Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1916-10-24


of fun. It's circus to go around and
gloat over folks when they are sicl
or sorry, Or
But they tell me you don't gloat
Mrs. Marling says you cried with
Jeanne half day when her dog died
ooh, that's my way of gloating,
said Carol, nothing daunted, but plain
ly glad to get away without further
Interrogation.
1t was strange thing that all of the
parsonage girls, Carol, light hearted
whimsical, mischievous Carol, was the
one most dear to the hearts Of her
fathers people. Not the gentle Pru.
dence, nor charming Fairy. not clever
Lark nor conscientious Connie. could
rival the naughty twin in Mount
Marks affections, And In spite of her
odd curt speeches, and her openly
Wanted vanity, Mount Mark insisted
Eshe was good" Certainly she was
willing! Get Carol Starr-she'l II do
it," was the commonest phrase in
: Mount Marks vocabulary. Whatever
was wanted, whatever the sacrifice in
volved, Carol stood ready to fill the
bill Not for kindness-Oh. dear, no
Carol stanchly disolaimed any such
niceness as that She did it for fun,
pure and simple. She said she liked
| to show off. She insisted that she
liked to feel that she was the pivot
on which little old Mount Mark turn
ed But this was only when she was
found Gut. AS far as she could she
kept her little seeds of fun" care.
fully up her sleeve. and it was only
when the indiscreet alteration of her
friends brought the budding plants to
light that she laughingly declared lit
was circus to go and glOat over
folks"
Once in the early dusk of summer
evening she discovered old Ben Peters.
half intoxicated, slumbering noisily
on pile of sacks in corner of the
parsonage barn Carol was sorry. but
not at all frightened The poor, kind
ly, weak. old man was as familiar to
her as any figure in Mount Mark. He
was always in more or less helpless
state of intoxication. but also he was
always harmless, kind hearted and
generous. She prodded him vigorously
with the handle Of the pitch fork until
he was aroused to consciousness, and
then guided him into the woodshed
with the buggy whip. When he was
seated on chunk Of wood she faced
him sternly.
"Well. you are dandy she said.
Going into q parsonage barn, of all
places in the world. to sleep OFF an
odor like yours! Why didn't you go
down 10 Fred Greer's harness shop.
that's where you got it. We're such
an awfully temperance town, you
know! But the parsonage! Why, if the
trustees had happened into the barn
and caught Whit Of that smell,
father'd have lost his Job. Now you
just take warning from me and keep
away from this parsonage until you
can develop a good Methodist odor
Oh. don't cry about it! Your very
tears smell rummy Just you hang
on to that chunk of wood and I'll bring
you some coffee"
Like thief in the night she sneak
ed into the house and presently re-
turned with huge tin Of coffee,
steaming hot. He drank it eagerly,
but kept wary eye on the naughty
twin, who stood above him with the
whip in her hand.
That's better. Now, sit down and
listen to me. II you would come to
this parsonage you have to take your
medicine Silver and gold have we
none, but such as>we have we give to
you. And religions all we've got.
You're here, and I'm here We haven't
any choir or any bible but parsonage
folks have to be adaptable. Now
then, Ben Peters, you've got to get
converted"
The poor doddering old fellow, sob
cred by this, awful announcement.
looked helplessly /at the window. 1t
was too small. And slender, active
Carol. with the buggy whip. stood be-
tween him and the door.
No, you can't escape. You're done
for this time-it's the straight and
narrow from this on. Now listen--it's
really very simple. And you need it
pretty badly, Ben. OF course, you
don't realize it wheh you're drunk,
you can't see how terribly disgusting
you are. but honestly. Ben, pig is
ray of sunshine compared to drunk
man. You're blot on the landscape.
You're a-youre "a She fished vain
ly for words, longing for Lark's liter
airy flow of language.
I'm not drunk" he stammered
No, you're not, thanks to the buggy
whip and that strong coffee, but you're
no beauty even yet. Well, now, to
come down to religion again. You
can't sion drinking"
II could" he clustered feebly, 81
could if | wanted to-"
"Oh, no, you couldn't. You haven't
backbone enough. You couldn't stop
to save your life. But Carols voice
lowered little. and she grew shy, but
very earnest, but God can stop you,
because He has enough backbone for
a hundred thousand-er, jellyfishes.
And-you see, It's like this. God made
the world and put the people in it.
Now listen carefully, Ben. and I'll /