The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1915-07-01
"Now. Pa; Do Be CarefuE''
az z. w. KEMRLE.

ma" returned the rebel, grinning
now, as his spirit rose at the touch Ot
mans natural ally. "you come OF out
side n see me let IL be-"
Ma was always at a disadvantage
when II came to action. She knew Il
only too well. Long ago, when her
weight began to be a burden and she
changed from agreeable buxomness TO
the slow stoutness Of age, she had real
lied h necessity OF ruling by moral
suasion, 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 IL became an effort to rise
from her chair, she had entire house
hold obedient to her nod.
Pa" h remarked, In q voice that
wal terrible in its very Quietness ana
restraint, Il haven't ever yet had oc-
casion to use my authority to the limit
act"
Pa was duly, ~anxiously impressed.
"Whatn you do, Mar he inquired.
looking at her. really worried.
You just leave this house with that
gun in your hands," she answered
poTtentously. land then you'll see
Pa withdrew his gaze, as one does
who would think hard before standing
pat on three OF a kind and q pair in q
poker game. Those early cronies of
his, all lost to him since his marriage,
would have known thai interpretive
look and made ready for trouble.
wei. ma" he observed, in a voice
which was even louder than hers had
been. Pm goin'--now. What are you
thinkin' Of dom about it?"'
Mas voice responded, suddenly go
ing up In the air, shrill In its excitement
and Irritation.
You'll see, Pa Mitchell. lust you
go, and you'll see."
Pa gazed at her with what was al
most a twinkle in his eye.
Ma, dear" he remarked pleasantly,
I've called many a bluff when / was
younger; I amt too old to cali one
now" .#'. .. .w.'. ~
He marched to the door. The chill
dren pelted after him, Hannibal, In
~spraddling haste, beat all OF them to
It; 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
hoping that some warning words might
still avert catastrophe. Even Lizzie,
for all her certainty that her wisdom
tooth would Jump out of her head, came
to the porch and stayed there, pre-
sumably out of the line Of fire. ~ p
The stiffness that fell as pa elevated
the weapon to clear the roof Of the dis
tant woodshed made a time Of sudden
awe. Charles and Horace lost their
youthful courage and trembled where
they crouched. Little Daisy chung to
her mothers skirt. Hannibal sat APP
paled. t- .
Now, Pa; do be CAREFUL" called ma.
her hands clutching In apprehension.
The old gun roared-and, rs ever, re-
manned intact. Pa, in victory's citation,
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 II. While he worked he thought.
Again he had declared his independ-
ence. Why not make 1t q revolution?
Why not? The first American revolu-
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 kin of fighters the
British were" he muttered, calculating,
and considering the kind Of fighter ma
is, I'd say about IA years. And I'm an
old man now" ~ j.
He rose, again the bent broken figure
to return to the house. His glance took
in ma, portly, near the step. The old,
fond, quizzical grin contorted his kind,
n~utcracker face: and he said to him
sci, very gently: =
Mas a good soul, anyway. She al
ways means we'll"