Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-05-01

Pauline's Life; A
May Party Story
Petro stood in the alley that separ-
ated his own poor home from the pre-
tentious mansion of very rich fam
lily by the name Of Baker. And the
Baker family consisted Of the infiuen-
tial banker father, the society leader
mother, beautiful little daughter,
who seemed real fairy to Petro, and
a proud. handsome son, who filled
Petros heart with admiration.
1t was on fine, warm spring morn
ing that Petro stopped his work In a
bit of a garden in the rear of his
home to creep to the alley where he
might peep through the hedge into the
beautiful grounds that surrounded the
Baker mansion for there were several
workmen busily engaged in erecting
graceful white pole in the middle Of
the lawn, and, Mrs. Baker, the cultur-
ed society leader, was there giving In
structions regarding the work.
"You see, my men," Petro over
heard Mrs. Baker say to the work
men, tomorrow Is the first of May,
and this is to be a May pole, for am
giving May party for my young son
and daughter. I want the pole set
very solidly in the ground, SO if the
little participants in the May pole
dance become excited in the game
they may pull rather vigorously on the
OF "a ~ nhanoa
of the pole falling"
"Yesm, 1t will be put deep into the
ground and propped very strong.
ma'am,' explained one of the work
men. you'll have no reason to fear
for the safety Of the May pole after
we've done placing it. It'll be beau
tifu1 day tomorrow, ma'am, I'm think
in, for May party
Eyes, the weather is fine, and I am
more than pleased that the first of
May comes on Saturday. The party
shall take place at 2 o'clock, for
there'll be no school to interfere, you
see."
"Yes'm, and a pretty sight it will
be, too, to see the fine little folks in
their elegant clothes, dancin' about
the May POLE" declared the workman.
~ wouldn't mind bein' child mese'f
and enjoyin' May day party. Eth,
comrade?" And he addressed a
brother workman, who nodded his ac-
ouiescence Then, smilingly replying
to the workmen, Mrs. Baker returncd
to the ho,Sse, having finished her in
structlons.
And Petro. the little italian lad
stood in the alley watching the prepal
ations for a May day party, and won
dering what it all meant, anyway. He
knew that grand event of some kind
was to take place on the morrow IN
the grounds Of the Bakers home, but
he did not understand what they
meant by May day party.
Anyway" he whispered to himself,
| "I'll be in our garden at work TO-
morrow when the party Is going on IN
the yard over there, and I'll slip 10
the hedge and watch 'em at the game
Wish little Meta could come out and
watch 'em. but she's been sick, and
she might take cold sitting on the
damp ground under the hedge. So
Til watch everything that goes on and
tell her about it afterwards
| IQon f6lIO TSlulliSu w LIS eoeSi>'S'
and pulled the weeds from bed Of
garlic. But all the time that he Work
| ed his mind was wandering 10 tns
/ coming party which was to be held CT
the lawn across the hedge, a place Sc
very close at hand, yet inaccessible as
though it were beyond the seas. New
err had Petro been on the Bakers side
of the hedge. Indeed the hedge. 1t
self belonged on the grounds of the
Bakers, and divided their we'll kep
grounds from the alley, beyond Wh1cf
ranged a row of poor dwellings occu
pied bv italian families, families very
poor in the worlds goods. And tn:
nicely trimmed hedge divided the rlcl
from the poor as effectually as thougt
It had been a mountain-high wall o
granite. Never once had the dark
skinned, brown-eyed little italians dar
ed to creep through the hedge tina
, they might the better behold thf
beauty of their neighbours grounds ans
house. But the alley belonged to then
was their playground-and iron
there they might look through thi
green leafed hedge into the CRANE
Mace they admired so much. Ant
there they watched the rich boy ant
girl at play, the little girl who was IL
Petro's eyes fairy and whose nam
, was Pauline and the proud boy WHOM
Petro watched with so much lnteres
and whose name was Robert.
! The first day of May came beaut
fully clear and warm, and the prepai
) ations for the May day party on tn
Bakers lawn progressed. From nj
; garden Petro watched the men-an
women, too-at work. They wer
5 draping ribbons from the May pole
ribbons of every dainty color; an
. from the trees and shrubs We're fes
toons Of flowers and leaves, tied D
5 ribbons. And little tables were set o
the green sward, far enough remove
E from the May pole so as not to 1nte1
fere with the May pole dance. An
i little folding chairs were placed abon
the tables, much to Petro's wonder
What could they want with tables, h
a questioned. And if his garden sk
fered neglect that day 1t was not b'
( cause Petro was lazy, but deeply II
terested in watching the preparation