Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-24

VI HIS nOC0er ana sister, enter
tains a neighbor who is famous
the length of the street for her in
quisitiveness. and before whom all are
most guarded in their conversation.
Nome; they're both out. an 1 don't
know when they'll be back. You see,
we've had n feler visitin u.s. fiat
chested, spider legged dude. He's the
one Sister Liz has her eye on an Ma
got a new splasher for the spare room
an tied the winder curtains up in
blue ribbins; then they invited him, an
he came with a dress suit case stuck
all over with posters like circus signs
on fence, some plum on top of the
others. an queer little leather
steamer trunk. l thought they'd never
finish givin' me lessons as to what I
mus do an say vile he was here for,
you see If I didn't do the right thing
we might lose him as we did the
others, an, although Sister Liz don't
tell me her age l know it must be over
twenty-five, an none of the ladies in
the books I read ever marry dukes
or princes when they're past twenty.
Well, anyhow, Lib got her eye on this
dude las winter, an I heard her
sayin' to Ma when they thought 1 was
asleep, Its him or nothin'!" But
say, if I was a girl I'd ruther it 'ud
be nothin' than guy like that,
wouldn't You?
Before he came Ma says to me
"First of all, Robert"-I was Robbie
before that, or Boo-"you are to call
your sister Elizabeth stead o. Liz an
me Mania. II you forget you'll have
to pay a fine each time of one cent
out o. your allowance"
Yes'm, that's my allowance-fve
cents a week. Ma gives it to me for
pocket money. She says she hates to
give so much, but all the other boys
on the block has it. SO / had to prac-
tice Elizabeth. E-lizabeth an Mania,
Mania, over an over till | was blue
in the face an both her an Ma never
spoke to me thought sayin' Robert like
they does wen they'S mad or the min
lister comes to call.
l was to say Mr.. Wilkins an not get
gay with him or fresh in any way,
an wen Liz gave me the signal I was
to get up ans leave the room. Say ger
ever have to- get up an leave the room
before you was ready to? Mebbe you
think it's fun. Well, l don't Sure's
anything, wen 1 just got settled with
n nice book or had some o. my play
toys on the floor in they comes, the
dude carryin' LIS parasol, an Liz
gives me the wink am up / has to get
an lite out, leavin' everything, an
Inosey along somewhereS else. Mebbe
wasn't glad wen that dude moved
out himself I didn't do Il thing but
dance an yell an break things all
day.
Another thing was to remember am
ma almost hammered it into my head
was to be sure to call my pants trousers
vile he was here. / don't know why
they should suddenly get to be trousers
wen they'd always bin pants ever since
I'd bin in 'em, but anyway ma said
I mus an I had to. though ] mos
broke my neck doin' it.
Ever have to call your pants trou-
sers?-that is, ] mean-well-G don't
spose you ever did as you don't wear
'em. leastways not like n boy, any
how.
All the same, Liz said she'd never
catch q beau if she had IA brother that
said pants, so. knowin' how keen she
was after the beau, 1 couldn't stan in
the way
Say, it'll be the day of my life wen
Liz does step off. Evvythings for her
now, an nothin's for me. All the
broken furnicher comes up into my
room an wen l want anythng-a base
ball bat or a fishin' rod-shes got to
have a new sash or a ribbing an |
can keep on wantin'. If you could see
my room! It's a regar junk shop vile
hers is all wife lace over pink. 1t
amt fair. but ma says, Ladies first,
Bobs,' an that means as good as
though she said it. witch she don't,
get your sister married first an then
you can have your innin's" So I say
again, itll be the day of my life wen
she is outer the way
Vile the dude was here / had to re-
member to say in a partickler kind o.
voice, "Mr. Wilkins is stopping with
US Ma says stopping is mole swell
than stayin', so o. course, / had to be
swell If / busted for it. / forgot il
once an said TO him at the table Say,
ger ever stay in England?" an he
answers in that moonn' way o. his
witch, | know, he thinks sounds like
Nooport, II stopped in London the larst
time l was over with some friends In
Park lane" That hattened me out
fatter'n a founder. am / never forgot
10 say stopped again, even 'thout ma
signal.
Mebbe it's easy to be swell? Ever try
q? You couldn't, / guess. if you tried a
hundred years. You don't look like
you could any morn me.
Yes'm he stayed-I should say
stopped-a week. Oh, 1t wasn't SO bad,