The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1911-04-28

placed It gently in the cradle Of leaves.
They made covering like Grandmother
Polard's best pieced silk quilt and she tip
toed away. @a
Along hobbled Narcissa as the drunkard
Smith. .-s~a@asy yasss sesstsass n
; I'm very much intozicated,7 she an
noupced viciously. s-S~srss 10
But I'm out to the store, called Valera,
younever stay away long enough
Z Play | get holpe while you're OUT
cried Narcissa, bngnful of good ideas,
''get home and-bes.t the baby"
She pounced instantly upon the block-of-
wood child, drew it lrom beneath the leaves
and landed blow. 4 shrek, and on the
wind, tow-hair flying, Yalora curved round
the wood-pile. She tugged for her cher
ished wooden possession. Narcissa, drunk
too, with the fervor Of truly impersonating
her character held on, striking again until
over her little hands, frenied with maternal
instinct, bent Valora, and bit -bH her sister.
Narcissa, now herself, drew back, silent,
scared, holding up the attackedlhand, and
between them fell the shadow Of Grand
mother Pollard.
Heathenp she called Valora, "you're
Just a Chinese heather, worshipping
wooden idol" -
She caught up the wooden idol and erect
and stern reentered the house.
Grandmother, don't, don't burn it.
please DON'T" 1t was Narcissa pleading, as
She ran in pursuit. She didn't bite me
hard
But the block-of-wood child was already
in the midst Of leaping flames as Grand
mother Pollard replaced the stove lids.
In the doorway behind Narcissa huddlrl
Nalora, her eyes darkened in horror Of the
spectacle
"I'Ildie now" she said. 1"I don't want to
live" o.
PLAY Is play" said her grandmother,
but it isn't play when it's carried too far.
Go to your room, Valora, and stay until
you make up your mind that you don't
want to die. /"
Nalora dragged her frail body tremblingly
away while Grandmother Pollard inspected
the hand she had bitten.
It didn't 90 deep, dear Grandma, p
urged Narcissa. "Nalora didn't t mean II. " 4
Narcissa was 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 a struggle going on
there, beneath the row Of fiat pearl buttons
pressed to her cheek.
i spose she can't help it," her grand
mother said shakily Go tell your sister,
once and for all, therel be no more wooden
images. II She understands that She IS to
come out to supper. There's molasscs
cake. After supper wen start sewing the
carpet rags for the new rug"
Narcissa went II was not at once that
she came back, leading Valora, calm, but
plainly touched by a real grief.
don't want to die or be a Chinese
heathen,' Her eyes with the stormy shad-
ows underneath, looked out leahully
Grandmother Pollard arms opened and
received her
Once year the Pollards had new rag
rug, woven by Betsy Smith. Joining the
many colored rags, torn into strips, was
begun in the autumn, and Just before
Christmas came the bright fluffy strings oi
them were taken across the street 10 Betsy.
BY Christmas Eve the rug would be ready
Placing it was an event, but Of almost equal
Importance was the autumn night the sew-
Ing oi the rags began.
70 their seats each side OF the rag basket,
hurried the twins, tbimbes and needles
ready. Grandmother Pollard adjusted the
lamp and joined them. Little hands few
needles flashed in and out, gathering, gath
ering gaick chattcring tongues recalled the
pristine beauty Of little frocks and 81 grand
mothers ginghams q which there nov rc-
mained but the rags going 10 make the rug
VaIora, spoke Grandmother Pollard
IN silent moment, what you making that
whole stripe black for what you thinking
of2H
Its a mourning stripe for my burnt
child, returned tai0ra.
The Old lady's hands dropped, working
helPlessly in her lap.
Put the rags away" she commanded
finally. Put down your needles, children,
till Valore comes q herself
Oh, Nalora with a food 81 tears
came Nafcissa S rcproach, it's neaa to
spoil everything over an Old block Of wood.
You you are a heathen
HI her Tap her Little fingers franticaily
entangled in the string 81 black, Valora
looked with wiliul eyes and grieyed mouth
at the fire, sitting silent
Come z Grandmother Pollard took up
their little lamp Come 10 bed. aSS& :.
The sobbing Nareissa was fed away Va
lora Slid from her chair, holding up the
string 81 black
didn't start 0at 10 do il. she said
aloua, an wonder what made rye. It'd
spoil the rug too Oh. dear
She threw down the evidence 81 her grief