The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1906-06-11


she went into the play room to ask
him II he would like TO have some
school fellows to tea. and he jumped
out OF the window, and ran away, NUT
tering sneak" under his breath. In
the afternoon he got out o. the attic
window and ran about on the roof,
and refused to come down. At last
she sent for the builders man to fetch
him. Then he took long jump down
on to the roof OF the bathroom (moth-
er screamed aloud), got in by the stair
case window and went on TO his
aunt's. His aunt thought that mother
knew he had come, and let him stay
until late in the evening. Mother and
the servants had been searching for
him for hours when ne returned, and
she sent him to bed without any sup
per.
He called from the top Of the stairs:
Good night. stepmother! Father
would like me to De hungry"
Take him up something. Mary" she
told the housemaid, but don't say
! sent 1t. | should not have thought
that a child could hurt so much"
Mary made up her mind TO tell him
what she thought of him. and what
his father would think; but she found
him flung at full length on the bed.
whispering: "Fatherl Fatherl" SO
she undressed him. and put him 10
bed, and read him a long fairy tale and
only short lecture.
He doesn't mean any harm.
ma'am." she told her mistress, "but
you're too good to him. III never listen
TO what people say about stepmothers
any more"
Mother shook her head. Il am
afraid you are right, Mary" she said.
Il am being a coward. and letting him
grow up a bad boy, because am
afraid Of what my husband might
think If punished him. must be
firmer with him"
The next afternoon, when he came
home from school, she spoke to him
very severely. He had been a very
naughty and unkind boy for a long
time she said; now she must write
and tell father, and it would grieve
father very, very much. She expected
him to ask her not TO write. and meant
to agree upon a promise Of good be-
havior; but he said nothing-merely
walked over to the stationery cabinet
and took some paper and an envelope.
kha lFnoru NJ hn he
would write TO father about her. She
did not give father credit for the great
trust that he had in her goodness, or
realize how impossible il would be for
him to think III Of her. The way 1t
appeared to her was that she had
promised to do just one little thing
for father-to make his orphan boy
love her-and she had failed.
She sat with her face on her hands,
looking at fathers photograph on the
desk Sonny glanced around at her
as he went out through the door, and
something in her look touched his
hard little heart somehow. One never
knows how these thoughts come that
touch one; and the thought that
touched Sonny was that It would hurt
father when he heard things about
him, and If he said things about moth
er Il would hurt father, too. Also, II
was "sneaky" TO say things about
mother. So he decided only to write
about himself. and the things he had
done. and the goodness OF his inten-
tions when rightly understood.
When. however, he tried to reduce
his good intentions to paper. they did
not seem quite so good. He had in
tended TO annoy and worry mother;
and he was sure that father would not
think that good at all He might have
left that part out; only there was the
photograph Of father on the mantel-
piece looking at him.
He gave little gasp and wrote;
MY Dear Father: what mother
says is true. I have been smokey to
her. but l won't do It any more. Plese
don't be very miserable. Your loving
son.
FRED TAYLOR .
Sonny was sitting at his little dress
ing table, with his small face set frm-
ly, sealing the envelope. He did not
move when mother went in. She could
see his face in the glass. It was a
very miserable face, and she felt sud
denly sorry for him. She would have
knelt down beside him. and put her
arm around him, II he had been lit
tie boy who liked her.
Il shall not interfere with your let
ter to father. Sonny" she said, quietly,
but do not want him hurt more than
can be helped. win you show me
what you have written?"
Sonny hesitated for a moment, and
looked at fathers photo. and thought
Of things that father had said about
towards who would not own that they
had done wrong She would be able
to triumph over him now, he thought,
and drummed savagely on the floor
with his foot She would think he
had only written because he was
afraid Of father being cross: but IA
ther wouldn't think that He picked
m the letter slowly and gave IL "a