Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-02

and 1oked for a while. and at last subsidized,
painting. to wait for the rains cessation.
ITS raining harder than ever This won't
spite of It."
Not much" declared the Others.
Then let's go up in the attic" proposed
Horace.
Your mother wouldn't let US, would
she?" asked Gordon Fisher
the idea appealed. however, and Bert
Mother, oh. mother!
A curly head popped out of window
well, son?'
Mrs. Brown was thin. as the mother OF
seven sons must needs be- but she was full
OF fire. courage and fun. Everybody on the
block adored her.
Mother. dearest. we're poor. rained-fn
fellows with nowhere to practice In. That
Is, we've nowhere to practice out and we
a;tic?"
''To play base ball?' was the Mortified
reply.
respectful and appealing silence gave
assent, and after a moment, being a true
sport, she said:
Yes, go ahead; but, see here, mind you
be as quiet as you can be-
Up. the stairs tore nineteen boys. quietly
for boys, but nevertheless Mrs. Trennam
sitting with Mrs. Brown, shuddered
Mrs. Brown laughed.
ooh. they are noisy, but wouldn't this be
stupid old world without boys? Thank
God. He made my nerves of iron and that
they are all healthy enough to make a
noise. Did I ever tell you about the last
time they really made me angry?"
NO" laughed Mrs. Trennam, II didn't
know you ever were angry"
II was this time" chuckled Mrs. Brown,
exactly the way Bert chuckled. TT was one
day while Jean and I were sewing here that
I heard boy after boy creep up the stairs
and go into Horaces room. They were
earth they all came. At last Bert went up
carrying something under his coat. heard
muffied shouts. then stifled yells-stifed,
that Is, for our boys. There was another
I got so curious that I simply walked up
stairs and into Horace's room. 1t was
filled. simply stuffed with boys. all so
absorbed that they never heard me come
a cock. Yes. live cock and he was fight
ing furiously. Not another cock. They
had intended to make the real thing. but
failed to procure the other fighter. So they
had substituted my grandmother's mirror.
framed in gold. stood 1t up against the
foot of the bed and that wretched cock was
trying to kill it. I was fearfully angry
but 1t seems funny now"
''Mercy!' calculated Mrs Trennam, not
at the tale, but at the increasing racket
above.
The boys found the attic not particularly
adapted to base ball, and the practice soon
became farce.
There goes my pocket money for a
week." exclaimed Bert. as the ball crashed
through window. Who'll go down and
get it7'
No one offered, so he threw the bat after
It. Then some one found in a corner a box
of old hats. relics of numerous uncles and
fathers. With an old high hat for ball,
and bed slat for bat, the fun went on.
The supply Of hats seemed inexhaustible.
and one after another was battered to frag-
ments. In the worst of the racket the
door suddenly opened. and Jean stood
there.
Boys" she shrieked above the din. "oh,
boys. mother says
Silence ensued, and Jean went on, laugh
Ing:
Mother says, ehe sun's out, It's nearly
tea time. and the ceiling OF the spare room
10 shaking"
So out they went, and after the last boy
was down the stairs were still intact, though
a moment before It had not seemed possi-
bic. Tho builder Of that house had been
an honest man and q good workman. EVIL
IDENTIFY.
'Ek didn't come into the Browns. did her.