The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1906-01-11

liz Gel Is, L dSIitlllCI
to have you ask such a question. Amt
you all been brought up to have your
faces Washcd?'
But young Judith seemed disinclined
to take up this phase Of family ST.
periority. She merely inquired fur
Their:
SIS he to have it washed with soap,
maw?"
"He shore is. Any one would think
you had been born and raised in
Arizony or Nebrasky, to hear you talk.
I'm plumb ashamed of you, Judy
But deed. nav. 1 amt big enough
to wash his face with soap. 1t takes
Topeka to hold his head
The subject Of the discussion still
sat Oh the edge of the bed, q small
lord of creation. letting his women
folk arrange among themselves who
should minister to his wants. AS an
instrument Of torture the washcloth,
in the hands of his sister Judy, was no
ignoble rival of the cactus thorn. The
question Of making terms for his suf-
fcrinGs again appealed to him in the
light Of a feasible business proposition.
"Nuvvy, tan't I have the apple?
my face wis SOAP
eyes, you can have the apple honey;
and. Judy, you be gentle with him.
Don't rub his features up, and be care
full and don't get soap in his eyes,
"Nom.' And Judy heroically stifed
the longing to slick her hair, like Tope-
ka's, with the wet hairbrush. There
were easier tasks than washing the
face Of her younger brother.
When Topeka and her mother were
alone i'll the kitchen, Topeka grinding
the coffee end all unconsciously work
ing her jaw in an accompaniment to
the coffee mill, her mother bent over
her and sas3:
did you dream of anything last
night:'
Topeka simultaneously stopped work
ing the coffee mill and her jaw and re-
garded her mother solemnly. She did
not remember having been thus ques-
toned about her dreams before.
"No'm,' she answered, after labori-
Gus consideration. But something in
her mothers face held her.
you're sure you didn't dream moth
ing?"
Yes, maw."
did Judy OF Jim say that they
dreamed anything?'
"Jim said he dreamed he had a puD."
"Was that all? Think hard, Topeka!"
Tonn1-O 1,o11
mill in her hand. Her jaw continued
to work with the labor of her mental
process. give thought hard, nav, and
all he told was about the pup"
Aida went back to her bedroom and
again felt the brown bureau. "What's
the matter with me, anyhow? It's the
lonesomeuess, and they bein' agn Jim
the way they are. Lord, this country's
hard on women and horsesv'
When breakfast was over and young
Jim had received the reward of his
valor in presenting brave face to his
ablution and Judith the reward of her
Skill, the evidence Of which almost pre-
vented the young martyr from. smiling
While he enjoyed his treat, their moth
er sent them all to play in the canyon.
She told them not to come home till she
should come for them, and if any one
should ask about their father to say
that he was away from home. And
this, as we'll as the mystery of her IA
Their getting his sleep out reused
some slight apprehension in Topeka,
who was old for her age They were
seldom sent to the canyon to play. To-
peAa looked at her mother as she had
when questioned about the dream, but
there was no further confidence be.
tween them.
You Go as your sister Topeka tells
you and remember what l said about
your papa,'' Aida said to the younger
children. Jim and Judy clasped each
others hands in mute compact at the
edlct. Their sister Topeka had a real
genius for authority. They We're mind
Ell all too we'll when she swayed the
maternal scepter vicariously.
Aida made fresh coffee for Jim when
the children had gone She made it
carefully. There was this morning, un-
consciously. about each little thing that
she did for him the solemnity of fu-
neral rite. Struggle as she would she
could not divest her mind Of the con-
v1ctlon that what she did this day she
did for the dead. She would 90 to the
door and listen to his breathing and
tell herself that she was fool, then
wiring her hands at the remembrance
Of the dream
As he tossed, half waking, she heard
him groan and curse the cattlemel
with oaths that made her glad she had
sent the children from home. Then
she bent over him and woke him from
his uneasy slurnbcr.
Jim, don't you want HE to battle
your head? And here's some nice hot
coffee all ready for YOU"
Jim woke slowly to a realization OF
his troubles and his blessings. His
wife was bathing his head With hands
that trelnbled. Not always had she