The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-01-26
CHAPTER XII.
Iob and PoIlIa Rumnua.

Fl never have told downright
i falsehood," said Lima. Mother taught
me how wicked 1t Is to tell stories.
Did you ever tell fib to your mother.
Frances?"
"Taint no use to try to 'ceive my
mama" was the reply Of the other
little girl; she's got such gimlet eyes
and ears she can tell with EN- shut
if you're fbbing. gave up hope
long ago, so l just go long and tell
her the plain gospel truth when she
asks me, cause / know those gimlet
eyes and ears Of hers re going to
worm It out o. me somehow"
Grown folks pin you down so close
sometimes" said Jimmy, you bound
to 'varicate little; and ! always tell
God I'm sorry. / tell my mama the
truth most all time cepting when
she asks questions bout things amt
none of her business a tall, and she
all time want to know Who done it,?
and if / let on it's me, know she'll
wear out all the slippers and hair
brushes they is padding my canoe,
sides switches, so I jus say I do
know, 'm'-which all time amt per-
zactly the truth. You ever tell Miss
Minerva stories, Billy?"
Aunt Cindy always says, 'twa'nt
no harm t all to beat bout the bush
an try to th'ow folks offer the track
long as you can, but il it come to
the point where you got to tell a out
an'-out fib, she say for me always to
tell the truth, an / jest nachelly do
like she say ever sence rs born" re-
piled Billy.
The children swung awhile in ST.
lence. Presently Jimmy broke the
quiet by remarking:
Don't you all feel sorry for old
Miss Polite Bumpus? She live all
by herself, and she bout million
years old, and Doctor Sanford amt
never brung her no chillens cause she
amt got 'er no husban' to be their
papa, and she got a octopus in her
head, and she poor as post and deaf
as Jobs old turkey-hen."
Jobs old turkey-hen wasn't deaf"
retorted Lima primly; "sheawas very,
very poor and thin"
"She was deaf, too" insisted Jim
my, cause It's In the Bible. know
all bout Job" Dragged he.
Il know all bout Job. too" chirped
Frances.
Job. nothing!" said Jimmy, with
sneer; you all time talking bout
you know all bout Job; you bout
the womanishest little girl they is.
Now / know Job cause Miss Cecilia
'splained all bout him to me. He's
in the Bible and he sold his birth
mark for a mess Of potatoes and"
you never can get anything right,
Jimmy" interrupted Lima; that was
Esau and 1t was not his birthmark,
it was his birthstone; and he sold his
birthstone for mess OF potash"
'Yes," agreed Frances; "he saw
Esau kissing Kate and Esau had to
sell him his birthstone to keep his
mouth smut.
Mother read me all about Job"
continued Lima; 'rhe was afflicted with
boils and his wife knit him a Jobs
comforter to wrap around him, and
he"
"And he sat under tato vine"
put in Frances eagerly, what God
grew to keep the sun of O. his boils
and"
"That was JONAH" said Lima, "and
it wasn't a potato vine; it was"
mo, I wasn't Jonah neither; Jonah
Is inside Of a whales bel"
"Frances!"
"Stommick," Frances corrected her.
self. "and a whale swallow him. and
bows he going to sit under a pump
kin vine when he's inside Of a
whale?"
~ was not pumpkin vine, it"
And I'd jus like to see a man in
side Of whale asserting under a
morning-gIory vine"
"The whale vomicked him up." said
Jimmy.
what sorter thing is a octopus ike
what y'alI say is in Miss Polite Bum
pus's head?" asked Billy.