The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1909-06-02

and Daisies"
Finally she insisted on taking
Charlie over to the Folly" and show
of weakness I consented, and was
then thrown upon my own resources
for the rest of the day. tried to fill
out the time with petty industry. I
got out the few books and arranged
them on the shelf; tackled up the pho
tograph of Charles mother over the
writing-table; tried on blue flannel
shirt and pair of baseball shoes,
whistling an air from that last opera
of Delibe's. took walk and tried to
find the spring-came back without
finding it; took down the photograph
and put it up in another place; rear
ranged the books; swung hammock
and cut my thumb. It was the long
est day ever spent in my life. Final
ly it 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 I snatched
a stick and set out hurriedly on a res
cue-to meet Griselle and Charlie
coming over the pasture-field, 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
returned home.
Then Charlie and got our supper.
If l remember correctly, we had bo-
logna sausage, cheese, crackers and
tea, and would have had sardines If
had known where that Internal can
opener was. It was about the time OF
day that usually took steak la
Bordelaise, or a bird, with several en-
trees and pint of dry wine. I ad.
mired my nerve as l ate the bologna,
and wondered how long I could keep
this up.
After supper I proposed that we sit
outside and have talk while
smoked my pipe. We could see the
sun go down through the trees. The
conversation was carried on, must
admit, mainly by Charlie. His imag-
ination had been inf1amed by the mill
dam.
1T was only such little ways of,
too"
IF you go there alone, I'll skin you,"
1 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 a fine parental beginning.
1 tried to steer the conversation into
other channels. I had a story pat of
a boy who got himself drowned by
being alone and nobody to pull him
out. l told it pathetically, and wound
it 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.
You're nice companion"
growled, as he climbed into his shake.
down, Ito keep me company. What
am I going to do with myself till IL
o'clock"
"Good-night, 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: ooh, his accounts were all right.
He slipped off to Europe for his
health" And that would dispose of
me. But the Farnsworths' little mauve
letter was lying in there on the table
under the chintz curtain. Confound
her! had not opened it. Oh, I've
got some sandAblast that whippoor-
will!
It must have been IL o'clock when l
concluded to try the bed, and it was
certainly two o'clock in the morning
before I went to sleep. And then up
rose Griselle. with her muslin. She
must have been hanging around the
place all night, for could swear that
no sooner had I got my eyes closed
than she began to clatter in the kitch.
en-. She even went so far as to sing
'The Sweet Bye and Bye" Just as l
had the two pillows muffled 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 it
slowly dawned upon me that the young
ruffian had been up an hour l went
out in the shed and reprimanded my.