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

him never. to darken our door
again, and he ain't-except to
come around once in a while and
collect something from me on the
BILL"
But We need you, Miss-er-I
Sparrow" says Van. Wen pay
you so much" he says, naming a
price that made even my eyes
stick out, and / was used to high
prices by this time.
"A month";" she says, staring
at him.
"A week." says he.
Land sakes! A week! l never
but 1t amt no use. What
would become of pa and the chill
dren?"
Couldn't you come over for
the days, at least?" asks Martin.
You might go homo nights, you
know"
And that's the way it ended,
finally. Eureka said she'd talk 1t
over with her folks, and Van
Brunt said we would come over
to her house next day and get the
decision.
"There!" says he, when the
Sparrow girl had gone. Skipper,
the cook question is settled"
The next forenoon me and Hart
ley went over to close the cook
trade. The Sparrows' nest was a
pretty shabby looking shack. now
| tell you. Shingles dropping off,
and fence falling down, and a gen.
eral shortage of mans work ev-
erywhere. But there was a bed of
bachelors buttons and old maids
pinks under the front window,
and the windows themselves was
clean and bright. Eureka had
done her best to make the place
honey; you could see that.
She let us in when we knocked
at the kitchen door. Her sleeves
was rolled up and there was a big
basket of clothes by the steaming
washtub.
Good morning." says Hartley.
Have you decided to cook for
us?"
Eureka bobbed her head over
the washtub. 1--WE decided it, If
pa has," says she. HE amt made
up his mind yet. He wanted to
sleep on 1t, he said. / guess he's
done that. Anyhow he's 3ust got
up. Step right into the dining
1 room and talk to him. You'll have
to excuse me; I've got to get this
washing done afore noon, some
how"
Sc she pitched into the scrub
bling, bending in the middle exact
ly like joined pocket-rule, and
the Twin and me went into the
dining-room.
| Washington Sparrow was there.
There want but one comfortable
rocking chair in sight and he was
in that, with his stocking feet
resting on the ruins of a baircloth
sofa. He was pretty husky look
ing, seemed to me, for a man COM
plicated with consumption and
nervous dyspepsy, but his face was
as doleful as a Grape bonnet. He
had clay pipe In his mouth and
was smoking like a peat fire.
How are you, Mr.. Sparrow"
says Martin, bright and clipper.
Flows the health this morning?"
Obi" says he, groaning some
thing awful. I'm miserable, thank
you. Set down and make your
selves to home"
There was only three settable
pieces of furniture in the room.
He was using two of 'em, and
t'other was a child's high chair.
So we decided to stand up.
Martin looked like he didn't
know what to say. By and by he
cleared his throat and threw out
a hint concerning Eureka's COM
ing to Ozone. The sick man shook
his head.
NO." he says. I'm self-sacri-
ficing, and all that, but somehow
l can't make up my mind to let
her 60. l can't bear to have her
out of my sight a minute. You
can't begin to think, Mr.. What's
your-name, what a comfort tits to
me, agonizing here and suffering,
to have Reky setting down along
side of me day after day, the way
she does. You can't begin to
think it. Mister"
Very WE'LL" Hartley says. I'm
sorry. I'm sure she is just the girl
we need. Good day, Mr.. Sparrow"
cal'late Washy want expect
ing that.
"Er-er-just a minute, Mis-
ter" he says. Il want you to I'M
derstand how 1 feel about this
thing. II l was able to do for
myself 'twould be different,
Eureka came to the door then,
wiping her arms on her apron.
why. pa" she says, 81 told
you l could fix that"
She went on to tell how she'd
get up early every morning and
cook the meals afore she left, and
how Editha would be there, and
Lycurgus would split the wood
and do the chores, and how she'd
be home nights, and so on. She
had planned everything. Il liked
that girl. At last her dad give
another one of his groans.
"All right" says he. 'Igive in.
| amt going to stand in the way.
Hadn't ought to expect nothing
different, s'pose. Work and fret
and slave yourself into the bone
yard bringing up children aud