The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-10-12
CHAPTER VIII.
Eureka.

eureka
The girls answer was inter-
rupted by Hartley. wait a min
ute," says he. II suggest that
we adjourn to the house and get
into some dry clothes. Then we
can talk business, If the young
lady is willing"
The girl looked at him. "Busi-
ness is what I'm here for" says
she. (Which OF you three is the
Quahaug one?"
Martini" says Van, grave, and
turning to his chum. Are you a
'quahaug one'?"
"Humph!" says the girl. well,
you made q clean job, Lys says"
You never see a man so puzzled
as Hartley.
TIjudge twas this young wo-
mans quahaug bed that you and
James cleaned out 'tother day." l
says.
"Oh!" says Martin. lawfully
sorry, I'm sure. l hope you'll per-
NIT me to pay for"
That's what come for" says
she. They was my brother Ly-
curgus' quahaugs. He'd Just
bedded EN-. Quahaugs is worth a
dollar a bucket this time of year. +"
"Will three fifty be sufficient? 2"
Hartley asks, troubled. 'I'm real
ly very sorry. 1t was a mistake
and"
"Oh, It's all right" says the
girl. you didn't know no better.
Pa says fools and children ain t
accountable. You'd better spread
that money out to dry fore you
pay me with 1t. And you'd bet
ter get dry yourself or you'll
catch cold"
The Heavenlies hurried up to
the house.
Say" says the girl to me,
you're Solomon Pratt, amt
your"
Yes" says I. "And did you
say your name was Dusenberry?"
"Sakes alive!" she snaps. 1T
hope not! My names Sparrow
Eureka Florina Sparrow"
Amy more in your family?"
asks.
"Yup. Seven of us, counting
me-and pa makes eight"
What's their names?"
well, there's Lycurgus and
Editha and Ulysses and Napoleon
and Marguerite and Dewey-he's
the boy. Great names, amt they?
Pas doings. naming 'em that way
was. Pa says there's nothing like
hitching a grand name to a young
one; gives 'em something to live
up to, he says. His own names
Washington, but he amt broke
his back living up to it, fairs as
can see; and ma used to say the
same afore she died."
OOH" says |. IT see," |
knew who she was now. I hadn't
lived around Wellmouth SO very
long, but I'd heard of Washington
Sparrow. He lived in a little slab
shanty off in the woods about a
mile from Scudder's. and had the
name of being the LATEST man in
town.
We'd reached the house by this
time and l left Eureka Florina in
the kitchen and went to my room
to change my buds. When | come
down the Twins was in the kitch-
en- too, and | could hear the Spar
row girls tongue going like a
house Attire. Martin had just paid
her for the quahaugs.
How old are your" asks Mar
tin.
Seventeen last March. take
in washing, and Lycurgus he goes
fishing and claiming and Choir
ing around, and Editha helps me
iron, and we all take watch and
watch looking out for the young
ones"
We're looking for a cook"
Hartley says. "Will you come
and cook for us, and help about
the house here? Mr.. Pratt finds
the job too big for one man."
She shook her head. mo-" says
she. Il can't come. I've got to
stay home and look out for the
folks"
why can't your father do
that?" asks Hartley.
"Who-pa? l guess you amt
heard about pa. He's sick. Pas
had most every kind of symptom
there is. Now he's settled down
to consumption and nervous dys-
pepsy. Afore ma died she used
to try to cure him, but the doc
tor and pa had row. The doctor
said pa didn't have consumption
nor nothing else; what he needed
was hard exercise. such as work.
Pa said the doc didn't know his
business, and the doc said maybe