his thumb, while his
other hand was lost to the wrist, i'm
mersed in the pint cup which held his
tea. "Dick 'er chavi, Willie. Hers
blinking her eyeth. Amt her our own
pretty sister,"
He withdrew his hand from the tin
cup to pat the baby atfectionately upon
her head, tho baby growing and gurgling
all the more, much pleased by her
brothers. attention and by the tea that
ran down from her curls to the tip OF
her little dark nose.
ECU" laughed the baby, throwing
her arms around my neck in fashion
truly abandoned.
"What is your name?" Willie the
elder boy, suddenly asked, locking VI
in my face with wistful expression
"You're not the man that lelled off
my dad tell about? My dad said he was
the pleasantest gentleman what ever he
see Lord, my dad said he had all tn,
money there was in bank cause h,
brolled open the safe with crow bar an(
lelled away with the luvver-more 4
the price of hundred horses, my dal
, said. You ain him, are you?"
To my great regret truth compelled
, me to make answer that was not tn,
, pleasant gentleman who had lelled of
t with the pot.
II can't remember him very we'll
but my dad said he used to travel Will
us sometimes when the dirty muskro
was a-after him. He could ral1ker, ant
} he gived me sweets and such. Are tn
muskros after you?"
Il hope not, said, glancing owe
l my shoulder to hide the smile tina
came to my lips.
s.rNhara ai,, 'th mona tbara ovhisnera