The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-03-11

How

Il am especially anxious for Harold
to come" read Harold's mother. Dor.
othy has never had any one to
play with except her father and me.
and she doesn't know how to play
with children Of her own age. A more
angelic child never breathed and Dick
10 eager to see what . bit Of well d.
rected spice will do for her. He al.
ways has felt that she should have
been born q boy. you know. So come
soon"
1t was with timid obedience to her
parents urgent directions that Dor
othy. aged four. went forward two
weeks later and gravely gave her Cous-
In Harold welcoming kiss. saying In
slow and awestruck tones: You can
play with my toys and the attic 10 all
ready"
We'll. come ON" shouted Harold.
Then. pulling her ruthlessly by the
hand. he started up the broad stair.
way for the stories above.
The dears!" chimed the mothers In
unison. Then the two settled down
to discuss the various merits Of their
offspring. wondering how soon they
might be called upon to explain to
Dorothy Just what It was that Har.
old meant BY his boyish actions.
But there was no sudden summons
to the attic. Two hours later they
crept upstairs to call the children to
luncheon and to note Dorothy's prog.
ress.
Harold was directing operations with
the air Of general. Dorothy sat near
by. her angelic eyes blazing with ex-
element. shearing wildly her best
dolls hair. About her lay several
dolls OF various sizes. mercilessly bar
bered, and on the floor were strewn
the curls that had once graced the
bisQue heads.
1t was not this sight that made her
mother start forward with q cry Of
terror and catch up her child In a 70.
yer OF amazement Dorothy's curls
had evidently been the first to fall.
They lay intermingled with the
tangled floss upon the floor.
He's been teaching me to play,
mother" cried Dorothy as she strug.
gled free. Were BARRIERS, and he
cut of my hair like his and we've cut
the dolls hair. too. when they had
any"
During luncheon both children were
gravely admonished and though rest.
less to marked degree they promised
solemnly not to use the scissors and
not to throw anything--Harold having
suggested an imitation OF an apart
ment building fire that he had wit.
messed where all the furniture had
been thrown from the upper floors.
Further. they promised not to pound
anything. and not to paint anything
but their own paint books.
Then with a sigh from Dorothy's
mother and tender smooth to Dor
othy's shorn head. the children were
allowed to seek their own amuse-
ment once more.
Harold doesn't mean to be destruc.
tive his mother said sadly. but a bit
proudly as well. And he does obey.
We can trust them now that they have
our restrictions to go by. II IL his
Inventive genius for something new
to do. He never played barber be-
fore In his life. II must have been
because his father had his hair
trimmed while | was buying my new
hat yesterday-a perfect dream, Ma
rion! A most extravagant willow
plume and few gold rose buds"
But such an investment, dear!" an.
swered her sister. Nine. Renova has
used my white plume. dyed green. on
q high small toque."
With that the subject Of fashions
was launched for the afternoon.
Some hours later. because Of the
silence in the attic. they went In
search OF the cherubs. They were not
In the attic. nor In the nursery nor
yet In mothers room. But there they
found evidences Of pilfering that sent
terror to the mothers hearts and set
them to calling loudly for their dar.
iings. Dorothy had rined her mothers
hat boz. The tissue paper coverings
and the boz lid were strewn about,
but the hat was gone.
From the guest room the cherubs
eagerly and innocently.
We're playing millinsr's shop"
called Dorothy's high treble. an eerie
CLEAN In her usually soft eyes. liar
old knows such lots OF plays and I'm