The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-28

she's leetle jealous of ye," said Gran
pap. hoeing diligently. When he got to
the end of his row and looked up, Ida May
was standing in the same place. her eye
brows strained upwards, her eyes on the
remorseless hoe, the tears running down
her cheeks.
MY, Idy Ye amt a-cryin' bout that,
are YEP
"Granpap! I-I-do'-want-a-wa
scho-o-ol!' However, on being assured
that Granpap was going along it dawned
on her that the trip would be no worse
than going to a barbecue in the next
county, as she had done with Granpap
and that was not bad at ALL And she suf-
fered no further enlightenment from the
young lady across the road, Katie's ma
having warned her from further COM
munications with a slipper.
Ida May cried again at parting with
Granny and Aunt Mary, but Granpap and
Aleck hurried her off in the wagon, and
bought her candy at the postoffice, and
cleared the air by the time the station was
reached. She had never been on the cars
before and the long aisles and rows of
seats impressed her so much as prayer
meeting did that she was shocked at the
levity of the passengers. The conductor
only preserved proper solemnity. and she
thought him the best-dressed man she had
ever seen. The coaches were full Of farm
ers and townspeople going up to the State
fair, and Granpap shook hands and talked
with most of these before they started, but
afterwards he bought some bananas from
the porter and sat nodding in his seat by
Ida May. 1t long, dusty trip and
Ida Mays eyes were aching from seeing
the trees go by fast, before two large
girls and little one got on a way station
and began to make signs among them
selves.
They're deef," said Granpap; they're
a-goin' to school, too But Ida May re-
garded them with aversion, though Sc
cretly they inspired her with horrid GU
riosity.
When they got off at last it was to step
into a giant country. At least everything
was giant except the people, the giant
platforms stretching for squares under the
giant roofs the giant engines snOrting
angrily on many tracks, the giant iron
gates guarded by more solemn men in blue
coats, and. most gigantic of all. the big
house behind the gates. with so many glass
and so many hundreds of people rushing
around in it as if they had lost all their
needles and pins. And when they had got
on another make-believe car (which hadn't
any engine in front of it, but which bumped
| along through the crowded streets some
how, and got off again, they were still in
| the giants country; for the yard they
went into was larger than the melon patch
| lot. only the flowers, instead of growing
| all together were put about in smooth,
| bright patches by themselves, and the
house in this yard was bigger than the
( Regnar courthouse and Jail combined.
| When they went up the great stone stairs
of the front entrance, swarming with chill
dren, Ida May clasped Grandpap's hand a
| little tighter, with an uneasy sense that
| there too many eyes, and that she
wished they would all stand still for awhile
| instead of jerking and beckoning and MAX
| ing an optical bedlam of themselves. The
! inside of the house was on the same gil
| gantic scale, and the floors were made of
| little smooth blue and white and red
| stones, which she wished Katie could see
they would be so lovely to play jacks on
| when il rained and you couldn't sit on the
| doorsteps.
| After that they went into room where
1 large man who sat working at a desk
swung around on his chair and shook hands
| with Grandpap. and looked hard at her
She knew they were talking about her
| but she did not try to understand what
was said, though the large man had nc
| whiskers and talked as slow as Grandpap
| A plump dark lady came into the room
presently, smiled at her and smoothed her
| hair and went out again. and then Grand
| pap took her by the hand and they followed
the plump lady up ever many stairs til
they came to a place with a whole lot OF
| cunning little beds in it. and by the las,
| little bed was little trunk, and II looked
just like the little trunk at home in the
attic and Ida May said so, as she sat or
| it and patted it with affection. Grandpar
| sat down, too. and the plump lady went
away and left them.
How dye like it, Idy?" said Granpar
| carelessly
Its big said Ida May.
II reckon Katis'd like to be here" sale
Grandpap.
81 wish she was said Ida May gener
ously, but I'm a-rememberin' everything
10 tell her and Auntie when 1 go back"
How'd ye like to stay here for awhile
Idy?'
with you. Granpapy'