Arizona republican., 1911-08-12
A Tooth !. For a
Tooth
BY CHARLES ALDEN SELTZER.
Copyright, 1910, the Pearson Publish
ing Company.

kids scrapping?" he laughed. Mine.
you know, not having any mother and
all. is a terror. a chip of the old block,
I'm 'fraid." He laughed again But
| don't allow any impoliteness IL |
knol1 it. She just happened to put it
to me about my having a mortgage on
your place. That's how / got at all
this. She just imagined that, Doddy,
hearing me talk bout other mort
cages. She never knew, or anybody
else, ever had anything on you
folks"
81 thought that was about the way
of it," Aunt Doris said pleasantly.
I'VE was always friendly about the
old mortgage, wasn't We, Doddy?" he
laughed again.
"A big old bill for a little school
ma'am to help pull against. But she
didn't hare to, did she?" he said.
We'll. it's all over" Aunt Doris
said. Il never think of it."
81 do! I'll always feel Just the same
to you as | told you | felt then"
| George Gardener did not laugh this
time. "Always-if you change your
mind"
Aunt Doris turned away toward the
house, laughing. That's not likely"
"Sayl" George Gardener shouted
Bring the twins and come for a little
ride. It's the last Wen get this win
ter. Wen go over and get Leah
come on, just to show there's no hard
| feeling!"
Pleading twin-shrieks came down on
the frosty air.
ooh. Aunt Doddy. let's; please,
! please let'si"
Aunt Doris and George Gardener
looked up and laughed. Aunt Doris
stood thinking a moment, then a look
| came over her face that told how in
her happiness she wanted to forgive
everybody, everything, and to include
the world in her Joy.
We'll, hurry" she said to the twins,
land I'll so in and slip on my tobog-
| gan cap"
The twins and Leah Gardener got
more friendly than they had ever been
| during that ride, and swoTe never to
| quarrel again.
Anyhow. I've heard my papa say
| your Aunt Doris is the prettiest girl
in town, and dang the lucky dog that
| gets her, for he can't" said Leah. ex-
actly as George Gardener must have
said it.
HE must mean Uncle CAL" Mar
cissa whispered.
He does" Leah giggled.
The twins wondered If Aunt Doris
knew George Gardener talked that
way of Uncle Cal Barry-it seemed
certain that she'd never have come
for the ride and taken the front seat
beside him. The children were put
down at church and George Gardener
took Aunt Doris home. The Pollards'
house was not far from the church.
George Gardener took a roundabout
way there, driving through Main
Street He flourished his whip and
the sorrel span danced, and all the
young men standing about dressed up
for Sunday noticed him and the lady
with him.
The twins Aunt Doris, watching the
horses, looked neither to the right nor
left. Mr.. Calvin Barry, who stood
upon the corner with another man,
gazed at her in vain. A little later
George Gardener came spanking
through Main Street alone. The man
with Uncle Cal Barry hailed him. He
pulled up at once, laughing jovially
until he noticed the young man who
was going to be the Pollard twins
Uncle Cal Then the laugh changed
to speer.
See Doddy Pollard takin' little
ride with me?" he threw out.
The man with Uncle Cal started to
speak about the right foot of one of
the span.
"Doddy likes things nice, she's crazy
about the new house I'm building. I
Just had her to see It," George Gar
dener said, looking toward Mr.. Cal
Barry.
Mr.. Barry had gone very white.
81 told her it's a woman's privi-
lege to change her mind" George Gar
dener said. 1--WE watched her grow
up: she amt the kind to be contented
with a poor man, and / think she's
got sense enough TO see it-before it's
too latei"
The man did not answer, he was
looking at the horses and there was
nothing left but for George Gardener
to drive on.
"S'long." he said, and the span
frisked away.
The twins Uncle Cal drifted away
from the man he had been talking to,
without a word. He staggered, but
his head was very high. his lips set
hard. That afternoon they waited and
waited for him to call at the Pollards'.
The day faded to twilight and Aunt
Doddy's cheeks paled a little too.
Then evening came; they had supper
and after that Aunt Doris tried to play
her guitar. but she often twanged the
wrong string and finally gave 1t up
and they were sent to bed. Grand
mother Pollard took the lighs away as
though to punish the twins because
Uncle Cal had not come.
You don't s'pose it's my using that
awful curse word last night, do you,
Ncissa?" Valera broke out. ~
NO" Narcissa answered. uncertain
ly.
The next night, and the next he did |
not come. or the next after that, and
time went on to the next Sunday. The |
snow was nearly all gone. and there
had been two robins round the Pol
lards' wood-pile. Just a.. church time !
who should drive up with a new two
seated wagon. with glistening red |
wheels. but George Gardener 3