Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-10-29

ginning Of suburban street. Paul
and Nell lived in the most delightful
city suburb all the year around, and
| during the summer had found much
pleasure in sliding down the above
mentioned embankment, sitting on
smooth little boards which the good
old gardner had prepared for them
Indeed, it was the old gardner who
had first Initiated them into the sport
of sliding" He had told them in
! his simple way: When I was a
youngster, my little friends, I didn't
have such playthings as you young
sters of today have. Climbing, swim.
ming and sliding were my sports. An
think I liked the sliding best OF all,
for that could be had both winter and
summer. You see, In the winter we
slid down the hill on the snow, in the
summer we slid down il on the dirt.
Hee, hee, but it was fun, sliding was.
And so Nell and Paul had begged
the old man to explain the game OF
sliding to them, which he did most
gladly: and he went even farther, Tor
he prepared two nice little boards for
them to use as "sliders." Now, the
sliders were to be sat upon and would
..scoot" down the smooth surface Of
the embankment, which was OF Just
the right incline for the sport, and
stop near to the end Of the little
street. Just on the incest level place.
Then Nell and Paul would jump OF the
."sliders' and walk up little path
OF steps (dpg into the bank) close oe-
side the sliding place. And IN their
arms. they would carry the "sliders,
for the old gardner had thoughtfully
made them of very light wood.
And 40 Nell and Paul had played
much of the time during the summer,
and come to feel that they owned the
little sliding place. And now, away lnto
October, they spent many Saturday
mornings at their pleasure ground.
sliding with the same Joy that nad
marked their first experience on rne
embankment.
aAll right, sister," said Paul on the
morning or which write. "I'll run. get
the sliders and we'll go and have lots
az fun till mamma calls us to luncn-
con" Sc he soon reappeared with
the two .'sliders'' under his arm and
together the two little ones ran Oh
toward their sliding place.
When they reached the bank, how
ever, they stood open-mouthed ara
w;deeyed. There they beheld three
little children sliding down their SID.
ing place. Nell looked at Paul: Paul
looked at Nell. Then the former
smoke. GLOW dare those kids to come
to our play placer"
And the latter replied: Eyes, how
dare they? Let's go and drive EN-
away
sotogether Paul and Nell advanced IN
a very threatening way toward the IN
trrders. The three little cnlldren pe,
longed to the town and Nell ana Paul
remembered having seen them coming
and going from school. They lived III !
little wood cottage down the roau
apiece, in the poorest quarters OF tne
suburb Paul had heard somehow InaI
the children's father worked on the
railroad in some capacity and that
their mother did plain sewing Tor peo-
nle And to think that these children
Of the poor should dare to intrude
their presence on himself and his SIS
ter was quite enough to put Paul IN
How dare you come to our play
r,ace9" cried Paul, addressing the
three little strangers. This sliding
Mace belongs to me an sister. An
you'd best go away quick. too"
The three children, who were using
plain old bits Of rough boards Tor
aslid ers," stopped in their sport and
looked q bit abashed toward Paul. Tnen
the little boy, who was the Oldest OF
the three. spoke In very gentle tones,
apologetically:
eve didn't know that you owned
this Mace" he said. cts down here
Nv The road and amt near to your
house. You live In the fine big mousse
atop the hill, don't you?"
"Yes, we live up yonder," repiiea
Paul, jerking his curly head IN the u
rection OF his own house. But THIS
place is ours. An you've no right here,
you haven't"
.'But we didn't know you were conf
ing here today" spoke one OF the little
girls. a sweet-faced fairy with great
omen blue eyes. She stood on the steep
hillside holding her little rough
Slider gathered close in her arms
Her tiny bit Of sister, about four
wears Of age, stood clinging to her
frock for protection from the angry
boy who was looking down from the
ton of the bank On them.
"Ain't there room enough for all OF
us to slide together" asked the boy.
"You see, when you and your sister
are going up the bank we can be
sliding down. Then we can all have
fun together"
Paul and Nell were quite dumfound-
ed to think that the poor boy-1rom
down in the common" quarter OF the
town-should dare to presume TO play
with them and to insist on sharing the