Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1899-04-13
The New Play.

Elsie, Chester, Valentine and Annie
had made up an overland train in the
| diningroom, and were taking trip
across the United States. They had
the straight backed chairs for cars and
the big rocker for the engine. Chester
was engineer and fireman. Valentine
was conductor, brakeman and porter.
Elsie and Annie were the passengers.
Mamma was lying OH n couch in the
next room. She had the headache,
and wanted to sleep. But, if she
dropped into doze, Valentine was
sure to rouse her by bawling, "Din-
ner is now ready in the dining carl"
Mamma could not bear to stop their
fun. But she kept hoping that dinner
would be over. At last the appetites
OF the passengers seemed to have been
satisfied, and then she heard them
planning to have wreck.
''That is more than L can stand, >"
| thought mamma.
"ChildrenW she called.
Elsie came to the door.
''Would you like to try new play?"
said mamma 81 will give five cents
to the one who will sit still the long
est"
Elsie wanted to try it. She told the
rest
Chester said he would just as soon
play that as to play ''wreck."
And we can have the wreck after
ward" said Valentine.
| ~ o. ! -.
"Well give Annie the engine" said
Chester. ''she's the littlest."
Annie laughed and clambered into
the big rocker The others took their
places, and the play began. Elsie
felt like laughing at first, but she
looked away out of the window and
soon grew serious. Chester gazed
steadily at the carpet. Annie look ed
straight ahead of her. Her eyes were
dull, and now and then the lids
dropped. Valentine fixed his eyes on
the clock. Five minutes were slowly
licked away,
'Tt seems like a whole forenoon, {"
thought Valentine.
He wondered how long the others
| could Keep sun,
''Not SO lon as I can" he said to
himself. Elsie will laugl she's al
ways gigqling. And Chester will say
something; he's such talker. And
of course Annie's too little to keep
still long"
So Valentine reasoned, and reso-
lutely held his tongue, waiting for the
rest. He made up his mind they could
not hold out longer than half an hour.
"Annie will soon begin to jabber, "
he kept thinking "And then Elsie
will laugh, and Chester will speak out;
and then I'll say, I've won the
nickelr"
Valentine watched the clock.
81 know they CAM tkeep still more'n
half an hour" he said to himself over
and over again.
At last the half-hour was almost
gone. There were only two minutes
more. He could hardly wait. Then
there was only one minute. He grew
excited. The time was up. He for
got himself altogether. He jumped
from his chair.
'I've won the nickelr' he shouted.
Elsie and Chester burst out laugh
ing. Then they all looked at one an
other in dismay.
''Did Annie laugh, too?" cried Elsie.
Sand is the game spoiled?"
She peeped around the back of the
rocking chair
"Why, the darling" she said softly.
"She's asleep!'
"The nickel belongs to her." said
Chester. "Well, never mind. She's
the littlest."
"I'll go tell mamma" said Elsie.
Mammal Why, she's asleep, tool"
"Don't let's wake her." said Ches-
ter. ''You know she said her head
ached."
"We'll play outdoors till dinner
time" said Elsie.
"And we can have the wreck this
afternoon" said Valentine. Chris
tian Register.