The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1914-08-13

nor nothing else; what he needed
was hard exercise, such as work.
Pa said the doc didn't know his
business, and the doc said maybe
not, but he knew pa. 80 pa told
him never to darken our door
again, and he amt = except to
come around once in a while and
collect something from me on the
bill"
But we need you, Miss-er-
you so much" he says, naming
a price that made even my eyes
stick out, and | was used to high
prices by this time.
"A month";" she says, staring
at him.
"A week." says he.
Land sakesl A week! 1
never-but it amt no use. What
would become of pa and the chill
dren?"
Couldn't you come over for
the days. at least?" asks Martin.
You might go home nights, you
know"
And that's the way It ended
finally. Eureka said she'd talk
1t over with her folks, and Van
Brunt said we would come over
to her house next day and get the
decision.
''There!" says he, when the
Sparrow girl had gone. Skipper
the cook question is settled"
The next forenoon me and
Hartley went over to close the
cook trade. The Sparrows' nest
was a pretty shabby looking
shack, now | tell you. Shingles
dropping off, and fence falling
down, and a general shortage of
mans work everywhere. But
there was a bed of bachelors but
tons and old maids pinks under
the front window, and the win
dows themselves was clean and
bright. Eureka had done her
best to make the place honey;
you could see that.
She let us in when we knocked
at the kitchen door. Her sleeves
was rolled up and there was a big
basket of clothes by the steaming
washtub.
Good morning." says Hartley.
Have you decided to cook for
us?"
Eureka bobbed her head over
the washtub. I've decided It, If
pa has," says she. He amt made
up his mind yet. He wanted to
sleep on II, he said. I guess he's
done that. Anyhow he's Just got
up. Step right into the dining
room and talk to him. You'll
have to excuse me; I've got to
get this washing done afore noon,
somehow"
So she pitched into the scrub
bling, bending in the middle ex-
actly like a jointed pocket-rule,
and tho Twin and me went into
the dining room.
Washington Sparrow was there.
There want but one comfortable
rocking chair in sight and he was
in that, with his stocking feet
resting on the ruins of n haircloth
sofa. He was pretty husky look
ing, seemed to me, for a man
complicated with consumption and
nervous dyspepsy, but his face
was as doleful as a crepe bonnet
He had a clay pipe in his mouth
and was smoking like a peat fire.
How are you, Mr. Sparrow"
says Martin, bright and clipper.
''How's the health this morning?"
NOhi" says he, groaning some
thing awful. I'm miserable.
thank you. Set down and make
yourselves to home"
There was only three settable
pieces of furniture in the room.
He was using two OF EN-, and
t'other was a child's high chair.
So We decided to stand up.
Martin looked like he didn't
know what to say. BY and by he
cleared his throat and threw out
a hint concerning Eureka's COM
ing to Ozone. The sick man shook
his head.
No." he says. "I'm self-saerf-
ficfng. and all that. but somehow
! cant make up my mind to let
her go. I cant bear to have her
out Of my sight a minute. You
can't begin to think. Mr.. what's
your-name, what a comfort It's to
me. agonizing here and suffering.
to have Reky setting down along