Evening star., 1915-01-03
Drawings by L. T. Dresser

HONESTLY, you couldn't blame Father for being
kind Of impatient, because he'd aimed to get
started for Middlevile right after breakfast, and
here it almost nine O'Clock, with Mother down out
of the buggy for the forteth time after omeng else
she'd forgotten and the horse getting restesser and
restesser from the flies And then when looked like
there wasn't another blessed thing could hold her, she
decided she just simply couldn't go away and leave me
alone the whole day long with nobody but JOSH
Father didn't say word No. he just leaned over
the dashboard and gave the horse whang the flank
so hard he jumped about mile up in the air. There
wasn't any fly there either, knew.
was mad too to think Mother thought fellow my
size couldn't take of himself Besides, it had all
been settled the night before, I thought Goodness
knows they'd had enough talk about it! Father had to
60 over to Mddlevile about the deed for our farm,
where we'd just moved that spring. and Mother decided
she'd go too.
"Ive just simply got to have dress she said, @if
your folks coming visit u.s. I'll look presentabe.
As is they probably up their at the place,
the condition it's in"
Il don't anything the matter with it., said Father.
"Comng here late did, 1 think we've got it
looking pretty good, and there aren't ten in the
county better planted better growing, I'll say that
"But the house and BARN. said Mother.
blouse and barn." said Father. Everything new
carpets new furniture, some of t-new shingles all
both roofs"
"But the paint" said Mother.
This after supper, before it quite dark, and
you could see, she mentioned the house did look
kind of-wel, gray hadn't noticed it much before;
though I'd heard one of the neghbors tell Mother it
hadn't been painted for twenty years But now did;
and you could Father did too for he looked kind of
sorry, and said:
EYES, a little paint wouldn't do much harm, Mother.
Oh WE'LL can't do everything all at once and with the
things I've had to buy to get the place started-but
here This don't get Mddlevile. How about Sid?'
At first they were going to take me with them; but
when it found had such a stone bruse l couldn't
get my shoe Mother said couldn't go. She wouldn't
take barefooted into big town like Middlev1lle.
So they decided to leave me behind and in the buggy
Then she got to worrying about leaving with Josh,
because somewheres sometime she'd read about some
bodys farm hand going crazy and numbering every
body their beds; but Father laughed her out of that
after awhile and we went bed with it fixed for to
stay behind.
Then in the morning Motherd got dinner ready for
Josh and me, sicing ham and putting some cold
potatoes and the butter where could get it without
letting all the flies into the pantry And Fatherd put
on his good clothes and hitched the horse into the
buggy, and after long time it looked like they
off, when Mother sad
"And now, Sid, you understand all the things you re
not to do, and all the things you are to do?'
@Of course he does!" laughed Father. @Hop in,
Mother.7
"And you won't be lonesome?'
told her wouldn't and she looked disappointed.
@If you are she said, you might over to the
Adanlses, and
4No, stree, that's thing won't stand for" said
Father "Im not afraid of Sid taking of himself.
He isn't ischevous. But he ties up with that scamp
of a Tommy Adams-well, 1 don't to come home
and find my house and barn burnt down after the way
I've raked and scraped!"
"House burned down! Oh dear" said Mother.
sWhy did you put such an idea into my head? Now
Sids simply got to go, or don't stir off this spot
That where Father whanged the make-believe
horse fy Nobody said ANYTHING more for minute: