The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-08-22
JACK SPRAT.

BY Edith Wyatt.

the Major Mrs. Atkinson assisted In
receiving; Butter was invited by Mrs
Burden TO open the door. She believed
this to have been a piece Of klndest
consideration. Mrs Atkinson, too,
said that Butter would be glad to re-
member II when be was an old man.
and she could not understand why he
looked so morosely at the clean clothes
she had with such pleasure put out on
Lis bed.
He walked out to the woodshed after
lunch, kicking his heels sullenly and
listlessly against each other, and
when he came out his eyes were red.
The thought of the white elephant
had been too much for him His faith
er's suggestion that it had been white
washed was not alternating. Is
whitewashed elephant an everyday
sight?
He had visions Of running away.
But he knew he should not run away;
he would stay scrawling his fingers in
uncomfortable gloves and opening Por-
ter's door for dressed-up and worthless
ladies, perfectly healthy and able to
do it for themselves, while, amid the
sawdust, the opening procession was
shining and glittering past unseen,
never to be seen by his longing eyes.
He observed, in the open window
Pearl and Major Porter, at their daily
after-dinner game of "Old Maid"
Major Porter was not a kindergart-
ner, and he was almost invariably "Old
Maid"-each time with ringing shouts
of glee from his victorious grandchild,
poised elegantly on the windowsill.
But to-day her pOlse seemed less airy
in its light ease Butter heard no
shouts, and when she turned and
waved her hand to him he saw that
her eyes, too, were red.
Major Porter was shifting his head
with despair and chagrin at being a
third time doomed to a single life, and
eliciting from his opponent only a very
faint smile.
Was Pearl, too, not going to the cir
Gus?
Far from It, For days her grand
father had been bringing home hand
bills and posters; for days he had dis.
cussed with Pearl what they both
should wear; what time they should
start; how many glasses of lemonade
they should have; whether they should
look at the animals before or after the
performance, and now all this was tC
be on the day of the reception There
were to be only ladies at the reception
There was no reason why Major Por
ter should remain home for it, and his
enthusiasm for the circus had shown
no change nor abatement.
In the presence Of his mistaken devo
ton Pearl could not endure to confess
even to her mother, that her heart was
torn at the thought of her new fringe(
SASH the gift of her aunt, and how
now she could not wear it at the re
ception, nor walk around with the Ia
dies. She had the dignifed delicacy o.
many honorable little girls, and sh,
felt that it would be disloyalty to he
grandfather TO acknowledge that sh,
was no longer interested in the circus.
, Her aunt said she cried because th
heat made her nervous,
"She doesn't look to me able to g
footing off to that hot circus, father
! she said coming up to the window.
I'm afraid So" said Mr.. Porter, fol
lowing her. do you care so muc
about 1t, darling"
/ Pearls eyes filed again at this.
! "Oh, Shocks II be all right for tn
/ circus" said Major Porter, with hasty
/ blind consolation, as PEARLS mothe
e started into the house with her. t
S battle her eyes. 1t was his fixed belle
a that the circus was the most ecstati
+ pleasure Of every child, and any altel
: native an outrageous disappointment.
Never mind if you aren't all RICH
pet" said Mrs. Burden, with inspire
a dullness. Here's Butter. He ism
h going and doesn't want to go. II
e wants to see Mrs. Hendricks. AM
Y Butter, Mrs. Hendricks has some lit
l. boys of her own-such nice, polite Ii
h tie boys - wish you could knO'
II them"
d Butter looked submissively as Mr.
IS Burdens benevolent, unperceiving ey'
e impressively fixed upon him.
"Why isn't Butter going to the ci
II cus?' inquired Major Porter. Butt
u made no reply.
:; Father too busy, I guess" pursue
n the Major 'That it,"
IS Butter is going to see Mrs. Ike
u bricks this afternoon" replied MI
N Burden. "He is going to open the do
IS for the ladies'"