Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1917-08-30
mamma"

- "ASAS LIZ LII w
son families each had a little girl like
this.
He'll come in the afternoons, l
guess said Jane. But you aren't
home then. Mr.. Parcher, except late,
like you were that day of the Sunday
school class. 1t was on account of
what you said that day. l told man.
ma what you said"
Mr.. Parcher's %perplexity continued.
What about?"
about Willie. You know!." Jane
smiled.
"No, l don't"
1T was when l was layin' in the
liberty that day Of the Sunday school
class" Jane told him. "You an Mrs.
Parchcr was talkin' in there about
Miss Pratt an Willie an everything"
Good h%eavens!" said Mr.. Parcher.
summoning his memory. did YOU
hear all that?"
Yes" Jane nodded.
"Murder!'
Well" said Jane, 81 guess it's good
l did, because look-that's the very
reason mamma did somep'n SOS he
can't come any more except in day
time. l guess she thought Willie
oushtn't to behave so's't you said so
many things about him like that. So
today she did somep'n, an now he
can't come any more to behave that
loving way to Miss Pratt that you
said you would be in the lunatic asy-.
lum if he didn't quit. But he hasn't
found it out yet"
Found what out, please?' he asked.
lie hasn't found out he can't come
back to your house tonight, an he
can't come back tomorrow night, nor
day after tomorrow night, nor
Is it because your I'M is going
to tell him he can't?"
NO, Mr.. Parcher. Mamma a V he's
too old, an she said she didn't like to.
anyway. She just did somep'n."
What? What did she do?'
Its a secret" said Jane. 81 could
tell YOU the first part Of it-up to where
the secret begins, l expect"
Dol" MI. Parcher urged.
well, it's about somep'n Willie's
been wearin'," Jane began, moving
closer to him as they slowly walked
onward. Il can't tell you what they
were, because that's the secret, but he
Had en- on him every evening when
h. came to see Miss Pratt, but they
belong to papa. an papa doesn't know
Il word about it.
well, II evening papa wanted to
MT en- on, because he had a right to,
Mr.. rarcher, an Willie didn't have
any right to at all, but mamma couldn't
ind EN-, m she rummidged an rum
midgcd most all next day an pretty
near every day since then an never
did find 'em, until don't you believe l
saw Willie inside Of EN- only last
night! He was startin' over to your
house to see Miss Pratt in 'em. SO l
told mamma, an she said it'd hat to
be a secret, so that's why 1 can't tell
YOU what they were.
"Well, an then this afternoon, early,
was with her, an she said, long as
| had told her the secret in the first
place, l could come in Willie's room
with her, an We both We're already in
there anyway, cause I was kind Of
thinkin' maybe she'd go in there to
look for 'em, Mr.. parcher."
II see," he said a%dmiringly. 81 see."
"Well, they were under Willie's Win
dow seat, all folded up, an mamma
said she wondered what she better do,
an she was worried because she didn't
like to have Willie behave SOS you an
Mrs. Parcher thought that way about
him. So she said the-the secret-what
Willie wears, you know, but they're
really papa's an aren't Willie's any
more'n they're mine-well, she said the
secret was gettin' a little teeny bit too
tight for papa, but she guessed they
Il mean the secret-she said she
guessed it was already pretty loose
for Willie. So she wrapped it up, an
I went with her, an we took 'em to a
tailor, an she told him to make 'em
bigger, for a surprise for papa, cause
then they'll fit him again, MI. Parcher.
"She said he must let EN- way, way
out! So I guess Willie would look too
funny in 'em after they're fixed. An,
anyway, Mr.. Parcher, the secret won't
be home from the tailor's for two
weeks, an maybe by that time Miss
Pratt,n be gone"
They had reached Mr.. Parcher's gate.
He halted and looked down fondly
upon this child who seemed to have
read his soul. "Do you honestly think
SOL" he asked.
"Well, anyway, Mr.. Parcher," said
Jane, mamma said-well, she said
she's sure Willie wouldn't come here
in the evening any more, when you're
at home, Mr.. Parcher-'cause after he'd
been wearin' the secret every night
this way he wouldn't like to come an
not have the secret N. Mamma said
the reason he would feel like that was
because he raj seventeen years old.
An she isn't goin' to tell him anything
about it, Mr.. Parcher. She said that's
the best way"
Mr.. Parcher rested an elbow upon
the gatepost, gazing down with ever
increasing esteem. "Of course I know
/ ---s s-Z, EH--E So. xsv--. ~