The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-02-03
The Boy Who Slept on an ironing
board.
BY Kate hudson.

lie WAS n yeiON -HaIFtd, Ito-tsicthtu
lad named Benno: but, although he
Was efteH at their house, doing his
homework at the same time with
them at their play-roofn table or JOY
fully disporting In their backyard. 1t
was not until the Bannister boys had
spent that long forenoon at Benno's
own home that they felt really well
acquainted with him.
You just ought to see him hold
wool for his mother said Tom- telling
the family all about 1T. She knits
sweaters and mittens and caps and
things.--lots and lots of them"
Yes, and ne carries home the
clocks his father repairs" added
Frank. and helps mend EN- We saw
'em putting new cuckoo into dandy
one, and they've another clock that
plays Ny Country. 'tis OF tnee.' only
they call IT hi dear sonthIag or
other
And he gets breakfast every morn
ing fer his big brother. pours the cof-
Tee and buffers his rolls for him
cause he has 10 go to work before
six o'clock every morning. His name
is Franz, and ne and Benno sleeo to-
gether, and Benno sleeps on an IRON
ing heard cried Gerry.
Whereuron the foar gfris--fer Let
tice and Flora were spending the
! weekend with Nan and Nellie--set up
shrill shout. and even mother was
| moved to mildly denaur. My dear.
thinks you must be mistaken; for how
could a big boy like Benne even find
room :.
"oh, but he really does, mother.
insisted Gerry while Tom explained
that ths long wide, old -fash'"ned ircn-
| ing board vas somehow fastened In
hetween the wall andn the narrow
single he'd so as 10 make the latter
wide enough ito hold two goodsiZed
hoys. He doesn't mind. concluded
Tenn. ..he thinks it's great fun. He
| saws. 4 sleep upon Ii just like rat
mouse .
At.H+.ss-t the general laugh caused ny
this statement Lettuce was heard TO
remark that Benno must be an aw-
fully sturid hoy.
"stuniav. cried Frank. why. he's
| the brightest bay In class and the best.
always there. always ON time. al
! ways prepared"
sYes. but who ever heard OF rat
| r,ousc." continued I4ettice. "he must
be awfnlly silly to use such LANGUAGE.
ca for a little over a year; and that
makes his English bit funny, some
tines retoried Tom. "hut his lar
suage is all right. You never eaten
him saying Gee "uittahSA. ~ A0-s
Cat gssre %.snx a,.ah az The worst t
10 ever says il Manu- why. NE
won't let me say even shucks.
"And he's great on grammar.
added Nan. land gives us all points
in roots and derivatinns. He writes
! the best hand In Number Tnree
school and can explain examples so
even poor me cnn understand them
and no one knows how hard arith-
metic comes to me!--and he's always
| ready to do II. too. when he's here
doing his homework with our boys
/ ...fsnpstnesss'.'s sxsiassssAd Flora WITH
Tie mink nose, do you have h1m here
| Ia do his homework :"
| ..Whenever he hasn't got his Ger.
man lesson" nodded Gerry. And
| most every Saturday he comes over
and Mays In our yard"
,.sGracious," Uttered Lettice, Il
shouldn't think~a boy who talks
| about rattmouSes' would know
enough 10 plays shouldn't care to
play with him. for one"
| sYou would II you knew how
many splendid .ame: he knows.
shouted Frank And he can make
II perfectly new plays every time
| NJ comes over--hotel and robbers.
and Arabs in the desert. and such
lthIngs-and he can huiid steann-cass
and menageries and airships and
men -o'-war with the play-room fur
niture and baseball bats and hockey
sticks. I just guese he does KNOW
| how to playT
I And sometimes he'll even coax
the boyst 70 play with US" laughed
Nan, .sat housekeeping and store"
y. And he always aoxn spf course We
want dat iidtie ono to play init W:
Come one NelliA-chtns" concluded
! Nellie. land mother Hikes him. too.
don't you. mother r.
ssindsed / do" cid mother. heart
/ iiy. II an glad ~ hare him work
ana play with yoA cAll1ren. hes %
CHEEKY. and uprtsAt anA mandy and
polite. But don't liko to think Of
| Nh being Obliged g. slesD On an iron.
linz hoard"
s,Nsii.'' rita f1thsE iaying down
kths newspaper frosns l3oh1nd which ~
had b4en tiatenlnx ~ the cunion.
| III does Mt nb4m m AAF4 hurt him
Inny. 16sets - MAtt II hAye
\ Ihtxht ssll 81! M =! o1 6s,gf
I@lsI 4 IN. n n J! =. Il Il