The Springfield herald., 1909-06-04


whistling an air from that last opera
of Delibe's. I took walk and tried to
find the spring-came back without
finding It; took down the photograph
and put 1t up in another place; rear
ranged the books; swung hammock
and cut my thumb. 1t was the long
est day ever spent in my life. Final
ly 1t occurred to me suddenly that
something was liable to happen to
Charlie. Wasn't there milldam?
Didn't know that girls only thought
of themselves? Good heavens. the
Hotchkisses might be kidnapers! The
air began to get blue, and | snatched
a stick and set out hurriedly on res
cue-to meet Griselle and Charlie
coming over the pasture-feld, hand in
hand, beautifully silhouetted against
the sky, and Lilah wig-wagging be-
hind-all of them consummately un.
concerned, and Charlie crammed with
new experiences in which milldam was
most conspicuous. Griselle passed him
over in the most uneventful way and
returned home.
Then Charlie and got our supper.
logna sausage, cheese, crackers and
tea. and would have had sardines II
had known where that Internal can
opener was. 1t was about the time of
day that | usually took steak la
Bordelaise, or n bird, with several en-
trees and a pint of dry wine. i ad-
mired my nerve as | ate the bologna,
and wondered how long l could keep
this up.
After supper l proposed that we sit
outside and have a talk while
sun go down through the trees. The
conversation was carried on, must
admit. mainly by Charlie. His imag-
ination had been infiamed by the mill.
dam.
at was only such little ways OF,
too"
IF you go there alone, I'll skin you"
| said.
"Oh, but it's full of big white flow.
ers."
They're rank poison-sure death to
boys If they haven't got some one with
them"
This was fine parental beginning.
1 tried to steer the conversation into
other channels. ! had story pat of
boy who got himself drowned by
being alone and nobody to pull him
out. l told 1t pathetically, and wound
1t up just as the sun dropped behind
the hill. There was no response.
looked round. Charlie had gone down
with the sun. He was asleep l
picked him up and carried him in. He
was dead beat" as we say.
You're nice companion" l
growled, as he climbed into his shake
down. ito keep me company. What
am l going to do with myself till ~
o'clock"
Goodnight, papa" he said with In
imitable Indifference.
To be left alone in this manner was
hideous. The very stiffness was as
phyxiating to the ear. Nothing but a
wailing whippoorwill cut into the hush
of it. 1t seemed to me that she was
frightened at the stiffness. The moth
finally put my candle out. Then
went outside and walked up and down
like sentry and tried to picture to
myself what the gay world was doing
at that lively hour. Well Tillotson was
playing billiards at the University
club; Bannister would be eating a
late dinner with the Farnsworths, and
she would ask him between sips:
What do you suppose ever became of
your friend?" and Bannister would
whistle me down the wind lightly, say
ing: "Oh, his accounts were all right.
He slipped off TO Europe for his
health" And that would dispose Of
me. But the Farnsworths' little mauve
under the chintZ curtain. Confound
her. l had not opened it. Oh, I've
got some sand-blast that whippoor-
will!
1t must have been 12 o'clock when
concluded to try the bed. and it was
certainly two o'clock in the morning
before | went to sleep. And then up
rose Griselle, with her muslin. She
must have been hanging around the
place all night, for l could swear that
no sooner had l got my eyes closed
than she began to clatter in the kitch-
en-. She even went so far as to sing
ihS o"Sel byC anu Dye. Jubl dS 1
had the two pillows muff1ed round my
ears. Charlie was pulling at my arm.
Papa, get up-get up. Griselle wants
to get the breakfast"
must have growled like the captain
of tug, but it was six o'clock and 1t
slowly dawned upon me that the young
ruffian had been up an hour | went
out in the shed and reprimanded my.
self quietly.
How do you like it?' said, as
looked for the spring water You
haven't got SO much sand at this hour
of the day, have you?" I don't think
answered myself. If l did | made
no record of it, but l did try to ex-
plain to Griselle why l couldn't eat
her broiled chicken and fresh eggs at
that time in the morning. And she
said: ooh, I'd come to it after l got
rested"
Rested? Do l look tired?"
81 guess you're tired on the wrong
side" she said. when you get tired
on the right side you'll eat like a
Cheshire shoat."
This Jared a little, but it was proph-
ecy. About half-past II l remarked