Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1914-01-30

mac In the entrance to Santiago bar
Dor Miss Matilda said.
III Sam had only done that how
small It would have made the stny-at-
homes here IN Kent feel. aud what
lastlng honor It would have brought to
the town! / do hope that he viii do
something to make even that Hnpatri.
otic and Anticipated wife proud VI him.
They say that actual conflict develops
wonderful courage aud bravery in men
one wouldn't expect to be possessed OF
much Of either quality. | hope sam
will como home a major general"
Sam had been gone three months and
no news OF his promotion from the
ranks had reached Miss Gwynne. IN
deed she had not heard from him nj
all. One day she went out to the Sub.
urbs OF the town. where the Dawsons
occupied a dilapidated old house Of
three rooms. in which disorder ran
rampant. It was Mrs. DawsOn's argu-
ment that III n body cleaned things ur
they Jess got dirty ag'in. 50 what was
the good Of cleanin'? II want no use
at all"
Holding to this conviction, Mrs. Daw-
sons domestic labors were by no means
exhaustive. and the house was in an
appalling state OF disorder. loathsome
to one Of Miss Mntilda's orderly in.
stincta. Had she not felt that she was
talking to a possible major generals
wife she would have given Mrs. Daw.
son a piece OF her mind regarding the
condition Of the house.
Holding this desire in check. she
said:
81 s'pose you've heard nothing from
sam2'
"No'm. I aln't had n line. Geraldine
you keep AWAY from that there bedF'
This last remark was sharply ad.
dressed to Mrs. Dawson's daughter OF
Eve years. who was lounging around
a bed in the corner of the room.
Needless Of her mothers admonitior
Geraldine kept close to the bed, and
suddenly dropping to her hands and
knees on the floor, she cried out shrilly
and gleefully:
"Peekaboo, daddyp
Here, stop thatl" cried Mrs. Daw.
son th%reateningly, darting forward and
grasping the child by the arm. But
Geraldine was rebellious, and she
chung to the bedstead. crying out
shrllly:
II want to play peekaboo with dad
dyl Daddy. daddy Can't l play peek.
aboo with you, daddy2"
The child tried to crawl under the
bed. but Mrs. Dawson grasped Der re.
treating figure by the ankle and drag
ged her back, saying angrily:
"What possesses you to act sol"
"TIl find out" said Miss Gwynne
with grim determination on her face
and FIRE in her eye. Striding across the
room she grasped the bedstead firmly
by the footboard and rolled it away
from the wall. There. close to the
wall, lay Miss Matilda's substituted
Sam sat up in a corner. abashed and
frightened. with Miss Matilda's tall
gaunt form towering over him.
She stared at him in silence for O
moment and then said, with whitening
scorn:
"a pretty major general you are!"
Sam grinned foolishly.
81 would grin IL l were you, San
DawsonP' said Miss Matilda. with in
creasing scorn and indignation. NOW
you get up there and give an account
Of yourself or I'll have you arrested
for obtaining money under false pre-
lenses. l will MS sure as shOotin'?'
Sans account of himself is best toll
in Miss Gwynne's own words. as shl
gave full vent to her indignation whel
she reached home and unburdeDed her
self to a friend whom she found wait
ing to see her.
1.-THE miserable creature never evel
tried to enlist" she said hotly. i"
made him own up that he didn't! II
fell in with some creatures as trihin.
and shifless as himself there In B
and If they didn't put of up the cOur
try on a hunting and fishing jaunt
Yes, they did! l should think fror
Sans looks and what he owned up I
that they lived like a lot o gypsiei
and that Just suited Saml
"Then he traipsed OF visiting a lot
his worthless kin here and there. He
been for the past three weeks visitln
some cousins within five miles OF her
and it's my belief that he was getHn
ready to light put again when caugl
him ut home, hiding under the be-
He couldn't have got a much wors
scorching in the war than l gave hin
and he1i'never hear the last Of it fro
me! I'm ashamed to think that / liz
In a town that hasn't patriotism enoug
In 1t to send even n volunteer to Il
war. But it'll be one while before
send another substituteT'