The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-05-18

dollars ana put ono down before each
OF them and turned away
There was Somethirs. ne told his
mother. m las rooms upstairs that he
W3ntco' and me left che kitchen. II
was Whcn NarciSSo rose from the
table and was placing her chair back
AGAINST the "1i. that She pcckcd past
her grandmother into the little parlor
and saw before she could bc d~mIv
drawn back. her papa. standing be
torc her mammals picture. There was
positive Warring i'm her grandmother y
eyes. as at the tight clutch OF hcr arm.
Narcissa looked into them.
Then She knew why tho picture
hung there. not turned To tho wall.
ana she whispered IL that night when
they were I'm bed To Valera. Because
papa loves it-likc he loves mamma. q"
And Valera understood.
The only way We can get even with
Betsy smith, said Valera the next day
in the leaf-carpeted playhouse, lis to
play her"
I'm be Smith" agreed Narcissa.
only if / get drunk and beat YOU. you
mustn cry too real; you always spoil
I'm going to play her lovely
Valera was hugging the block of wood.
OF course Betsy hasn't any children
but l. couldn't play amy lady without
a child"
Just play Betsy has" 1t was
simple to NarciSsa and while Valera
could play animal or tag or anything
Of the kind like others did. she could
not play childlesS, human grown-up.
1 m off to my shOeshop." NarcsSa
took up her crooked stick and hobblcd
away.
And Valora's fancy. quite out of
Keeping with the Betsy Smiths cir
cumStanccs. clothed the blOck-of-wood
child i'm Cmbroidcrics and lace. frillS
upon frins of it. bows of shell-pink.
booties OF il in leather and socks to
match. And il was such a beautiful
baby. too. With curlS and blue eyes.
And how il could cry and had 10 be
walked with, up and down on the rust
ing leaf carpet and held tight the
way Valera herself sometimes needed
To he held. And then she placed it
gently in the cradle of leaves They
made covering like Grandmother
Pollard'S best pieCed silk quilt and she
tiptoed away.
Along hobbled Narcissa as the
drunkard smith
I'm very much intoxicated" she
announced NiciouSly.
But I'm out TO the store" called
Valera. YOU never stay away long
enough"
play I get home while you're out"
cried Narcissa. brimful of good ideas
get home and-beat the baby
She pOUnced instantly upon the
meath the leaves and landed a blow.
y shrek. and ON the wind, tow-hair
flying, Valera curved round the wood
pile. She tugged for her cherished
wooden possession. Narcissa, rdrunk.
too, with the fcrVOr OF truly inner
Sonating her character, held on strik-
ing again until over her little hands
irenzied with maternal instinct, bent
Valera. and bit--hit her sister.
Narcissa, now herself. drew bacl
II 1fr,.- -,
hanu. and between them fen the
shadow of Grandmother Pollard.
Iieatheni' she called Valera.
you're just "A Chinese heather, wor-
Shipping wooden idol"
She caught mp the wooden idol and
erect and stern rccntored the house.
Grandmother. don't. don't burn il
please don t. IL was \arCissa
pleading, IS she ran in pursuit she
didn't bite me hard"
But the blOck-O wood child was al
ready in the midst of leaping flames
as Grandmother Pollard replaced the
stove lids. In the doorway behind
Narcissa huddled Valera, her ewes
darkened i'm horror Of the spectacle.
III die now she said. Il don't
want to live"
play is play" said her grand
mother. but it isn't play when it's
carried too far. Go TO your room.
Valera. and stay until YOU mako M
Your mind that YOU don't want TO die"
Valera dragged her frail body
tremblinglN away, while GRANDMOTHER
Pollard inspected the hand she had
bitten.
1T didn't so deep. dear grandma"
urged Narcissa. "Nalora didn't mean
IT,"
\arCisSa WIS drawn close to the
dear. soft. tightly buttoned breast that
more often received her sister. She
could feel the heart beating. beating
beneath her ear. and vaguely sensed