Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1912-07-05

with Jaspar Slappey to the first picnic
of the year. And you know, mother"
she exclaimed, delightedly, that
means that shall be the May queen
When EphraiD Slappey. the butcher,
married Caroleen Carney, a foreigner
from Ireland and member of travel.
ing theatrical company, everybody IN
Bologee said that no good would come
of it. Jaspar came of it, and then the
pretty, mismated woman died and
Ephraim, who had always been a God
fearing man, though rather hard at
driving bargain, was left with this
queer child on his hands. The little
Jaspar grew up in his fathers shop, a
gay, irresponsible child, devoted to
the phlegmatic butcher, but no man
ner of help to him. Once, when he
was tiny boy, Ephraim sent him to
deliver meat to Lawyer Hale and Jas
par fed the chops to a stray cur. Law
yer Hale, he insisted, was fat and we'll
fed, whereas the puppy was starving.
Ephraim demonstrated and scolded,
and then forgave his son. He knew
it was no way to bring up a child, he
knew that he ought to whip Jaspar,
but he could not bring himself to
strike the boy, for Jaspar looked ex.
actly like his mother, Caroleen.
AS Jaspar grew older it became the
hope of Ephraim's life to see the sign
"Slappey & Son" above his butcher
shop, yet he could not take the boy
Into the business when he refused to
handle raw meat After much trou-
bled cogitation the butcher decided to
break Jaspar forcibiy of this squeam-
ishness, go he took him with him to
the slaughter pen. The calf that was
about to be veal was led out, and Jas
par draped himself about the crea-
lures neck. Pocahontas weeping for
John Smith was a mild sight compared
with Jaspar Slappey pleading for that
calf. Ephraim, however, was obdurate,
the calf was killed and Jaspar tainted
away. The butcher was panic-strick-
en-; he carried the boy home in his
arms, and after that Jaspar had his
own way.
Jaspar's way was to be poet, the
only poet in Bologee When anybody
died or was married or was born in
the town Jaspar mounted Pegasus in
their behalf and produced a touching
commentary in verse. Envious and
admiring friends had sought many
times to discover how he did It. but
the process. though simple, revealed
nothing. Jaspar would climb to his
fathers hayloft sit there quietly few
minutes, and after chewing up a guam
ftfu of no INF cd fnr ha
Pegasus, but old Dobbin-would evolve
poem. Many aspiring youths IN
Bologee sat in lofts and chewed hay,
but nothing came of it, so everybody
knew that Jaspar was a born poet
One of Jaspar's poems had been
written to Polly on her graduation day,
and she had adored him ever since.
The poem described her as the "ox-
eyed maiden" and, to Polly, that
seemed wonderfully appropriate from
the butchers son. She told Jaspar so
and he laughed until he nearly fell
out Of his chair. though Polly could
not see why. She could not under
stand Jaspar, but she was immensely
proud Of him, for he was tall and
handsome, with violet eyes and curly
black hair. Moreover, he had the hap
piest knack OF making other people en-
JOY themselves. and was always lead
er in the merrymaking. 1t was he
who planned the May pole dance each
year. and he who chose the queen. In
joyous anticipation Polly could already
feel that wreath of roses resting on
her head.
All the town was at the picnic, and
Polly and Jaspar were welcomed by
every group. They were in the midst
OF these greetings when suddenly Jas
par stopped talking and a faraway
look came over his face. Polly fol.
lowed his glance and saw two stran-
gers coming toward them. One was a
young man, a spick-and-span young
man, whose clothes and ways were
not of Bologee. But it was the girl at
his side that attracted Polly's atten-
ton. She was a wonderful, radiant
girl, with a clinging green dress and
foppy green hat that rested on a
shining mars of fluffy golden hair
Jaspar stared at her in mute admira-,
ton, and Polly in her primly starched
white dress felt awkward and ugly
and lonely.
EVELYN Bibb was with the stran.
gers, and she stopped minute to in
troduce them. They we're her cousins
from the city. Marietta and Morgan
Bibo. Marietta spoke. smiled, then
swept on her conquering path, but as
she 1oated by she carried Jaspar with
her The little country girl was left
standing alone.
For few minutes Polly was too
heartbroken to hide her misery, her
eyes kept following Jaspar, who
seemed to have forgotten her entirely.
PRESENTLY. however, she noticed that
some of the girls we're laughing at her
evident discontinue, and pride came
10 her aid. She was by nature demure
and dignifed. but now she firted,
nirted desperately and determinedly