Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1911-08-10
A Tooth For a
Tooth
BY CHARLES ALDEN SELTZER.
Copyright, 1910, the Pearson Publish
ing Company.

get it," she piped
Grandmother Pollard frowned. "Iit
tie girls should be seen and moi
heard,"
We'll, shouldn't be surprised u
MI. Barry said, IF We had another
snowstorm before we see summer"
"Gosh-all-fire-locks!"
This vulgarism burst from Valera
The bloodrot'll all be froze to death
| saw 'em peepin' out all white where
the snow'd melted to-day"
Grandmother Pollard rose rigidly.
Mr.. Barry's shoulders shook, but his
face seemed grave.
Valera, where-who uses such Ian.
guage?"
Leah Gardener, gran'mother." Va.
lora replied, "her papa says it, so she
does"
| Tell Mr.. Barry good night, chill.
dren." Grandmother Pollard led the
way from the room.
! He held out his hand as though
nothing had happened: Narcissa let
him see that she felt the disgrace, by
! her silent dropping retreat Valera
| hugglng the candy, huddled behind:
at the door she looked back to see
what he and Aunt Doddy might be
thinking OF her and saw their look.
! then she knew they were thinking of
! each other.
Grandmother Pollard said her bad
ness involved the whole family. even
Narcissa. who really behaved like
little lady. Narcissa got quietly into
hp6 and cold % IL
of candy she smuggled by way of de-
| serving comfort Also Valora's con-
duct would set Mr. Cal Barry wonder.
ing what kind Of person her Aunt
Doris must be.
And what do You s'pose he thinks
OF me?' Grandmother Pollard de-
manded.
Valera couldn't say and her dear
grandmother blew out the light and
silently left them. Presently Aunt
Doris began 10 play her guitar and Mr..
Barry to sing. He sang beautifully.
Way down upon the Suwanee
River" and 'Juanita." but Valera pre-
ferred Nellie Gray" "Oh. nv dar-
ling Nellie Gray. they have taken her
away he finally began They have
taken her to Georgia. there to wear
her life away, and III never see my
darling any more"
He must have been imagining that
ii was Aunt Doddy they had taken
away, his voice was so sorrowful Va
lora found her pillow wet with tears
when the song ended and turned II
over quickly in the dark Then the
singing stopped and she knew they
having ha
onade. Narcissa had fallen asleep
with a piece of candy in her mouth.
melting and choking her: Valera
nudged her sister and she swallowed
and turned over. Valera felt aw-
FULLY alone then completely
alone with her sins They were all
around her. She covered up her head
and thought She yearned to be for
given and said several prayers. Then
she remembered something from Sun
day school about sacrifices. She knew
splendid sacrifice loose front
tooth. Narcissa had long wished to
pull il Out-well, on the morrow she
should do so. 1t would hurt. though
Narcissa said it wouldn't; il iCdS a
sacrifice then, and all she got out OF
IL was the tooth 10 add 70 her treas |
NaS bpN" AANtl Nilio Slt len dSlttD.
1t was Uncle Cal laughing that |
awoke her. She thought it was morn |
ing. Then she saw the starry sky |
through the window and slim, new |
moon. Uncle Cal was on the door |
step beneath the window which was
open. Valera sprang out of bed and |
leaned out. She heard Aunt Doris |
there, too. telling something in a low |
voice. She waited. TO make her pres
ence known by a spopky imitation of |
an owl; but suddenly she caught Aunt |
Doris saying, about the children's
mamma"
Valera stretched out eagerly.
"She had been performing in a the
atrical company when she married the
childrens father. and when they were
younger then she-well," Aunt Doris
seemed to hate to go on-"she got rest
less; they say you never get over it,
you know" She spoke as of a sick
ness, "and she went away. back TO Il
again for few months and then one
day she came home quite unexpect-
edly"
We'll" Uncle Cal said after a mo-
ment. Just so she came home. back
to her husband and children"
She's very" Aunt Doris stopped.
I'VE love her. but it has made gossip
and the poor children hear II and don't
understand. We can't tell. them she's
been an actress. so long as she hasn't
told thems anyhow, they wouldn't III
derStdnd"
Valera strained her hands to her
mouth to keep from screaming out
how we'll she understood what an &C.
tress YVES. how they were little
Evas.' and little Eva's mothers" and
Elias" and "Topsysr How she had
seen three Uncle Toms Cabins: once.
before her mamma went away. and
twice she had taken her and Narcissa
since she came back. 10 matinees Oh.
how well she knew How much more
more and more. il possible. she loved
her mamma for being an actress
Why hadn't she told them? She knew.
then, that she should grow up TO be
one, too. even at the risk Of being
called renegade.
She looked at the moon and bowed /
seven times and wished - grow UP
just like her mamma who wasn't like
anybody else. She had heard her papa
COW rfton ,r.ar f,.I ,f |