The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-01-01

Suddenly Aunt Doris laughed out;
II do. do, do!
SAY it right outln demanded led Uncle
4 do love you, CAL Aunt Doris
said.
"That's all ask!'' he said steadily.
aJf I'm moor now I'll make good ara
get rich. with you to love me and you
to love-"
Valera saw Aunt Doddy's pink
chambray form drawn close to the
shadow Of Uncle Cal.
She scrambled back to bed happily.
The next morning sleigh-bells were
jingling merrily.
"It's enough to make anybody say
so-what Leah Gardeners father
saws" Valera cried out brazenly, I'm
sick of snow! Poor little bloodroots!
She did not feel SO cowed in the
morning light. Narcissa got out OF
bed quietly; her mien was at once
| reproach and reminder of last night.
Valera yearned to tell her the beauti-
full truth about their mamma-but It
would involve her as an eavesdropper
! and, in Narcissa's present mood, with
unpleasant consequences.
Are you mad at Leah YETI" Valera
ventured.
Narcissa coughed, just to show her
/ voice was not gone.
"Narcissa," Valera broke out, to-
day you can pull my loose tooth, to
make up for last night!
.,.,, eoron,,, bloodv mir.
4 der-no, thank you!" Narcissa replied.
Valera bridled angrily.
you're pale just at the thought"
her sister tainted.
81 was going to make the sacrifice
to make up for last night" the mar
tyr said in an odd voice, but God
knows can't do it alone"
IF you won't tell"
4 "will it hurt!" Valera asked quick.
ly.
aPooh." Narcissa returned. When
shall pull it?'
ANY time-after breakfast" The
appointment was not made with
feryor.
"Out behind the wood-pile!" Mar
cissa stated definitely, right after
breakfast; then you. can take 1t to
church and Sunday school,
She took a ball Of Irvine from her
pencil-box in the dolls bureau drawer
and concealed it in the deep pocket of
her morning pinafore. Then they
went down to the kitchen, where
Grandmother Pollard gave them buck
wheat cakes and brown sausages.
Aunt Doris was talking to their
grandmother about Mr.. Cal Barrys
folks.
He says they like that new photo Of
me he sent them" she said
ut don't do you justice somehow,
either" Grandmother said.
She looked at her daughter fondly.
Won't 1t be nice, mother" Aunt
Doris said, "all of us here together,
one great big family"
rs Mr.. Cal Barry coming here to
liver Narcissa questioned modestly.
Grandmother turned to the twins
and answered severely:
Yes! He is going to be your uncle
and marry your Aunt Doris-Easter
Saturday."
ooh, Aunt Doddy!" they chorused
How heavenly" squealed Valera
You can go play little before
dressing for church, Grandmother
said
Size wanted to be alone with Aunt
Doris Narcissa went to the wood
shed and put on her rubbers. Their
she went outdoors and around behint
the wood-pile. Valera kept sliding
in dilly-dally way on patch of ice
You won't have it for Sunday
SCHOOL," came haunting to her ears.
She slowly circled the wood-pile ant
her pink pinafore was lost to view
/ The rest happened behind the wood
: pile. Five minutes later there ISSUED
, therefrom shill scream and blue
t aproned little figure, with somethin,
} dangling to yards of varicolored Irvine
3 Then came pink-aproned form, spit
1 ting its flaxen head nearly of.
: Its a g-good sacrifice" she slut
tered
+ But Narcissa was gone, and with tn
tooth. Valera started round the house
t But what had happened? The lus
/ of tooth had affected Narciss
y strangely, for, tracking her, shove
Y two separate sets of footprints in tn
= fresh snow. go she had twice gone CT
8 reering madly round the house, prof.
d ably before her victim. emerged fror
3 the place Of torture. had finally Ell
" tered the front door-tcith her rubber
s. on Snow on the carpet led to thei
# room. Once there it did not tai,
it long to find the treasure-bearer unde
s the bed.
At this juncture, orders were issue
from the foot OF the stairs for tn
q. twins to hurry on white stocking
10 and black patent leather shoes again'
- going to church.
IL Grandma won't like me not havin
= my tooth in" Valera said, meaningl
= She will so. It matches me, ain
= we twins? S'pose you'd swallowed
I, like l must OF mine. You had ougl
10 to of lost 1t ages ago" Narcis.
+. emerged, swinging the tooth on Il
string. you take it to church ar
let me take 1t in Sunday school, the
O. III give it back to you for your trea
* ure-box.'
There was no fairer arrangemel