The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1910-12-16

SNNP anu Will dli Ills Tel Idl, WEE I'LL
gers labored. Then, "Das a doodle
boy" he objurgated himself as he
resumed his climb Of the stairs, the
button buttoned; "Das a daryin' yittle
gentleman"
He shook the knob Waited, Jug
ging on the toes Of him and discours-
Ing to Nicodemus.
The door remained closed
Two fat palms smote 1t wrathfully.
Open" he commanded; "pease
open dis door"
Nobody answered
Poor yittle boy" he wheedled at
keyhole: 'zere amt nobody loves
i'm"
Nicodemus yapped and made feints
at desertion when dog barked out
side. Fawned back, and licked the
fingers where bread and honey aroma
fingered. Sat up and waved an affable
paw at him.
He sat down on the floor and gath
cred his yellow dog into his pinafore
and Rugged.
'Cept Nitodemus an myssef." he
said
Great-grand came up the hall.
rs you been bad boy, dreat-dran?"
he said. rs you all shutted out?"
Great-grand sighed
Seems like this horse just will run
away" in doleful Tone land I've got
bone In my foot and | can't run after
him"
In wink he was after the rampant
steed. Captured and mounted, rode
1t lordily hither and yon. and when
at last he came back from the breath
less miles we had slipped down the
back way and at stairfoot waited.
Slowly. with dignity. he dismounted,
put his steed In stall, came back to
stair-head and, legs astride and head
thrown back. surveyed us from the
heights of remembered injury. Be
side him, perky. tongue lolling out
Nicodemus squatted.
Long legs gathered to his chin.
great-grand ranged himself on the top
step and twinkled.
Yes, sirs," quoth great-grand;
"shutted US all QUIT"
Our baby nodded confirmation and
Nicodemus yawned In our faces.
Men mys Nitodemus an mys dreat-
dran." he said. AN mys dreat-dran
is dot bone in his foot an l needed
to kiss mys muvver."
But for three long days the library
ddoor remained locked.
And regularly, after each mornings
breakfast, he mounted the stairs and
tried the knob and cogitated to Nico
demus, and poked broom straws under
the door.
Christmas eve we sat about a great
open fire. Great-grand loved to dig
and delve In the red-charred logs and
imprison the swarms of rosy bees
Fascinated, I would watch the swirl
ing upf1ed sparks, wondering what
phantasms of youth he saw all-beauti
full in them, what faces went past In
that rosy mirage that his own should
wear so tender an answering lool
, into eyes he alone was seeing Some
times our baby would come to stant
between his knees. head Leaned
.. against his shoulder. and from within
the encircling arms watch. Sometime:
he would straddle one old knee anC
snug his head under the down-leanint
old chin, gold hair and white hair com
mingled, and hand over the old hand
help the poker that prodded and pile,
the embers And the wide eyes seemed
to be seeing with the old mans vision
\ ing. so united he would sit
Christmas eve we sat about tn,
great open fireplace Great-grand sort
L cd M vilad cd no Loo.
Grandmother was watching. lost Il
idleness. Grand father had gone dow
cellar for apples and In my lap M
baby was telling me secrets. w
listened beyond the singngs OF tn
flames beyond the delicate SOFT sins
ing and the signing and the laughter
of them, the wind in the chimney
From the end of the new backlog tn
saps distilled all the summers rain
and dews and green growlngs In thei
whicker-whicker. We had hated t
shut out the skies. so dIvinely nea
| they closed in upon earth, with thei
| starry strands garlanding the rim {
! hills. Our baby had seen his first m,
| teor-a feathered trail of ethereal fir
| and a soundless splendor as the m,
teor burst and biggened into a glob
of slysian azure, and went out An
the black violet skies seemed yt
deeplier black with that blue glor
memoried against them, and the star
pallid and cold. And my baby VOL
dered II there might not be anothe
Christmas baby. In that blue glory H
wondered whether, If we'd go out "
might not find a few boys and cir
and babies that got left over. whe
| God forg0 who had asked to- hay
some left at their houses. He wishe
| he'd been there that night at the o
| ems inn. to see the little child. So
| he could have brought 1t home to b
'wn SETS house. He wanted a bat
. bad And even his sweets-freighte