Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1914-03-12
BOYS ARE The LIMIT
BY CLARA STACY.

II actually hate to tell Jimmy about
it," declared Jimmy's mother, shiv-
eringly, staring at the fashionable in
vitation card with despairing eyes.
Yes" said Jimmy's father, with
understanding. Then he added,
Boys certainly are the limit"
"Jimmy's nearly fifteen,' pursued
Jimmy's mother. 81 don't see why
he isn't old enough not to act like
young savage. Whenever | make him
go to a party you would think l was
casting him into a den of man eating
tigers. to hear him protest. He says
girls are ninnies and he'd rather play
football"
Seems to me-" said Jimmy's IA
ther, that l used to like to go to par
ties when I was fifteen. l can't under
stand him!"
IF / didn't stand over him." said
Jimmy's mother, every single minute,
he'd get in his old clothes, with ten
MS shoes and a negligee shirt, and
wouldn't care! It's just awful! I'm
sure / don't know what my friends
think of me. They must have the idea
that | don't care anything about jim
my's social progress and it's just as
important to boys future as 1t is to
a girls! The friends that he is max
ing now"
Make him go to this" advised jim
my's father. The Miklesons will be
offended if you don't, and it's the right
sort of crowd for him. It's what he
needs"
II won't say anything about it to
him. decided Jimmy's mother, diplo-
matically, until the day before. Then
he won't have so long time to OBJ
ject and make life miserable for
me-"
Jimmy's mother had occasion many
times in the ten days that followed to
be thankful for this decision, for Jim
my proved suddenly very difficult to
deal with, in spite Of his ignorance
of the fate that was impending.
The boy stared gloomily out Of the
window and he poured as gloo1nily
over the contents Of his desk.
Once. to her great alarm. his motif
er found his sorting out his necktfe
drawer.
Jaw, nothin'!" he growled, when ste
demanded to know the reason for
this unheard-of interest in his attire.
Cant fellow do anything without
the whole family buzzing aboLo'his
ears? Wisht I had the money dad
put in that dress suit Of mine! l
don't get any use out Of 1t! l could
buy two or three dandy football
suits!"
Jimmy did not ask for a second
piece of chocolate pie when it came
on for dessert that night, which in IT.
self was a serious symptom Of some
thing wrong. He scorned griddle cakes
the next morning and he said he did
not want any lunch.
His mother felt his pulse, and in
sisted on looking at his tongue.
II hope" said Jimmys mother to
Jimmys father, that he won't do any
thing rash when I tell him about the
Mikleson party. He's in such
dreadful humor these days that /
don't know in the least how to han
die him. He's likely to say he won't
20. And he's so big that suppose he
wont-he just won't, that's all! On
dear, wish he was a girl"
When Jimmy caught his mother sew.
ing a loose button on his dress coat
she quailed. He eyed the work sus-
piciously, but asked no questions.
Rather, he retired to chair in cor
ner and moped.
Finally, the night before the party,
Jimmy's mother mustered up her cour-
age and told him, very fast, so he
could not interrupt Then she waited
to hear the worst.
Her son was staring at her disbe-
lievingly. "The Mikleson party!" he
repeated. me going to the Mike
sons!"
That was all before he abruptly
bolted from the room. She heard him
presently whistling in his bedroom
and held her head wildly. Jimmy was
young to go insane, but she had heard
Of cases
"Mother!" Jimmy called down.
Don't my dress trousers need press
ing?"
He's going to be I'LL" declared his