The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-01-01
one side OF Aunt Doris's red mouth

they would call me renegade
Aunt Doris glanced at the twins and
had placed a finger upon her lips Just
as Grandmother Pollard came in at
the back door.
where's your mamma?" she asked
of Narcissa.
Papa came and took her in buggy
over the mill They're going to
have sugar-pull and stay all night
at papa's bosss house." Narcissa
dropped into chair. winding one
slim leg round the other.
sT've been acrost to Mis- Crosier's to
see about the rug. It's nearly done"
grandmother said. Mary Crosier
thinks it's the prettiest she's woye
since young Mis- Spencer was mar
ried, and that was too bright
The twins clapped hands and
jumped up and down. Through the
winter evenings they had helped sew
the rags that pieces saved from each
new dress in the family, made, for the
rag-rug. Every spring the Pollards
had a new one. And from the time
the brightly colored balls we're wound
until they came out of Mary Crosier's
4 IL. 4
| one in culver of anticipation.
will it be done by time the addi-
tion ISL" they asked.
/ Grandmother Pollard nodded, her
4 eyes cleaned a streak Of blue between
the rims of her very black lashes.
4 The black lashes were SO beautiful
with her snow-white hair.
'I'll stir up u few drop-cakes long
as you've got good fire. she said to
Aunt Doris, "and you can have them
with lemonade for your company to-
night"
| Aren't you too tired?" Aunt Doris
said, but her mother only hurried
away to take of her shawl.
The pink chambray was finished
and Aunt Doris beckoned the twins
into the little Mushroom and began
upon Valora's hair.
ut doesn't matter, dear" she said
what anybody says about your
mamma, whether she ran away or
walked away: anyhow she came back,
and that is all you care about, isn't
it?"
Valera nodded violently.
"You aren't either of you old enough
to understand but some day you will
be and that is more than the neigh
bors round here ever can Aunt Doris
went on Zone day your mamma got
funny notion she could live without
your papa and her little girls, so she
went away and tried She found out
that she couldn't, very soon, and then
she came back"
Il remember the day." Valera
cried
The same day she came back
chimed Narcissa. jumping into the
place Of Valera. whose hair hung in
short, flaxen mop from huge pink
bow
so feel kindly towards people who
use words incorrectly" Aunt Doris
went on. "and who speak of others I'm
justly, think to yourselves-they
don't understand Leah, you see, only
repeated what she'd heard, pool
child
.She didn't really say renegade
Valera admitted
She said her father owned our gate
though" breathed Narcissa
He owns good many people
gates, but not ours" Aunt Doris said
and added very low. ANY more"
|
walked up Main Street in a new, ligh
spring suit and overcoat He hur
ried along eagerly. the young ladie
bowed who knew him. and those VIII
did not dropped their eyes to hi
pointed tan toes as he passed then
The young men, anybody could SEE
wondered why he did not stay In hi
own town or choose some other tina
theirs TO start in business. He turne
east toward the street the Polar
twins lived in.
The Pollard twins-it was quite a
odd thing how subordinate everybod
was TO them. Their dear grandmotl
er, living years and years before the
were born, since then was nearly a
ways spoken OF as the Pollard twin
grandmother. Young Mr.. Dan Pc
lard was known as the father of til
Pollard twins, instead of as the for
man of Murphy's Mill, as Mrs Da
Pollard was known as their youn
mamma, instead of just as her prett
self. and the teacher of great bi
country school was just the Polar
twins aunt, Doris Pollard, and nov
wise ones were saying she will MARI
Cal Barry and make him the Polar
twins uncle
He arrived and rang the front doc
bell. and while the twins scramble
over opening the door, Mr. Barr
gazed at the addition Narcissa i
him in, he seized twin under eat
arm, whirled completely round viii
them and as he set them down he bel
and whispered:
Call me Uncle Cal and see VIII
you get!'
. Uncle Cal. Uncle Cal. Uncle Cal
| they shrilled, jumping round him.
He drew a big paper bag from h
pocket, filed with every kind
candy, just as Aunt Doris came
smiling. She stopped in the cent
of the room as shy little girls do.
Why, Call she giggled. aren't "
the great one to teach them that?"
Grandmother Pollard came in in h
| black alpaca with her human ha
! chain, and Mr.. Barry hurried TO sha
her hand and seat her, with fot
stool.
, New moon tonight" she said 7
litely. Children, sit down and t
3 to act nice"
She frowned at Narcissa, who W
! supposed to behave as an example I
t her more Eighty sister. 1t was ts
e still Narcissa had gained distinct
/ for DrODriety She sat down q