Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1917-10-17

~ tory both moral and physical.
Three-quarters of an hour lat
er she was unburdening the contents
of the two baskets and putting the
things back in place, illuminating these
actions with an expression of strong
diStaste in spite Of broken assurances
that Mr.. Beljus had not more than
touched any of the articles offered to
| him for valuation.
! At dinner which was unusually ear
ly that, evening, Mrs. Baxter did not
often glance toward her son. She kept
| her eyes from that white face and
spent most Of her time in urging upon
Mr.. Baxter that he should be prompt
| in dressing for a card club meeting
which he and she were to attend that
evening.
! William retired to his own room,
where he lay upon his bed in the dark
ness. He heard the evening noises Of
the house family through the closed
dOor-voices and the clatter Of metal
and china from the faraway kitchen,
James laugh in the hall, the opening
| and closing of the doors. Then his
father seemed to be in distress about
| something. William heard him COM
planning to Mrs. sBaxter, and, though
the words were indistinct. the tone
was vigorously plaintive.
Everything was quiet now. The
open window showed as greenish
oblong set in black, and William knew
that in little while there would come
through the Stiffness of that window
the distant sound of viOlins. And as
he lay on his dreary bed he thought
Of brightly lighted rooms where other
boys were dressing eagerly, faces and
hair shining, hearts beating high-boys
who would possess this last evening
and the last waltz together the last
smile and the last sigh.
Now arrived that moment he had
most painfully anticipated, and dance
music drifted on the night, but there
came a tapping upon his door, and a
soft voice spoke.
"Will-ee?"
With a sharp exclamation William
swung his legs over the edge Of the
bed and sat up. OF all things he de-
sired mot he desired no conversation
with or on the part Of Jane. But he
had forgotten to lock his door. The
handle turned. and dim little figure
marched in.
willie, Adelia's goin' to put me to
bed"
"You g'way from here" he said
huskily. II haven't got time to talk
to you. I'm busy"
"Well, you can wait minute, can't
you?" she asked reasonably. II hat
to tell you a joke on mamma
~ don't want to hear any jokes"
"Well, l hat to tell You this one
cause she told me to. Ohr' Jane
clapped her hand over her mouth and
jumped up and down. Offering fan
tastic silhouette against the light OF
the open door. ooh, oh, oh!'
"What's matterT"
"She said l mustn't. mustn't tell that
she told me to tell! My goodness!
forgot that! Mamma took me of
alone right after dinner, an she told
me to tell you this joke on her a little
after she an papa had left the house,
but she said, Above all things she
said, don't let Willie know l said to
tell him. That's just what she said,
an here that's the very first thing l
had to 60 an dor
"Well what Of it?"
Jane quoted down. Ibid you hear
what a fuss papa was maxim when he
was dressin' for the card party?'
II don't care IT, . .S.
HE had to 60 in his reg'lar clo'es, "
whispered Jane triumphantly. AN
this is the joke on mamma: You know
that tailor that let papa's dress suit
way out? Well, mamma thinks that
tailor must think she's crazy or some
pm, cause she took papas dress suit
to him last Monday to get it pressed
for this card party, an she guesses he
must of understood her to tell him to
do lots besides just pressin' it. Any
way, he went an altered 1t, an he
took it way. way in again. An this
| AFTERNOON Wnen IL came DacK IL was
| even tighter'n what It was in the first
place, an papa couldn't begin to get
into it!
well, an SO it's all pressed an
ev'ything, an she stopped on the way
out an whispered to me that she'd got
20 upset over the joke on her that she
couldn't remember where she put It
when she took it out O. papa's room
after he gave up tryin' to get inside
q it. An that" cried Jane-"that's
the funniest thing Of all! Why, it's
layin' right on her bed this very min
ute"
In one bound William leaped through
the open door, Two seconds sufficed
for his passage through the hall to his
mothers bedroom, and there, neatly
spread upon the lace coverlet and