Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1910-12-17

cent of the stairs to
button in button that
would not stay buttoned. It required
much time and he sat down on the
step and with all his ten fat, wee fin
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.
is 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 astrde 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 greatgrand;
"shutted us all QUIT"
Our baby nodded confirmation and
Nicodemus yawned in our faces.
Men mys Nitodemus an mys dreat-
dram" he said. IAN mys dreat-dran
is dot bone in his foot an 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, would watch the swirl
ing upfled 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 look
into eyes he alone was seeing. Some
times our baby would come to stand
between his knees. head leaned
against his shoulder. and from within
the encircling arms watch Sometimes
he would straddle one old knee and
snug his head under the downleaning
old chin, gold hair and white hair com
mingled, and hand over the old hand.
help the poker that prodded and piled
the embers And the wide eyes seemed
to be seeing with the old mans vision
ing go united he would sit.
Christmas eve we sat about the
great open fireplace. Great-grand sort.
ed and piled his red-charred logs.
Grandmother was watching. lost in
idleness. Grand father had gone down
cellar for apples and In my lap my
baby was telling me secrets. We
listened beyond the singings of the
flames; beyond the delicat~ soft sing.
ing and the signing and the daughters
of them. the wind in the chimney
From the end OF the new backlog the
saps distilled. all the summers rains |
and dews and green growings In their |
Wicker We had hated to
shut out the skies. so divinely near
they closed in upon earth, with their
starry strands garlanding the rim of
hills. Our baby had seen his first me-
teor-a feathered trail of ethereal fire
and soundless splendor as the me.
teor burst and biggened into a globe
OF slysian azure, and went out. And |
the black violet skies seemed vet
deeplier black with that blue glory
memoried against them. and the stars
pallid and cold. And my baby won.
dered If there might not be another
Christmas baby, In that blue glory. He
whether, II we'd go out, we
might not find few boys and girls
and babies that got left over when
ub boI