The times., 1899-01-15
CHILD AND PARENT
Questions and Answers While the
Car Rolled On.


father opened his paper. She was silen
Ior at least moment; then said; Papa p
'Yes-what is it?" in the patient-impa
tient tone of the family man.
What makes all the people wear hats
ITO keep theiI. heads warm, ! suppose
Don't ask such silly questions. Alberta"
How can tell what questions are sill!
| fore | ask your
Well. you might not ask any for little
while" the father said, looking at his pa
per.
But, papa. how am ever going to know
about things if don't ask questions? 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 / know, Alberta? I never saw
| the cat"
But, papa. what do you think? It's 4
gray cat, and it's got the biggest tail you
ever saw. Do you suppose the tail would
make any difference, papa?''
Yes. ii might the father admitted, as
he turned his paper.
| Il suppose a cat with big tall is val
| uabler than 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
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 ne said. without lift
ing his head. Look out of the window for
a while"
Alberta whirled around in the seat and
sat on her heels. her little nose glued to
the window, hut her change Of view had
no effect on her iow OF Interrogation.
ons over there"
POTATOES" he father answered, anto-
matically. and so closed this topic
She wriggled around TO her old place and
laid her cheek against his arm. Say.
papa. DO you suppose Aunt Mary'll be glad
10 see us -
Yes. Of course she will"
What 10 you suppose she'll have for
dinner? wish she'd have baked sweet
potatoes. don't you, papa?" The father
was buried in an editorial on streetcar
franchises. Papa do you really think
we'll have baked sweet potatoes
Yes. sure"
Can I eat ali want to? You don't
care how many eat, do you?'
No, don't, but l wish you would stop
talking for one block. I'll give you a
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"
Il believe I'll buy some marshmellows
with my nickel orr some yellow chalk
Which would you buy. papa?"
Il would buy Just what l wanted most
Now keep quiet while / read my paper"
Where do they make yellow chalk?"
''Any place" i
Il wonder If could use white chalk for
powder when l get crowned up. Say. pa
pa, Addie Whitley, that lives across the
street from u.s. Just powders an awful
lot. Do you s'pose she ever washes her
face, too?"
Yes. But if you don't watch we'll be
at the tunnel before you stop questions"
Il amt going to ask another question,
papa, but ! wonder how they ever made
tunnel? l should think the water
would have come i'm when they was max
Ing 1t. Would the men get drowned If
the water come in when they was digging
the tunnel papaF'
Alberta, aren't you ever going to stop?''
the exasperated parent exclaimed, laying
down his paper. You are enough TO
drive man crazy"
DO folks ever get crazy on street cars.
papa
No answer from the father. She snug
gled closer and locked up into his face
doubtfully. You don't really mean that
you are going TO go crazy do you, papa 80
This last in tone Of real fear.
NO, Alberta; ! don't"
But, papa, If you did go crazy and
went tc an asylum, I s'pose me and Aunt
Mary would come TO see you, wouldn't
we?"
II suppose so. if the doctors would let
me see company"
Why, don't they let crazy folks see
their own little girl?"
No answer, so the query was repeated
until he answered Yes" in desperation.
Il wouldn't like to live at an asylum
all the time. would you, papa? Say. last
summer when We was up at Lake Geneva
there was a little girl there and she said
two CT her cousins went crazy from eating
checkerberries that wasn't ripe Do you
suppose that was SOP
No: that little girl didn't know what
she was talking about"
And she had a pet squirrel that could
eat nuts like anything. Wouldn't YOU
think squirrels would get tired cracking
nuts with their teeth ."
Alberta. we will be at the tunnel in
about half n minute. and you won't get
any money if you don't stop that chatter"
Silence for almost half block. Then in
a new note of anxiety Alberta begins
again:
Say, papa aren't you going to give me
that nickel"
Not If you don't keep quiet until we get
10 the tunnel"
But I'm keeping quiet now. amt I.
papa"
The car now swung around the last
curve that leads down to the tunnel. You
see we've almost reached the tunnel. and
haven't read three consecutive words in
the paper" the father said.
What does consecutive mean" Alberta
asked.
1T means that little girls shouldn't ask
so many questions"
But, papa, you're going to let me have
that nickel. amt you? You are. aren't
you?' she pleaded as the car glided down
the incline into the whitewashed tunnel
Aren't you, papa?"
Yes, of course; anything to keep YOU
quiet, Alberta. You ask more questions
than any other child on the North Side.
Now, l want YOU to keep quietr'
Say, papa" returned the incorrigible
Alberta how DO, you know / ask more
questions than any other child on the
North Side? Who told you that l asked
more questions?" f