Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-08-05

portunfty, and prtcked up his ears.
What thIngT"
Mrs. Drew sat up straight and
tapped the arm Of her chair impress
slvely. There was a lady In here
yesterday,-I name no names, Anne,
as I am careful not to cause hard feel
ings between friends,-but she told me,
and 1 said at once, Mrs. White ought
to know"
know what" asked Anne again,
smoothing out her handkerchief.
Mrs. Drew tapped the arm Of the
chair. II was told that Tommy White
deliberately walked up behind old
Mr.. Reffert-poor, old, half-blind man
that he island knocked his hat into
the ditch and ran awayw
"0h" cried Anne. "Oh!" She
lifted wide eyes to her hostess's face.
az knew, Anne" said Mrs. Drew, in
a tone Of quiet triumph, that you
would be shocked"
"Yes?" breathed Anne. "Oh, yes!"
Willie, aiming a kick at the cat, fell
off his chair at this juncture, and SO
made his presence conspicuous. His
mother, out Of consideration for Anne's
feelings, sent him out to play.
"Of course" she remarked, "you
would not like Willie to know what 1
am going to ask Of you, although he
never repeats what he hears"
Indeed I" murmured Anne.
Mrs. Drew returned to the original
subject. Shouldn't you think, Anne,
that any mother would be glad to be
told If her boy did such a thing as
that?"
Indeed" assented Anne, az should"
Into her eyes, fastened now on Mrs.
Drew's face, crept an expression Of re
lief.
"And don't you think that such an
attack on an old man deserves a Sc
we're punishment"
"Yes," assented Anne, earnestly, 81
do"
MY DEAR" Mrs. Drew ceased tap
ping on the arm of the chair and sank
back with the air of having settled a
veXed question, 81 am glad you agree,
because 1 am going to ask You to tell
Mrs. White" Anne put out a hand
suddenly, dropped her handkerchief,
and reached for it. ''You, girl that
you are, can tell her without offense,
because she likes you. Every one likes
you, Anne"
but, Mrs Drew" Anne burst out,
whoever told you didn't tell straight.
lit wasn't Tommy! tt was right
behind them-it was Willie who did
it,"
Mrs. Drew gasped once-twice-
caught her breath and sat up very
stiff.
"Willie!"
YES" Annie FASTENED on, the words
tumbling out of her mouth. II almost
caught him. IL think / should have
shaken him well If 1 had!" her tone
became reminiscently indignant. Il
did shake him on Halloween. Tommy
did help take Mrs. Smiths fence down
Il was staying with her that night
because she was afraid,-but Willie
was the leader. 1 caught him and
boxed his ears"
Boxed his ears!"
Eyes" cried Anne, all unobservant
of the expression back Of the words.
"Willie is awfully naughty when he's
out Of your sight, and to think 1 never
dared tell you," her face was filed
with incredulity, when here you were
really wanting to know all the time!"
Anne rose, still unobservantly re-
lieved and happy. 1t was often so
hard to be a truthful conadante, and
this time the path of truth had been
made so easy for her
She left q dazed Mrs. Drew strug
Cling with her breath and her thoughts.
Mrs. Drew believed Anne-every one
did; and the memory of her own wide
spread comparisons between Willie and
Tommy rushed upon her with over
whelming force.
For half an hour after Anne's de-
parture she wrestled with her mortifi-
cation. Then she turned her attention
to Willie.
With lips pressed firmly together,
she visited the fiourishing willow in
the back yard. Sternly she laid aside
the natural desire to select a tiny
branch. Sternly she held herself to
what she required of Mrs. White, and
a few moments later, armed with
tingling switch, she stood in the back
door and called loudly, william
William Drew! Come here at once !"
Youths Companion.