The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1915-06-22
A Mother S
Mistake
BY MARGARET c. DEVEREAUX

SalQ 10 MIN. hOmaS, 4 wish you 10
20 to town and sell the calf" Thomas
got himself ready 10 20 to town. put
ting on his store clothes and brushing
himself up so that he looked very we'll
He was a handsome youth. and his
mother dreaded that some girl on the
way might fancy him and get away
4 with him. IL occurred to her to so
I handicap him that he would be in no
condition TO respond TO such advances.
( So she said to him:
I Tom, dear. since you are going TO
the city to sell the calf l think you had
/ better take some other farm produce"
4 Tom expressed n willingness TO do
/ as his mother said and when he had
litAken the calf from the barn he led it
X by the rope about its neck TO the
+ house, where she WAS waiting for him.
\ She gave him basketful Of eggs and
a live turkey Since he must use one
/ hand 10 lead the calf and could not
I carry the turkey and the eggs i'm the
4 other his mother made a sort OF turban
/ of towel for his head and balanced
! the basket OF eggs on it Then she
( placed the turkey under the arm not
I in use for leading the calf
Mother" said Tom. Il fear that If
/ | stumble the eggs viii fall and be
| broken"
The distance TO the city is short"
was the reply You may walk slowly
and carefully aud yet reach the mar
| ket i'm half an hour And, Tom.'' she
added. If Il girl offers TO relieve you
of part of your burden refuse her."
Tom, who was very obliginG youth.
suffered his mother TO kiss him good
by, for he could not kiss her loaded
as he WAS. and set forth on his Jour-
ney. The calf did not lead easily. and
the turkey tried to get away, so that
between the two difficulties he was in
constant dread lest he drop the eggs.
| He had made but half the journey
| when Annie FiXIey came out of a wood
/ and, seeing Tom trying to balance the
eggs on his head while hampered by
the calf and the turkey, began TO laugh
at him Annie was just fifteen years
old, very attractive age with girls.
aud had a 1.-THE figure that showed to
advantage in her scant costume More
over. her eyes Were full of mischief.
and her lips were a rosy red Tom
cast reproachful glance at her. where
upon her heart softened to him. and
she said:
Poor fellow. You are surely having
hard time OF IL with so much to at
tend to. Let me carry some portion of
your burden"
Tom remembered his mothers warn
ing and declined the offer, telling An
ME the reason for his refusal.
And why did your mother do thatf"
asked Annie. who jumped at the true
cause ut once.
I II don't KNOW" replied Tom "She
simply warned me. Then she kissed
me gOodby and sent me off,
And did you not kiss her Goodbye"
asked the girl
How could l. loaded as l ann"
81 see" said Annie you can't kiss
any one. If there is any kissing be
: tween You and girl she must do IL
all"
"Certainly!" said Tom.
But you might set down part OF
your load If you won't let me carry It -
What can | set down? If l release
the turkey he will not come back to
me; III the calf he will scamper back
Il
, use one hand or the other to remove
them from my head. and have shown
you that is impossible without losing
either the turkey or the calf"
Il might take the eggs of your head
and set them on the ground. That
would not he carrying them for you"
THAT would not help matters.
would still have my hands full"
Il see. You can't kiss any one II
: you are kissed one must kiss you.
Your mother has arranged that she IS
the only one TO kiss you"
How is thatF'
TT would not be modest for a girl
| to kiss You
Tom stood still in order that he
: might do some thinking. Something
: was denied him. Had he been at lib
erty TO take IL he would not have
; thought of doing so. But now that he
was prevented he pinned for It Annie
stood before him. looking up into his
eyes with hers, and her red lips were
very tantalizlng. The longer he thought
the nearer she drew to him. Present
!, ly her lips were so close to his that be
bent his head and kissed her. Down
came the basket OF eggs and every one
was broken. Tom let go the calf and
the turkey to catch It. and the calf ran
: back to the farm, while the turkey
scurried OFF into the woods
There" said Tom. See what you
2 have done
2 Il have done! l have done nothing
a | offered To carry a part OF your load
and you would not let me do so. You
attempted 20 take kiss without my
consent Ii seems to me that you are
alone TO blame"
o Later Tom appeared Mt home with
out any Of his load. but with Annie
PiXley. When his mother asked him
| what il all meant be said:
> Dear mother. you made a terrible
mistake. You filed my hands and put
n burden on my head so that could
kiss no one. The girl was so modest
that she would not kiss me. so I was
obliged to, kiss her. 7 dropped the
eggs. and 10 catch them I let go the
turkey and the calf
81 see" said his mother.
III