The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1901-10-11

l""P" ""' 'ht boys nate tnOss
loose things so-most men do,
guess. BESIDES, there are a good
many Of us and only one servant, sc
am pretty busy helping mother
mornings. II ! didn't dress before
breakfast. ! shouldn't get time after.
ward. You don't have TO do any.
thing but amuse yourself, do you,
you lucky old dear?"
Nell did not have much to say. She
was looking doubtful.
by Monday morning the family had
already fallen into the habit OF lin
gering at the breakfast table. There
was much to linger for. Three times
in succession Mr.. Howard had put his
coffee down untasted. to laugh
heartily at lively skirmish between
Preston Ellis and Jean Fairfax.
Would you two mind suspending
hostilities for few moments?''
qneried Tom. II should like TO plan
little gadding. How about tally
no party for Thursday? We don't
own one of those swell things our
selves, but / know of first-class one
we could hire, and pretend we owned
il when once we were out OF town."
"Oh, good"
Nell's eyes shonc with excitement,
but Tom suddenly looked doubtful.
"Oh. I'm so sorry, sis. I really for
got you" he said. contritely. "Are
you sure you could stand it? It's a
long ride, you know, and you might
find il firing"
"Why. of course I could stand it!
What nonsense." Nell turned to her
brother in incredulous establishment.
swell. II you really think il
wouldn't exhaust you, he said. du-
biously. Then, turning to the Others,
he added, in grave explanations:
"You see. Nell's health has been
very delicate since her return from
school. suppose she studied too
hard, but she seems all worn out
just hangs around without any ambi-
ton at all, and we want her to be in
better shape before she goes back"
He said il with such frank inno-
cence of manner, and turned toward
her with such touchingly solicitous
air, that it was out of the question
to take exception to this remarkable
statement. Nell's cheeks burned as
she remembered that she had never
looked plumper and healthier in her
life. She felt hysterical desire to
laugh as Billy Ellis turned to her
with a wondering, rs that SO? Why
now, that's too bad" But, after all.
it was no laughing matter. Billy was
rejecting that it was extremely dis
appointing that Toms pretty sister
should be one of the eternally tired
kind.
"Well. then, the tally-ho goes for
continued Tom, equally.
'And Billy and l were saying yester-
day that it would be jolly to have
an all-day, out-of-doors, do-as-you-
please trip down the river. sort Of
picnic with modern improvements.
We could invite n few people we
know. besides ourselves. and take
load of things for the inner man.
How about that. mother? Is Katie
too busy? Would ii be much trouble
to get us up some stuff for to-mor-
row?"
IF it is going to make Mrs. How
ard any trouble" announced Billy
Ellis. decidedly, lit won't come of,
md that settles it,
"Why, can do It'll" quickly inter-
posed Nellie. Mother needn't do
anything"
"Yes, and I'll help. Mrs. Howard
do single thing but sit in
! big chair and give orders. Nell and
can do it ALL
Jean nodded her head conclusively
as she made this statement, but
Toms anxious gaze was again bent
On his sister.
Don't be reckless, sis. There will
DC lot of extra cooking to do, you
lnow, and il might give you one Of
your headaches. l know you used to
make cakes and things. but you're
lot used TO il now. and we don't want
fou to oyerdo yourself"
20 Tom, how utterly ridiculous!
Why, I am just as well as-as you
lre."
Nell tried to speak lightly, but she
'ould have cried then and there. Ii
vas too humiliating for a plump. rosy
yirl of 10 to be held up before stran.
,ers as detected invalid.
Toms medicine was by no means
in fact. he considered that
his heroic treatment was but lust
'egun. but Mrs. Howard had keener
yes than he for signals of distress,
nd she felt that Nell had been pun
shed enough. Her eyes conveyed a
uiet warning to Tom, who respond
d CALAMITY and led the conversation
0 less personal topics.
When Mrs. Howard went into the
itchen few moments later, she |
ound her daughter and Jean already /
here. a,tired in voluminous aprons. /
Katie. more than ever busy with this
ouscful of young people on her
ands. had thankfully improved the
opportunity to slip upstairs. Nell
'as busy collecting materials for her
IL -.