The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1912-01-25
earnmg

tauu MIG OO0Su I KNOW HOW 10 pay
with children OF her own age. A more
angelic child never breathed and Dick
is eager to see what a bit Of well d.,
rected spice will do for her. He al
ways has felt that she should have
been born a boy, you know. So come
soon
1t was with timid obedience to her
parents urgent directions that. Dor
othy, aged four, went forward two,
weeks later and gravely gave her Cous;
PIN Harold a welcoming kiss. saying I'M
slow and awestruck tones: You can,
play with my toys and the attic Is all;
ready"
Well. come on" shouted Harold
Then, pulling her ruthlessly by the!
hand, he started up the broad stair
way for the stories above.
The dears!" chimed the mothers In.
unison. Then the two settled down
to discuss the various merits of their
offspring. wondering how soon they
might be called upon to explain to
Dorothy just what 1t was that Har-;
old meant by his boyish actions.
-
But there was no sudden summons
to the attic. Two hours later they.
crept upstairs to call the children to-.
luncheon and to note Dorothy's prog
ress.
Harold was directing operations with
the air of a general. Dorothy sat near
by. her angelic eyes blazing with ex-:
element, shearing wildly her best
dolls hair. About her lay several
dolls of various sizes, mercilessly bar
bered, and on the floor were strewn
the curls that had once graced the
bisque heads.
1t was not this sight that made her.
mother start forward with a cry of,
terror and catch up her child in a fe-I
yer of amazement. Dorothy's curlsI
a evidently been the first to fall.
They lay intermingled with the,
tangled floss upon the floor.
Hes been teaching me to play,
mother" cried Dorothy as she strug-
gsed free. We're BARRIERS, and heI
cut off my hair like his and we've cut|
the dolls hair. too, when they had
any"
During luncheon both children were.
grave!y admonished and though rest
less to a marked degree they promised
soiemnly not to use the scissors and
not to throw anything-Harold having.
suggested an imitation of an apart.
ment building fire that he had wit.
messed where all the furniture had
been thrown from the upper floors.
Further, they promised moi to pound
anything. and not to paint ANYTHING
but their own paint books.
Then with a sigh from Dorothy's
mother and a tender smooth to Dor.
othys shorn head, the children were
allowed to seek their own amuse-
ment once more.
Harold doesn't mean to be destruc.
i've his mother said sadly. but a bit
proudly as we'll. And he does obey.
We can trust them now that they have
our restrictions to go by. 1t is his
inventive genius for something new
TO do. He never played barber he
fore In his life. 1t must have been
because his father had his hair
trimmed while ] was buying my new
ma yesterday--a perfect dream, Ma,
flon! A most extravagant willow
plume and a few gold rose buds"
But such an investment. dear!!" an.
Fwered her sister. Mime. Renova has
used my white plume. dyed green. on
Il high small toque."
With that the subject of fashions
was launched for the afternoon. !
Some hours later. because of tho,
sllence in the attic. they went in
search of the cherubs. They were NOT
In the attic. nor in the nursery nor
yet in mothers room. But there thew
found evidences of pilfering that sent
terror to the mothers hearts and set
them to calling loudly for their dar-
llngs. Dorothy had rifled her mothers
hat box. The tissue paper coverings
n the box lid were strewn about
but the hat was gone. y
From the guest room the cherubsi
answered eagerly and i%nnocently.
We're playing milliner's shop."l
called Dorothy's high treble, an eerie
CLEAN IN her usually soft eyes. "Har.
old knows such lots of plays and I'm.
learning like you said to- And we're
going to stuff some dolls pillows with
these"
On the bed lay the two hats. shorn;
OF all that had made them models Of
the seasons most perfect designs. Tn.
right on each stood a single wiry stick
from which all the abers OF a once
lovely plume had been stripped, On
the white counterpart lay a heaped
up mass of green and rose. !
IT'S some like excelsior, only soft.
er," shouted Harold. and In pillows
It will be fne."
Then. seeing the tragedy that lay in.
bis mothers eyes, he scrambled to her
side. saying eagerly: we didn't cut
pr throw or pound or paint, mother"
The rest was drowned in the slam.
ming door on the retiring figures OF
Dorothy and Dorothy's mother.
Simple Enough.