Arizona republican., 1911-08-08
A Tooth For a
Tooth
BY CHARLES ALDEN SELTZER.
ing Company.

Its too sweet. isn't TT" Valera
| Pollard said, pausing where she
swung perched upon the gate.
tits good deal like the rich Spenc
ers', only Of course, theirs is blue and
red instead of just red," said Leah
Gardener. perching upon the other
side OF the gate.
They swung to and fro for some
time, gazing at the house.
Il had little pony, he was dapple
gray" Valera sang, IL lent him to a
lady to ride a mile away. She
whipped him, she slashed him, she
rode him through the mire-"
Some says your gran'mother Pol
lard Is havin' the addition built to
keep your mamma to home, so she
won't run away any more!" Leah
Gardener broke In.
The gate came to with bang and
Valera leaped sideways over a little
puddle Of melting snow into the yard.
But my papa says" drawled Leah,
oblivious of danger, that your Aunt
Doris is. doing it with her school
teaching money because she's going to
marry Cal. Barry from South Charlotte
and live here"
"You get of my gate!" shrilled Va
lora Pollard
"Shan'tI" the gossip defied.
whats the matter, Valera" Va
lora's twin sister Narcissa came
bursting from the house.
Leah Gardener says my mammals
a renegade!" Valera answered.
did mott" retorted the wrongfully
accused.
"You nights we'll Of" Valera said.
Everybody does say so, and you
meant 1t, and you lie-they all lie!"
You lie yourself" said Leah Gar
picket, but quickly recapturing 1t.
Get off our gate" insisted Valera
siding toward her sister.
Leah Gardener drew one foot from
between the painful pressure of the
pickets, thoughtfully.
MY father owns this gate ard |
don't have to get off it. He's got a
mortgage on it. He's got mortgage
on most every house in this town."
She VIGOROUSLY extended her tongue
to its utmost capacity.
Narcissa Pollard glared back, her
soft blue eyes crossed hideously in
ward, while without warning, her Sis
ter leaped upon the gate and sent that
which offended her, with a singing
slap in the face, backward to the
ground.
The Pollard twins pretty Aunt
Doris was in the kitchen ironing her
pink chambray dress when she heard
Leah Gardeners screams. She put
her iron upon the stove and hurried
to the door, dabbing her flushed face
with her apron.
What is the matter?" she asked
severely.
A school teacher has to use that
voice of severity. but all those who
knew the Pollard twins Aunt Doris
loved her and saw through her voice.
Leah Gardener sat up and yelled
through the gate pickets.
why. Leah, What is the natter"
"Valora slapped me; wait till tell
father" Miss Gardener answered.
"She provoked Valera. Aunt Doddy,"
Narcissa said. she says her father
has a mortgage on our gate"
NO" A dimple conferred right In
the pink of Aunt Doddy's soft young
cheek. This gate Leah's father
hasn't any mortgage on"
Leah got up slowly.
Come in the yard, Leah" Aunt
Doris said.
She came out Of the house and took
Valora's hand.
Tell Leah you're sorry. DEAR" she
said. at isn't nice to slap anybody"
Leah looked sullenly over the gate,
but remained without.
81 amt sorry" Valera said.
Aunt Doris looked at her wonder
ingly and drew Valera to her and did
not laugh, Pooh, tempest in a tea
pot" the way she nearly always did at
Valora's tantrums.
There's q misunderstanding" she
said, land we must clear 1t up"
Leah edged away up the street.
81 haven't said any Of the things
Valera will tell you | have said" she
called out with grammatical precision
and went virtuously on, swinging her
head to make her long brown hair
sway and ripple in the sunlight the
way naturally curly hair that you
don't braid does.
II must have caught Aunt Doris's
eye for she said, Its Saturday. and
would you both like your hair I'M
plated and tied with ribbon for the
afternoon, and can you keep clean
.pinafores fresh, for Mr.. Calvin Barry
is coming this EVENING""
The twins bounded up and down
and began asking about Mr.. Calvin
Barry until Aunt Doris's pink cheeks
were as flushed as the June roses that
would bloom on the red-rose-bush,
now hidden under the melting snow.
She gave them each cooky while she
finished her pink chambray to wear
that evening. II was Easter vacation
now, but every Friday night Aunt
Doris was brought home from where
she taught her country school and
stayed until Sunday night, when she
went back, so that on Saturdays she
ironed her pretty dresses and waists
against company Saturday evenings.
Lately 1t was always Mr.. Calvin
Barry.
What was it that Leah did," Aunt
Doris asked, indifferently.
To get to the bottom of things she
believed in banishing spitefrl anger.
and revenge. first. Sometimes a cooky
did 1t or re-arranging the hair. there
were many ways.
Valera thought moment.
"She said she'd heard gran-mother
is having the addition built to keep
our mamma from running away
again. She just the same's called her
a renegade. like the rich young Mrs.