The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-02-29
DAILY SHORT
STORY
sToRK CHILDREN.

SJONN NnIIOnEN.
l was reporting for the Times.
The pleasing assignment given me
was wedding anniversary. | took
a suburban car anu FASTENED to the
scene of festivity.
The Story family was a notable
one, and its members had assem-
bled to unearth some news, but was
not prepared for the revelations
which followed.
The head of the family, who was
over 80, did not show his age, for
he stood erect, and his eyes snap
ped with merriment We withdrew
to quiet room, and the elder Stork
began to name his children, proud
ly commenting on their attain
ments.
That which struck me as, queer
was the name of each child. fin
ally asked the old gentleman how
he happened to name his children.
After taking pinch of snuff, he be-
gain: Young man, what am
about to say will not go with your
readers, but will give you some
incidents connected with the NAM
ing of my children. After naming
the first child, l always watched for
sikh to direct the naming Of those
which followed.
when little Aries was baby,
went to the woods with my old
rifle. AS game was scarce, | set
up target against the sugar house
and began to shoot; but for some
strange reason, my balls went
wide of the mark. was a good
shot, and couldn't account for it.
l was mad at first, and then l be-
came careless. The rifle seemed
to be influenced by a mysterious
power, so I just kept on shooting
until my ammunition was exhaust
ed. Then | went up to the sugar
house and took look. My shots
had formed the first sign of the 70
diac, So | named the boy Aries.
LAS I sat smoking one day. the
smoke began to take on queer for
nations, and l noticed that the
sign correspondent to Taurus.
I'm due season, Shoe Fly, our
Oldest COW, came running up the
lane, after a severe thunder storm,
and I discovered that the sign cor
responding to Leo had been brand
ed by the lightning on her hind
quarter.
Libra, our first daughter. was
named by the formation of frost
on the window.
"Virga, the name of our second
daughter, came about in a pretty
manner. Mrs. Stork hastily scat
tered some seed for a flower bed,
and when the seed came up, they
| formed the corresponding sign.
1--WE had a terrific hailstorm
which knocked the lights out of the
greenhouse; but when 5 came to re-
pair the damage | noticed that GER
tain panes remained, and these
formed the sign OF Sagittarius.
81 hated to name child Scorpio
but one of my boys excltedly called
my attention one day to the queer
antics of a blacksnake which had
crossed the dusty road to clover
patch beyond l went out to make
an inspection, and found that the
snake had solved the naming Of an
other child, for it had formed the
sign corresponding to Scorpio In
the dust with it's tail.
Zone evening queer fit OF astig
matism took possession of my op
tics, and all | could see on the
printed page was the sign of Capri
cornus.
Little Pisces was named by q
woodpecker, which pecked the sign
on the bark of an old beech tree.
Zone day a city fellow came
along with some patent medicine.
bought a bottle and took goot
dose before retiring; but chancet
to glance in the mirror. and all
could see was skull and cross
bones, and in the center of the skull
was the sign of Aquarius.
"These little incidents ought tt
make a good story for your news
paper"
| agreed with him.