The Greeley tribune., 1906-01-04

| "Ao"ih os uOC0lnS else
could nave done, but she answered
him with quiet tirmness:
Jimmy must not tell stories"
LESS see." insisted Topeka,
He dassent." affirmed Judith Junior
Of little faith. ''''
1T hurths me-" And Jimmy tried to
| squeeze out tear. 1T hurths me my
| tore toew
His mother tipped him over on his
rat little back and opened the chubby
hand that held the trump toe, It was
! white from the pressure applied by the
mfant dissembler, but there was no
trace of the treacherous cactus thorn
She gave him an affectlonate spank
ana went Into the kitchen to make
| coffee.
Il with had tore toe" he crooned
quite unabashed at the discovery of
bis deception. Il with l toud det n
tore toe 'thout the hurt"
But the horror Of the dream criDped
her when she found herself alone in
| the kitchen, and she remembered she
had not told the children not to 90
Into the room where their father was
sleeping. She went back and found
that Jimmy had not left his post on
the side OF the bed, where he still re-
GREETED that his perfectly we'll toe did
not entitle him to gastronomic con-
sideration. Topeka, who had arrived
at an age where little girls, in the first
subconscious attempt at adornment.
know no keener delight than plasterng
their heads with Il wet hairbrush till
they present an appearance of slippery
rotundity equaled only by peeled on
ion. put down the brush with guilty
haste Mt sight of her mother.
"Fm goin' to dress him soon as I've
done my hair"
ANY one think you was goin' to be
married, the time you've took to It."
ITS gettin' so long" urged Topeka.
Il wouldn't give it chance to grow
no longer while Jimmy was waitin to
get dressed. And don't go into tie
front room. Your fathers gettin' his
sleep out"
Topeka opened her round eyes
There was always something suspi-
cious about that sleep her father had to
get out, but she felt it was something
she must not ask questions about Her
mother fingered. She dreaded to be
alone in the kitchen. The little, ia
| miliar intimacies between herself and
her children scattered the horrors of
the dream which would come back to
her when she was again at the mercy
of her thoughts.
Judy, s'pose you dress Jimmy this
morning! l want Topeka to help me
get breakfast"
'"Yessum," said Judith dutifully. rs
he to have his face washed?"
"He certainly is, Judy. is ashamed
to have you ask such question. Amt
you all been brought up to have your
faces washed?"
But young Judith seemed disinclined
to take up this phase Of family SUI
perlorlty She merely inquired fur
ther:
is he to have 1t 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, l amt big enough
to wash his face with soap. 1t takes
Topeka to hold his head
The subject of the discussion still
sat on the edge of the bed, 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. Inc
question OF making terms for his suf-
ferings again appealed to him In the
light of feasible business proposition.
"Muvvy, tan't l have the appie'
Judy hurts me q lot when she wathes
my face wis soap"
Eyes. you can have the apple honey;
and, Judy, you be gentle with nm.
Don't rub his features up, and be care
full and don't get soap in his eyes
"No'm." And Judy heroically stitled
the longing to slick her hair, like Tope-
ka's, with the wet harbrush- Ihere
were easier tasks than washing the
face of her younger brother.
When Topeka and her mother weie
alone in the kitchen. Topeka grinding
the coffee and all unconsciously work
ing her jaw in an accompaniment 10
the coffee mill, her mother bent over
her and said:
"Did you dream Of anything last
night?'
Topeka simultaneously stopped work
ing the coffee mill and her jaw ana re-
garded her mother solemnly. she d'o
not remember having been thus ques-
toned about her dreams before.
"No'm," she answered, after laoorf
GUS consideration. But something III
her mothers face held her.
"You're sure you didn't dream noun
ing?"
"Yes. maw."
.ni5 Indy or lin say that tne!