The Yale expositor., 1909-02-26


Don't you think l deserve credit?"
She said he did. Only he must be
careful and not get up and work in his
sleep. / listened with my mouth open
as usual. Such crazy drivel from
grown up men and women was too
many for me. 1t want intended to
be funny. of course, because they
and Eureka said the same. Twas her
notion that all the lunatics that was
crowded out of the asylums, or was too
rich to be put into 'em, was sent to
New York. 1t sounded reasonable
enough to believe. sometimes.
Agnes saw Sparrow, of course, but
Brown was by when she see him and
Washy didn't dare say but he'd gone
to work OF his own accord. | cal'late
that he figgered that the gang of us
would have killed him IL he had. So
the Page girl went back to Sastwich
satisfied. And Eureka went home
again nights and kept house for Lycur-
gus and her dad. But Hartley looked
out that the most of the old mans
ten dollars a week was turned over
to her.
The Heavenlies'. quiet Naturalness
had pretty nigh disappeared altogether
now. They was restless all the time.
Mail was heavy and the telegram en-
velopes in the coal bod and around
was thicker than'e ever. And Scudder
come to Ozone three times a day.
BY September l thought sure they'd
be ready to quit and go home. They
acted to me as though they was tired
of the whole thing. l thought I'd
sound 'em, so l says:
81 s'pose likely you'll be for SLUT
ting up this shop and getting back to
the city most any day pretty soon
now, won't you?"
Van Brunt looked at his chum and
Hartley looked at him. Then they
caught themselves doing 1t, and looked
away quick.
"Why, skipperl" says Van, what
makes you say that?"
"Oh, nothing special" says 1.
"Only 1t seemed to me that you was
kind of nervous and fidgety lately.
Didn't know but you was anxious TO
be dealing them stocks of yours, or
something. You've been away from
'em a good while"
1t was Hartley that answered ivan
is done with the stock Market" he
says, quick. "He has sworn never to
touch it again."
That's So" says l. II remember
hearing him swear that every ten min
utes when we first come. But he's
kind of knocked off swearing lately, so
| forgot. But did think you fellers
weren't quite so keen on the Natural
Life business as you was. You amt
read the. gospel for a considerable
SPELL"
They both looked sheepish and
guilty.
That's So" says Van. 1--WE haven't.
But we've been so confoundedly busy,
cunning, and white plagueing, and so
on, that we haven't had time. And
we've mislaid the book. II l knew
where it was l should be-"
Here tbs, right on the mantel-
piece" says l, reaching for it and
knocking off the dust. why don't
you take a set at 1t now? It's too
foggy to do much outside"
So they done 1t, Hartley reading and
Van listening. But twas short ses-
sion. When l come in, about Is min
utes later, the book was bottom up on
the floor and the Twins was dealing
what they called cold hands" with
cards for quarter hand.
That week was when we reaped our
harvest from the garden. Two mid
ding lean cucumbers and tomatter
that was suffering from yellow jaun-
dice. They was pretty sick vegetables,
but the Heavenlies seemed to think
they was something wonderful. They
made more fuss over EN- than if they
was solid gold. And they digested as
il they was, too
News come that Dewey, the Sparrow
baby, was sick with a cold over to
the Fresh Air school and Eureka was
worried. Finally she decided to go
over there for a day or so and see to
him. Lycurgus would look out for
pa. So she went and me and the
Twins was left alone.
The day she went was beautiful and
clear. Hot as July, and not breath
of wind. 1t acted to me like a wealth
er breeder, and l said so; but all l
got for the prophesying was Vans
calling me a jeremiah again. He had
planned a cunning cruise for the next
day.
That night / woke up about IL
o'clock and Marcellus' old slab castle
was shaking like as II It had the
PALSY. The wind was roaring and
J screeching and the rain was just
smashing against the windows. |
turned out and put in a lively half
hour shutting blinds and making
things fast. Usually September is a
pleasant month down our way. but
sometimes we get regular gale, and.
when we do. we get all the back num-
bers without subscribing for 'em.
4