Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-05-18
the deferential voice of Horace.
Put it down." said Hedge. II

Put 1t down, SAID hedge. IN
busy
He read on:
1--WE hold these truths to be sell
evident, as follows:
HE has refused to give US oul
regular allowances. having cut same In
half.
HE has refused to give US credit at
stores, SO that we cannot buy the kind
of clothes and other things we need.
"He has bossed us around, when he
has no right to do so. just as if he had
as much to say about it as our father
which he HASN'T"
H. Hedge glanced up from his read.
/ ing and detected Constance in the act
of bestowing an extraordinary glance
upon Alice. He continued:
"He has made lot Of rules about
hours that make us feel as if we were
orphan asylum children.
HE has put a time-clock on the
servants, and has got everybody fill
ing out reports every day until we are
nearly all crazy"
Billy Brooke coughed loudly and be-
came busy with his orange. The effici-
ency man went on relentlessly:
"He has combined with others to
subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to
our Constitution and unacknowledged
by our laws"
CHAPTER XII, (continued).
H. Hedge looked up at the paneled
ceiling and racked his memory. The
document bewildered him. The model
was sublime, but it was difficult to tell
where the model left off and Alice's
document began.
Constance flushed holly.
"Alice.' she whispered, lis that
what you made Inc sign?"
Alice nodded.
"It's-ItS-"
well, you signed said Alice blunt
ly. 81 asked you to read it and you
wouldn't
But never thought
The efficiency man was reading
again:
''He has interfered with some of our
friends coming to the house, with cir
cumstances of cruelty and perfdy
scarcely paralleled in the most barbar
GUS ages.
"He has excited domestic insurrec-
tons against US.
'He has made us all miserable and
unhappy and ashamed to look our
friends in the face, and our repeated
petitions have been answered only by
repeated injury
The efficiency man seemed to be
suffering from a choking spell. He
was wondering how George III felt
when the Declaration OF 1776 was laid
at his breakfast place.
Constance and Billy were shooting
angry glances at their sister.
Say. kid" whispered Billy why
didn't you read it to me first?"
Huh" exclaimed Alice "You sign
ed when you heard Connie had"
81 know--but l thought she'd read
it."
"She was too sleepy" said Alice.
She wouldn't. What's the matter with
it, anyhow
Billy dug viciously into his orange
and turned purple.
II. Hedge was reading again:
"a person whose character is thus
marked by every act which may de-
fine tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler
of John w. Brooke's children"
He paused and studied the ceiling
again II he was busy chewing his I'M
der lip. Constance and Billy failed to
notice it. They were trying to, wither
Alice with incendiary glances.
"We therefore"
H. Hedge fingered over the there
FORE He ventured an inspection of the
three Brookes. but only Alice met his
eyes She was defiant.
I'VE. therefore, William Walton
Brooke. Constance Thatcher Brooke,
and Alice Brooke, solemnly publish
and declare that we are, and Of right
ought to be. free and independent chill
dren"
The efficiency man paused and read
it over again, in her chair: Billy and
Constance bent over their plates.
"And We hereby call upon H. Hedge
to abolish above said rules and give us
back our full allowances. And we mu'
tually pledge to each other our lives.
our fortunes, and our sacred honor"
Once more the reader halted and
surveyed his three charges. Even Alice
was pretending to be busy, now.
and declare that until he does the
same, as aforesaid,
1--WE WILL NOT EAT!
"(Signed)
Constance Brooke.