Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-07-01
"Nou, Pa; Do Be CAREFUL"
BY e. w. kEMBLE.

Ma" returned the rebel. grinning
now. as his spirit rose at the touch of
mans natural ally, syou come on out
side and see me let it be-
Ma was always at a disadvantage
when it came to action. She knew it
only too we'll. Long ago, when her
weight began to be a burden and she
changed from agreeable puxomne to
the SLOW stoutness of age, she had real
lied the necessity of ruling by moral
suaslon, because she was no longer able
to catch offenders. young or old. 1t
was a magnificent testimony to her
qualities of intellect and character that,
by the time it became an effort to rise
from her chair, she had entire house,
odd obedient to her nod.
Pa she remarked, in a voice that
was terrible in it's very quietness ana
restraint, Il haven't ever yet had oc-
casion to use my authority to the limit
with you. | won't talk any more. I'll
act"
"a was duly, anxiously impressed.
"Whatll o Go, Map" he inquired.
looking at her. really worried.
You just cave this house with that
gun in your hands," she answered
portentously and then youth see
wha I'll do
"a withdrew his gaze, as one does
who would hin hard before standing
pat on three of a kin and a pair in a
poker game, Those early cronies of
his, all lost to him since his marriage,
woulo nave known h a retrospective
look and made ready for trouble.
We'll. ma" he observed, In a voice
winch was even louder than hers had
been, Pm goin'-now. What are Won
thlnkin of dom about it?"
Mas voice responded, suddenly 60
ing up in the air, shrill in it's excitement
n irritation.
"You'u 500 ID, NT;+obalI 49,. -.
go, and you'n see"
Ia gazed at her with what was all
most a twinkle in his eye.
Ma. dear" he remarked pleasantly,
I've called many 6. bluff when l was
younger; l amt too old to call one
now"
He marched to the door. The chill
dren pelted after him. Hannibal, in
spraddling haste, beat all of them to
1t; then ran in circles and canine in
decision. pending further developments.
Fannie pursued her offspring. Ma,
once more suffering the pangs of an
nual defeat. surged out to the fence.
resigned to perish with the rest and
hoplng that some warning words might
sun avert catastrophe. Even Lizzie,
for all her certainty that her wisdom
tooth would jump out of her head, came
to the porch n stayed there, pre-
sumably GU of the line of fire.
Lily HIN tihiL lell DIS pa elevate
the weapon to clear the roof of the dis
tant Woodshed made a time of sudden
awe Charles n Horace lost their
youthful courage and trembled where
they crouched. Little Daisy chung to
her mothers skirt. Hannibal sat APP
paled.
Nov, Pa; do be c%areful!" called ma,
her hands clutching in apprehension.
The old gun roared-and, as ever. re-
NAMED intact. Pa, in victory's elation,
jumped up in the air and cracked his
heels together-once; not three times,
as he did in the days of his youth.
He bore the gun to the woodshed,
there fondly to clean and oil and re-
load it. While he worked he thought.
Again he "a declared his i%ndepend-
ence. Why not make it a revolution ?
Why not? The first American revolu-
ton had lasted about sever years after
that first memorable Fourth of July;
how long must this one of his last be-
fore independence could be assured and
peace would brood over the home?
considering the inc of fighters the
British We're" he muttered. calculating,
'and considering the kind of fighter ma
is, I'd say about IA years. And I'm al
old man now"
He rose, again the bent broken figure
to return to the house. His glance took
fond, quizzical grin contorted his kind
n~utcracker face: n he said to him
sci, very gently:
Mas a good soul, anyway. She al
ways means we'll"