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

CrocGwothcr said.
NlrciSSl S.ghCd.
".tS uu. 500 much fuu.'
'lt ai0t $50 rcal' Whispered Nu'ora.
Well ~ NoU can looN poor Betsy
Sr.th i0 the face after The way you've
broom playing her. their Sraudmothc
s. lu. why. IT'S time To- go across for
o.. milk The pairs i'm The pantry"
lookiuC Betsy Smith ina tho face
over thc evenings warm milk. was the
twins custom. and of too long stand
iug 90 bc dropped for this slight
/ breach of etiquette
And" Grandmother Pollard muir
mUriDg. looked douhtfully about her
at the wood as the children moved
away. 81 wish YOU'D play with your
dolls instead of chunks Of wood for
children: how DO ] know what / dare
burn up?"
Valera turned swiftly back to the
wooden chunk buried i'm the leaves.
Don't ever burn this one. Grand
mother dear" She raised IL for clos
inspection, see what "a lovely baby
IL makes. It's heavy enough to be
real. and these little knobs on each
side are like arms 0ui the holes are
eyes and this little knot is a mouth
oh. it's a lovely face. ] really have
I a feeling here she placed an eager
hand upon the pink-Nok,d little chest
/ "a strange feeling about this block
Of-WOOd baby. If il got burnt up"
No adequate words We're fOrthcOm-
I ing only little throaty gaspS
And Grandmother Pollard could not
speak either. There were things she
did not understand She watched the
child bury the block OF wood lovingly
in the leaves and vanish.
It's that Something" she murmur-
ed uncertainty, that's like her mother
and nobody understands" The old
lady gathered slowly an armful of the
wood. 1t seems to last So long late
~" she complained. and he won't
come till it's near gone. I've been
thinking Of the boy all day"
With her gray head thoughtfully
bent she entered the house.
After knocking three times at Betsy
Smiths door without getting an an
swer. the Pollard twins lifted the latch
gently. and, Valera first. slipped into
the kitchen. Betsy was not at the
carpet loom and the evenings milk
ing was done. for there were the
bright tins OF il in row waiting to
be put away.
Then, Betsy Smiths Querulous voice
was raised in the next room. And high
pitched above hers, the rich. young
Mrs. Spencer's. The door between the
rooms was ajaT. The twins stood.
waiting: they always waited when
Betsy was too busy to give them the
milk and she was. they knew. weaV-
/ ing some hcaNcnlN-COlOred rag rugs
/ for Mrs Spencer.
90. Through our apple orchard
/ into his mothers yard and cuts and
J piles that wood up for her"-NrS
Spencer'S words caught Nalora'S at
/ regularly once every month.
/ Why should ne sneak"
Betsy Smith interrupted; her words
We're always hurried and indiStinct he
cause of false teeth.
Ills wife's running away turned his
head ?" Mrs. Spencer laughed at
what old Betsy had said. He was
warned of her before ne married her:
what did he expect of a POOR little.
cheap. wandering thing. of a --"
cor a what ' Valera had not
caught it. Sho hold up a finger to
NarcisSa.
"Renegader' c:me from Mrs. Spen-
Ger. Whatever il was. they were call
| ing her mother that. too. Betsy Smith
began speaking. Valera strained to
hear.
wei ] s'pose if old Mis- Pollard
cam Sttrd t--Hlin' care of his twins
and keep their mothers picture ol.
the wall turned face out. we can: it's
a. Year now. too. since she went off
am There her picture hangs Samc'S r.
Sh" WAS respectable dead. Poor ole
Mis- Pollard. Not that she wants FOR
anything. He's always been a dootifu'
SON that way
"But his sncaking-"
4 piercing shrick rent the air. Va
loras outraged senses. her oVcrStrain-
cd nerves. had given way She drew
back and hurting her little milk pail
at the door of the adjoining room.
cried out.
Its "a big lie, AIy papa don't
sneak. lie don't S-Sn-t"
she turned and burst from the
kitchen. hands oustretched cropinglv
before her. silent. stunned To speech
leSsncSs. NarciSSa followed back across
the street and into the house to Grand
mother Pollard. Her arms. her dear.