The Indianapolis journal., 1903-12-13

process was not a pleasant one. Mamma
don't smile," he added. "She just shakes
and shakes me good. and scolds and scolds;
then by and by she gets sorry and comes
back and says she shouldn't have"
The boy looked forlornly at the woman;
he hadn't intended to mention his mother,
because his chin always got shaky, but the
woman looked, unaccountably, as though
she understood, for she nodded her head
sagely and squeezed his hand.
Aunt Josephine thinks its wrong to scold
little boys" she said.
"I don't, them said the boy stoutly; IN
I'd rather they'd shake n smack Aunt
Josephine tells me all why 1 mustn't, an l
feel just 'xactly like 1 must-right off,
The woman looked disapprovngly at the
brick house across the street; but unfortu-
nately she understood. Aunt Josephine
theories were correct, shiningly, icily cor
rect; but in the application of them there
was the king-bolt missing which is spelled
understanding and nutted on with sympa-
thy. Aunt Josephine often had cause to
wonder at the poor results that followed
the application of her excellent theories.
The boy looked down at his dusty REFER.
'I didn't mean to-" he said, "honest. but
she'll say at tea tonight that 1 did. N
she'll say" he went on, 'that she'll be
obliged to write to mamma that 1 didn't
didn't. Do you know" he asked. reflective
ly, looking at the woman wonderingy, IF
Aunt Josephine would tell me that had to
| do the things that L mustn't, why. 1 be-
| lieve wouldn't want to- / believe I'd be
| good all the time" He emphasized the
| ''all" pathetically. AN when 1 smashed
the cracker jar. n lit my gas-ball. n talked
| back to Tilly.'' he went on, piling up the
| shortcomings Of the afternoon without per-
ceptible contrition, " n when Tilly said she
| wasn't going to boss no sassy boy like me,
/ went over to play with Bobby Jones, n
| we played polo. n when Bobby cheated
| smashed him on the legs where his guards
| weren't"
| The cracker jar was what lay heaviest
ON the boys conscience. 1T was the one
| with the blue daisies on it," he supplement-
| ed. 'It wasn't half pretty as the yellow
one, but Aunt Josephine. when she knows
| 1t, IL say 1t was the best one she had. She
| always does. Aunt Josephine, when she
| breaks anything" he went on. "she says
| It's too bad n when 1 do she says did
1t on purpose. I wish Aunt Josephine would
| just shake and then forget all about 1t, the
| way mamma does"
| The boys chin was trembling and his
| eyes swan with an outer moisture he was
ashamed to wipe away.
Harold" suddenly asked the woman, as
though she had been wondering for some
time; did Bertie Watkins get the bicycle?
You know, that one he wanted for his birth
| day."
The boy snapped his lids together sharply
till the moisture showed only very bright
eyes. Didn't he, thought" he exclaimed
well, 1 guess yes. An its got rat-traps,
too, and cyclometer, you bet M papa
said 1 could have one. too. when I'm eight
He bounced round on the step. "'N III
be eight in just two teeny-weeny years."
He unaccountably so far forget himself
here as to squeeze the hand nearest the
| woman that clutched his own, and she
looked at the brick buildings and squeezed
| back. He looked down on the boys tricycle.
that stood at the bottom of the steps; it
belonged to the boy next door, and he
looked upon ii conIemptuously, though be-
fore the woman came he had been torment
ing the other boy by riding it without his
| consent
IN / can ride Billy Wilson's right now, "
he went on proudly. "If do have to stick
my leg through the frame. L can ride it all
the samey. I'll tell you what" he whis-
| pered confidentially. I'm going to tease
mamma to tell papa that l ought to have
| ii when I'm seven. 1 most always can
when 1 don't eat anything for while.
Mamma tells papa that she thinks I'm deli
cate and ought TO be humored." He
squirmed his face in inward delight. AN
L betcher 1 get it, he added.
"Why-y-y. Harold" reproved the woman.
though she was obliged TO look down the
street that she might smile unobserved.
But as she looked she forgot TO smile: up
the street coming carriage drawn by
handsome pair of housekeeping sorrels.
She turned to the boy.
Harold she said hastily. You run on
| I'm and get Tilly to tidy you up. there's a
dear. Here comes Aunt Josephine. And
| Harold" she added "try and be good
boy. and I'm pretty sure Aunt Josephine
| won't scold about-about the things"
The boy slipped in through the big doors
noiselessly. He. too. had seen the shiny
carriage and the housekeeping sorrels. and
he had realized poignantly the skewed