The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-09-09
SIX YARDS OF YARN
By ALICE MACGOWAN

regard proceeded to practice. upon him
the methods pursued toward his mother,
his cat and his toys
Mrs. Chubb's darling had apparently de-
cided in his infantile mind to destroy Nc
Knight The process having gone about
as far as was safe-and much further than
was comforta ble-and no remonstrance
being offered by the sweetly smiling Mrs.
Chubb, Mcknight firmly but kindly re-
strained the young cannibal from the ac-
tual demolition of his features.
It was enough = it was more than
enough. Mrs. Chubb never forgave this
sighting behavior toward her cherished
offspring. Indeed, the more she thought
Of the matter the bitterer she waxed I'M
til Mcknight was forbidden the house.
Mrs. Chubb declared that she would
rather hand Louise over to a horse thief
| than to brute like Gene Mcnk1ght, who
would undoubtedly beat her, since he
| would go so far as to cruelty mlstreat
little child-and before its own mothers
| eyes. -u
I Poor Gene thought of these things as
he leaned against the doorway and looked
| on at the dance. Now. this doorway leo
| to the room where the children were
| slowed. A zap and a scuffie among them
attracted his attention and appeared to
suggest something. He glanced at Chubb
| Morrison What if the plot which had
lust flashed into his mind offered not only
| a. solution of his and Louise's troubles
| but a chance to get even with this re-
| doubtable matron and her 1lltempereo
| youngster, who had made Louise's life a
| burden ever since she came go the
! Open NJ?
| Gene hurried out to the corral, made
| certain arrangements there, then shipped
back into the children's room, where ne
| proceeded to connect all those pare ana
! stubby toes one with another at GOOD,
| a ,11vo a n
of warn. He first tried it thoughtfuliy and
| doubled it after doing so. Il don't want
! to exactly jerk their toes out he NUT
| tered, land yet the Lord knows-fer ne
made 'em-that 'twould serve most OF EN-
| about right.
! This DONE he went back to his post at
! the doorway and gave a good, strong pun
| on his end of the yarn string. There en-
sued a subdued growing In the room De-
| hind him which WaXed and grew TO a.
series of bowls, in which every species o.
| Juvenile voice entreated for MommeI
| "MaW!'' Nanny" The din, flowing ike
a tidal wave over the music of the orches-
ira reached the ears of Mrs. Chubb. She
paused in her evolutions, flung up her
head like a warhorse that shifts the battle
and bounced, as Gene afterward declared
with one mighty bounce, clean INTO the
middle of the struggling juvenll1ty In the
next room.
L
telling the story that it was plumb time
she should git thar, for them young uns
was Jest a-eatin. each others heads OH
all simultaneous. ~
This was the last of his actual observa-
tons AS he turned toward the ballroom
to find what chance the oiNersloh sare
,, him with Louise he met Billy Motiow
: wife and the spouse of Nick Doyle botf
CHARGING toward the chidrens room WIFI
fury written upon their countenances.
Fleeing silently, Gene found Louise
. near the outside door. With one SOD she
! was in :. his arms in the sem!darkness
: "Nows our chance, sweetheart!' he WINS
pered in the little ear he had just ardentl5
kissed and with her hand in his they es
capped unobserved toward the corral.
. And back in 1.-The court of the children
the fight ragged awfully. The men, great
easy-going chaps in clumsy cowboy boots
stood back in foolish helplessness whil'
' their wives pulled. jerked. thrust ant
e screamed with shrill voices and blazing
: eyes. .. .s..-- .-
:, Children were snatched and clawed bacl
o and forth {along with the eehange o
s much bitter reproach and 1nvectiVe)' IN
e ouired Of, violently rejected, the yar1
= weaving in and out and around an
y through, the youngsters splitting the air a
|, every Jerk, until some woman htti
n saner than the others discovered its eN
q istence and displayed it to the onlookers
o A sudden pause of amazement followe
: this revelation, and upon this abrupt still
n ness burst very full explanation OF bot
it's authorship and its purpose, for ther
: flashed across the light space outside tn
" windows stream of galloping ponies, FOL
It lowed and driven by a mounted man an
d a girl, Gene swinging his lariat an
e whooping joyously and Louise lending
= willing hand and voice the work.
t And lack Morrison's foghorn tones wer
e lifted: Thar, now! Gene Mcknight
: done skipped with Lou while you all wa
t a foolin' here over this trick Of his O
:, the young uns Stampeded the ponies
s too! They amt hoof left to chase 'er
! on, an I'm glad Of it!'