Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1912-07-25
In an instant be was down in the
road and handfuls Of dust began to fly
among them. The girls scattered be-

du1ouS Iuem. 1ue girls SCATTERED De-
fore him.
"Billy!" cried Elnora. BILLY! I'll
never give you another bite as long as
I live If you throw dust on any one!"
! Then Billy dropped the dust, bored
both fists into his eyes and fed sob
bling into Elnora's new blue skirt. She
stopped to meet him and consolation
began.
After the luncheon was given to the
three children Elnora was hustled into
the wagon with the girls and driven on
the run to the high school. They sang
a song beginning.
Elnora, please give mo a sandwich:
I'm ashamed to ask for cake,
as they went on. Elnora did not know
1t. but that was her initiation. She
belonged to ''the crowd" She only
knew that she was happy and vaguely
wondered what her mother and Aunt
Margaret would have said about the
| proceedings.
Saturday morning Elnora helped her
mother with the work. When she had
finished Mrs. Comstock told her to go to
Sinton's and wash her Indian relics so
that she would be ready to accompany
Wesley to town in the afternoon. Ell
nora hurried down the road and was
soon at the cistern with a tub busily
washing arrow points. stone axes,
tubes, pipes and skin cleaning imple-
ments. There were not so many points
as she had supposed, and some she had
thought the finest were Clipped and
broken. Still there was quite a large
box of perfect pieces to carry to the
city.
Then Elnora hurried home, dressed
and was waiting when the carriage
reached the gate. She stopped at the
bank with the box, and Sinton went to
do his marketing and a little shopping
for his wife.
At the dry goods store Mr.. Brownlee
called to him: Hello. Sinton! How do
you like the fate Of your lunch box?"
Then he began to laugh.
81 always hate to see a nan laughing
alone" said Sinton. "It looks so self
1sh. Tell me the fun and let me help
you"
Brownlee wiped his eyes.
II supposed you knew. but I see she
hasn't told"
Then the three days history of the
lunch box was repeated with particu.
lars which included the dog.
"Now laugh" concluded Brownlee.
BLESSED if l see anything funny
replied Sinton. "And if you had
bought that box and furnished one OF
those lunches yourself you wouldn't
either. 1 call such a work a shame
I'll have it stopped"
Some n must see to that, all
right. They are little leeches. Their
father earns enough to support them
but they have no mother, and they ru1
wild. l suppose they are crazy fol
cooked food. But it is funny, and whe1
you think it over you will see it if you
don't now"
about where would a body fine
that father?' inquired Sinton grimly
Mr.. Brownlee told him, and he started
locating the house with little difficulty
House was the proper word, for OF
home there was no sign. Just a small
empty house with three unkempt little
children racing through and around it
The girl and the elder boy hung back
but dirty little Billy greeted Sintor
with, "What you want here?'
Il want to see your father" said
Sinton.
"Well, he's asleep" said Billy.
"Where?' asked Sinton.
I'm the house," answered Billy, "and
you can't wake him.
"Well, I'll try" said Wesley.
Billy led the way. "There he ISL
he said. He is drunk again"
On a dirty mattress in a corner lay
a sleeping man who appeared to be
strong and well.
Billy was right. You could not awake
him. He had gone the limit and a
little beyond. He was now facing
eternity. a
Sinton went out and closed the door
"Your father is sick and needs
help" he said. You stay here and
I will send a man to see him."
eff you just let him lone, he'll sleep
it off," volunteered Billy. "He's that
way all the time, but he wakes uI
and gets us something to eat after
awhile. Only waitin' twists you up in.
side pretty bad"
The boy wore no air of complaint
He was merely stating facts.
Wesley Sinton looked hard at Billy.
Are you twisted up inside now" he
asked.
Billy laid a grimy hand on the re-
gion Of his stomach, and the filthy
little waist sank close to the backbone.
bet your life, boss" he said cheer.
fully.
How long have you been twisted?''
asked Sinton.
Billy appealed to the others. "When
was it we had the stuff IN the
bridge!"
Yesterday morning." said the girl.
SIS that all gomez" asked Sinton.
"She went and told us to take if