The new enterprise., 1905-01-26


William" she said, pleasantly. TITS
wet and drizzly this morning. After
the chores are done you can go to
shucking walnuts in the barn loft.
mistrust they're not overly dry, but
you can work, away at 'em and keep
out of mischief"
We'll" said Mrs. Cobb, a little re-
gretfully, when William had departed,
"he gave in eastern | thought. He's
pretty spirited l thought he'd have
a tnntrum. | really did"
Much good it'd do him!" shifted
Miss Lodusky william is Spirited
wouldn't give a cent for a boy that
wasnt,-but he's got good sense, too"
Later in the forenoon she baked a
wonderful gingerbread man for VIII.
lam, for. privately, she had expected
the tantrum herself.
Out in the barn loft the walnuts
were receiving the benefit OF Williams
outraged feelingsA With his heart hot
within him he banged away at the
aromatic heap.
Not being thoroughly dry, the nuts
shed their brown felt overcoats reluc.
family Williams fingers grew dark,
and as he rose from the fragrant litter
of broken shells to stretch his legs a
little there were two brown stains upon
his knees. The boy scowled. Then,
as a sudden thought flashed into his
disturbed mind, he fell TO work madly,
kicking the nuts right and left, but
gathering the broken shells into
heap as something exceedingly
precious.
"Ill fix 'em!" he muttered, shaking
vindictive fist at his legs. Some
things going to happen mighty sudden.
Miserable pumpkin-pie colored things!
III fix 'em-see'f | DON'T"
Running to a corner Of the loft, he
dragged out an old sugar trough.
Throwing into it handful Of shells,
he rubbed and thumped and whacked
and pounded them with a fiat stone
until they were ground fine. The pull
yeri2ed substance was carefully re-
moved to make room for other shells,
and the process repeated until a pile
Of pungent brown powder lay beside
the sugar trough and the supply Of
shells was exhausted.
Replacing the powder in the trough,
the boy mixed it to a smooth paste
with a little water borrowed from Old
'Liza's pail and plastered a portion
Of the compound upon his trousers,
rubbing it in faithfully, as he had seen
Miss Lodusky rub starch into her linen
collars.
The result exceeded his fondest
hopes and with a subdued whoop Of
triumph William wriggled out Of the
hated garments, kicked them once
for luck" spread them fiat on the
door beside the sugar trough and went
to work barelegged, but full of bliss,
When the outside was colored to his
liking, he turned the trousers and went
over them again, Spatters of vege-
table paint reinforced the freckles on
his face, and his hands were like those
OF an Indian, but the yellow trousers
had ceased to be yellow
"Willlam!" 1t was Miss Lodusky's
voice calling him to dinner
William answered with a cheerful
Oo-hoo!" donned his moist and un-
comfortable trousers, and washed the
ground shells from hands and face at
the cistern pump, That the stains re-
mainsd troubled him not at all. Then,
with the mien of one who had burned
| his bridges behind him, he marched
into the kitchen, and faced the tribu.
nal Of justice.
For full minute Miss Lodusky
stared at the small, brown-handed
rebel without a word. When she did
speak it was to say, sternly:
March right straight upstairs, sir
and take of your trousers, and throw
'em down to me- Then do you go to
bed an stay there until tell you to
get up"
William obeyed without a murmur
although he cas-. a longing glance at
the dinner-table as he passed, His
work bad made him hungry,
4 few minutes later a wad Of wet
wooden cloth struck the back.stairs
door, and Miss Lodusky, as she opened
the door, heard Williams bed creak
Gathering up the aforetlme yellow
trousers, she took them % the win.
dow and inspected them critically, As
she turned them over again a grim
smile wrinkled her stern vlsage.
He's done a pretty good job" she
remarked.
Little by little the smile broadened
and deepened into an amused chuckle
After all, Miss Loduskys grimness
was only skin-deep. Underneath it
was a keen sense of humor.