The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-04-30
"A month";" sho says staring al

- fI%Ca 49, ~ 1881 SfShE
thing by jerks, like as II Uhe was hung
on wires and worked with a string.
Now she strai shtened up out OF her
chair so sudden you almost expected
to hear her snap.
"a week." she sings out. "Oh!"
Then she looked at me.
"Oh, it's so. II he says So" says l.
resigned like.
Land sakes! A week! I. never
but 1t amt no use. What would be-
come Of pa and the children"
Couldn't you come over for the
days, at least?" asks Martin. you
might go home nights, you know"
And that's the way 1t ended, finally.
The Twins had made up their minds,
and when that happened, heaven and
earth wouldn't change 'em. At last
Eureka said she'd talk 1t over with
her folks and Van Brunt said we
would come over to her house next
day and get the decision.
"There!" says he, when the Sparrow
girl had gone. Skipper, the cook
question Is settled"
Maybe It's" says 1. Looks to me
as If you'd settled 1t the way the Teller
settled the coffee, by upsetting it. Fol
chaps that pinned for rest and quiet you
two do queer things. Do you realize
what getting mixed up with that Spar.
row gang is likely to mean"
IF the whole flock is like the speci-
men bird we've SEEM" he says, it'll
mean joy. If there was one thing
needed t o make Ozone island q de-
light, a gem of purest ray serene, that
original would be the thing. She's a
circus in herself. l shall dream to-
night of pa and the doctor. Ho, no!
BY the way, what's her Christian
name?"
| told the name-the whole Of 1t.
How them Heavenlies did laugh.
"Eureka!" says Hartley. "Splen-
did!"
"Eureka!" a y Van. I'VE have
found it, Sol, let's have lunch"
| got 'em something to eat and then
the three of us put in the afternoon
chasing the wild animals. The chick
ems was fairly easy to get hold of; l laid
a trail of corn up to the door of the hem
yard and trapped the most of 'em that
way. But the pig was a holy terror.
He'd had his experience with Ozone
islanders that morning and he didn't
want any more. Up and down that
blessed sand bar we chased him. get
ing upset and firing ourselves out. The
pig race over to Eastwich want in it.
| did most Of the chasing; the Heaven
lies superintendent, az usual, and gave
orders and laughed. They pretty nigh
laughed themselves sick. Finally the
critter bolted into the woodshed and l
locked the door on him. 1t was six
o'clock when l dumped him into the
sty. OF all the Natural Life days I'd
had yet this one was the liveliest and
most wearing. A week like it and my
natural place would have been the
burying ground. l cal'late I lost three
pound that afternoon. l was getting
SO thin that when / fell down my legs
made grooves in the sand.
The next forenoon me and Hartley
went over to close the cook trade.
Van wouldn't go. He said the garden
ing and the shipwreck and the steeple.
chase-meaning the pig hunt-had
given him sensations enough for a
week or so; he had some of 'em with
him yet. So Martin said he'd go, for
my sake. l borrowed a couple Of spare
oars from Scudder, when he arrived
with the mornings dose OF skim
milk and cream and butter, and, as ]
took care to row the skiff this time, we
made the passage all right. Then
we walked up to the Sparrow's nest.
Twas a pretty shabby-looking shack
now l tell you. Shingles dropping off
and fence falling down, and a general
shortage of mans work everywhere
But there was a bed of bachelor but
> tons and old maids pinks under the
, front window, and the windows them
; selves was clean and bright. Eureka
, had done her best to make the place
honey; you could see that.
She let us in when we knocked a
the kitchen door. Her sleeves was
rolled up and there was a big baske
of clothes by the steaming washtub
Editha, the 1~2-year-old, was grinding
at the wringer and Dewey, the baby
: was setting on the floor playing witt
: a rag doll. The rest Of the tribe
except Lycurgus, who had gone ped
i ding clams-was off playing.
. Eureka, she %apologized for thing
: being so upset, but there want an!
4 need for apologies. The house wa
plain and poor-you could see that !
= took a mighty lot of stretching Il
g make both ends come in sight OF eacl
o other, let alone meet; but twas clear
as a whistle. Even the baby wa
G clean, all except his face and hands
Q and no healthy young n ought t
have them clean.
Good morning" says Hartley
Have you decided to cook for us?"
II She bobbel her head owe the wash
= tub. i've decided 1t, If pa has" say
she. He amt made up his mind We,
! He wanted TO sleep On 1t, he said.
D guess he's done that. Anyhow he