Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1903-01-18
ltttov Clara 7oi. Sps,. |
BY callie Ryland.
Ut ron can. do / Il, said the Boy.

But ron can do II, " said the Boy. I. So
Why not? asked Clara, .stormily.
said the Boy. You can field pretty
we'll I'm not denying that, but you
scou1dn't make base. on those pipe
stems to save your life. Girls can't ever,
run well enough to be on a Nine.''
we beaten you many a time
s or. that's different Besides, let
you. But nobody's: going to let .you when
you run for Bases and you have to slide
like fury and get your knees and elbows
all skfnne ,.sss:.s
Well, you're notsso much of "a boy;
yourself" Clara retorted. rs ssssz5 s.
no taught you to ride your wheel
and to whistle, and to peg top? II did.
And who put on your first pair of trousers
before you had ever. seen S.el1l. and. worn
EN- down town in Grandpa pa. S 6uggy.to
Papa's Office? and not a single soul took
me for a girl or called me sissy,
The Boy WINGED.
'Yop had Group that night he said,
that showed you were a girl and hadn't
any right to wear trousers. was glad
of .5it.
See here. Clara, - lie added loftily,.
ITS no use your trying to do all these
things we fellows do;
1t won't makesyOu. a boy
| You're just a girl: and you've got to
stay a girl, and that's all there is to 1T
AS to kissing your elbow making a. boy
of you. why. it's just Mammys non-
sense.
| II don't mind you dressing. up in my old
coats if you like, but the Lord made
! you a girl, and a girl you've got. to stay.
and we don't intend to have a girl on our
| baseball Nine, SO there
, But Clara's blood was up.
Look here she said between her
tight-shut teeth, "if I had black curls like
yours hanging most down to my waist,
Sissy I wouldn't put on such airs bout
} being a boy as you do
! The Boys elbow went up as If to. ward
! off a blow. His curls were his weak point
| ana he knew il. He had begged and plead
! ed to have them cut, but his Mother
(, could not find it in her heart to part with
| them.
He well knew that as long as they hung
| in tight little black cork-screws down
!! his back. Clara would have the upper
hand Of him in every argument.
! He also knew that some of the fellows
called him girl and Sissy behind
his back, and he suddenly remembered
| he had overheard one of them say once,
4 "Clara,s the best boy of the two
! It made him squirm when he thought OF
! it, but it would never do to. show Clara
| he was beaten. so he, pushed his hat as
! far back on his head as possible to hide
the bobbing curls; thrust his hands well
| down into his pockets and said over his
boulder as he strobe manfully off
Goodbye, little girl. I'm: going to Play
ball in Freddy's yard.
1t was beautiful morning in June and
/ Clara spent every spare moment in the
garden. where, witlsAJulia@ and Nancy
she was busiy wedding their crop OF
/ Spring vegetables The Crop being
row OF popcorn and three hills of pea
nuts. $3.50.
( '.Those things grow dreadfully,s fod, she
! said to Nancy, pulling up a peanut roo
and brushing the dirt off
| II don't b'lieve' they'll ever be biz
enough to roast
Here! stick it in the ground again while
/ 1 go to the house for some water, ant
! picking up her watering can she started
off in q rum
At the house, on the longback porch. il
] a high chair, sat the Boy with a toWe
about his neck and his eyes fixed Wit
an eager glitter on a pair of shares WMcl
a. barber-man held in his hands.
On one side of him stood his mother AM
nm the other his Aund Teiia. ant
from behind the chair his father CAV
I the word of command
Snip-snip. went the scissors, and cur
i after curl fell in a little. shining heap t
the floor and was snatched UP tender!.
by his mother or his aunt.
i Presently the barber-man stopped SUD
denly. and the Boy turning his heao
saw Clara at the foot Of the steps, wit
Iher s,in-bonnet dangling by one STRING
the watering-pot leaking over her toes
i and the tears making muddy stream
down her cheeks. Ss
.Look,'' he said. holding up cur
Lock. Clarai Don'tyo wish wours Wer
coming off, too? Ihen, seeing -, =,
tears. he added hastily. II IL give YOU tn
orc TO keep if you want it.
But Clara gave him q. scornfll glanc
and .bolted into the house, dropping tn
watering-can as she went and IN IN
biggest chair in the library she sobbe
out all her grief.
) "He won't never let me. play with hill
again. she walled. He'll make me ST
with Julia and Nancy and play wit
, dolls. and I hate dolls. dear! e
? dear!.
: her. She rubbed the tears out Of NJ
: eyes and crept quietly through the ma
and went cup the stairs
Ill Tn her Mother room hung little pa
. which held all sorts of sewing material
! Nanny was nodding over her darnlr
$ in the nursery.
There was not a sound in the house.
= Clara crawled up in a. chair, ran NJ
hand into the bag and brought out
q Of scissors.
Then she climbed onto the bureau.
: The scissors were not very sharp. ne
:, did not make the snippy-snipry sour
like the &barber-nan's downstairs and Il
!, curls were thicker and harder for u
: little hands to cut. but one by enc thu
IL came off as far around as she cou
/ reach !;
. At last she finished and laid down Il
! scissors Her fingers were cramped al
:. : aching with the weight OF Inc heaN'
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