Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-05-14
!, Sha me-
} BY STEPHEN CRANE. {
) Author Of "The Red Badge Of Cosr.
ase." Etc.
, Copyright, 1900. bv William Hotpe Crane.
Copyright, 1900. BY William Hotps Crane.

antly. What with your
- mother bein' away on
visit an your father comm home soOn
to lunch, have enough on my mind
and that without bein' bothered with
you. The kitchen is no place for little
boys. anyhow. Run away and don't be
interferin' with my work." She frOwn
ed and made grand pretense Of being
deep in herculean labors, but Jimmie
did not run away.
"Now-they goin' to have pic
MIC" he said, half audibly.
What?
"Now-they're goin' to have picnic
"Who's goin' to have picnic?" de.
manded the cook loudly. Her accent
could have led one to suppose that II
the projectors did not turn out to be
the proper parties she Immediately
would forbid this picnic.
Jimmie looked at her with more hope
fulneSs. After twenty minutes of fu'
tile skirmishing he had at least sue
ceeded in introducing the subject. To
her question he answered eagerly:
"Ch, everybody. Lots and lots OF
boys and girls Everybody"
who's eyerybody?"
According to custom, Jimmie began
to sing song through his nose in n
quite indeScribable fashion an enumer-
aticn Of the prospective picnlckers:
"NYilie Dalzel an Dan Earl an Ella
Earl an Wa!cott Margate an Reeves
Margate an Walter Phelps an Homer
Phelps an Minnie Phelps an'-oh-lOts
more girls an'-everybody. An their
mothers an big sisters too" Then he
announced Il new bit Of information:
They're Soln' to have a picnic"
"Well. let them" said the cook bland
ly.
Jimmie filgeted for time in silence.
At last he murmured, "I-now-l
thought maybe you'd let me go"
The cook turned from her work with
an air of Irritation and amaZement that
Jimmie should still be in the kitchen.
"WhO's stoppin' you?' she asked sharp
ly. 81 amt stoppin' you. am II"
"No," admitted Jimmie in a low voice.
"Well. why don't you so, then? No
body's stonpin' YOU
But" said Jimmie, "l-you-now-
each fellow has got to take somethin'
to eat with m"
"Oh. hor' cried the cook triumphant
ly. $50 that's it. is it? SO that's what
you've been shyin' around here fer, eh?
Well. you may rs well take yourself
off without more words. What with
your mother bein' away OH visit an
your father comm home soon to his
lunch | have enough on my mind an
that without bein' bothered with YOU
Jimmie made no reply, but moved in
grief toward the door. The cook con-
tinued 'Some people in this house
seem to think there's bout Il thousand
cooks in this kitchen. Where used to
work b'rorc there was some reason In
'em. | amt Il horse. A picnic.
Jimmie said nothing, but he loitercd
Seems as If | had enough to do
without havin' you come around talkin
about picnics. Nobody ever seems to
think of the work | have to do. No
body ever seems to think of it. Then
they come and talk to me about. pic
mics. What do care about picnics?'
Jimmie loitered.
"Where | used to work b'fore there
was some reason in 'em. | never heard
tell of no picnics right on top OF your
mother bein away on visit an your
father comm home soon to his lunch.
It's all fOolishness."
Little Jimmie leaned his head fat
against the wall and began to weep.
She stared at him scornfully. "Cryin'.
eh? Cryin'? What are you cryin' fer"
.N-n-nothin'." sobbed Jimmie.
There was silence save for Jim
mics convulsive breathing. At length
the cook said: Stop that blubberin'.
now. Stop it! This kitchen amt no
place fer it. Stop it! Very well!
If you don't stop won't give you
nothin' to go to the picnic witli-there"
For the moment he could not end his
tears. "You never said," he sputtered
-"you never said you'd give me any
thing"
AN why would ~ she cried an
grily. why would with you in
here a-cryin' an a-blubberin' an
a-bleatin' round? Enough to drive a
woman crazy. l don't see how you
could expect me to! The idea!'
Suddenly Jimmie announced: "Tve
stopped cryin'. amt goin' to cry no
more tall"
"Well. then" grumbled the cook
"well. then, stop 1t. I've got enough
on my mind" 1t chanced that she was
making for luncheon some salmon GRO
quettes. A tin still half full of pinky
prepared fish was beside her on the
table. Still grumbllng. she seized Il
loaf of bread. and, welding knife,
she cut from this loaf four slices, each
Of which was as big as six shilling
uONel cuS ptOhiSatSiS SpiSou 'hSAh
with butter. and. jabbing the point of
her knife into the salmon tin, she
brought up bits Of salmon, which she
flung and flattened upon the bread.
Then she crashed the pieces Of bread
together in pairs, much as one would
clash cymbals. There was no doubt in
her own mind but that she had created
two sandwiches.
There she cried. "That'll do you
all right. Lemme see. What'll put
'em in? There. I've got it" She thrust
the sandwiches into small pail and
jammed on the lid. Jimmie was ready
for the picnic. "Oh, thank you. Mary"
he cried ioyfully. and in a moment he
was off. running swiftly.
The picknickers had started nearly
half an hour earlier owing to his In
ability to quickly attack and subdue
the cook, but he knew that the rendez-
vous was In the grove of tall, pillarlike
hemlocks and pines that grew on a
rocky knoll at the lake shore. His
heart was very light as he sped, swing
ing his pail. But few minutes pre-
viOusly his soul had been gloomed In
despair. Now he was happy. He was
going to the picnic, where privilege OF
DarticiDation was to be bought by the