Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1917-08-09

hammered on the door.
"What you want?" he shouted.
Jane explained, certain pauses indi-
eating that her attention was partially
diverted to another slice of bread and
butter and apple sauce and sugar.
"Will-ee, mamma wants you-wants
you to go help Genesis bring some
washtubs homeland q tin clo'cs boiler
| from the secondhand mans store"
"What!
Jane repeated the outrageous mes
sage, adding, she wants you to hurry
and l got some bread and butter and
apple sauce and sugar for comm to
tell you"
His refusal was direct and infuriat-
ed, but there was a decisive tapping
| upon the door, and his mothers voice
Interrupted:
Hush, Willie. Open the. door, please
He obeyed furiously, and Mrs, BaX-
ter walked in With a deprecating air,
while Jane followed, so profoundly in
terested that, until almost the close of
VIZ '+'N , SIN uS'd IL l p1Soh diIu
butter and apple sauce and sugar at a
sort Of way station on it's journey to
her mouth.
THAT'S a nice thing to ask me to
do stormed the Unfortunate William.
"Ye gods. DO you think .loe Bullitt's
mother would dare to-
"Nait, dcaric,,' Mrs. Baxter begged
Practically Il Just want to explain
"'Explain" lc gods..'
"Now, nov, jus, q minute, Willie.!"
she said. What / wanted to explain
was why its necessary for you to so
with Genesis for the
Never" he shouted. Never. You
expect me- 10 walk through the public
streets Wit. thai awful lookin' old
niger
Genesis isn't old" she managed to
interpolate He
But her frantic son disregarded her.
secondhand vashtubs!." he eocifcrat-
ed. And tin clothes boilers. That's
what you want your son to carry
through the public streets in broad
daylight! Ye gods"
"Well, there isn't anybody else she
said. please don't rave so, Willie,
and say 'Ye gods SO much. 1t really
isn't nice. I'm sure nobody'll notice
YOU
"'Nobody"." His voice cracked in
anguish. "Oh, no. Nobody except the
whole town! Why, when there's any
thing disgusting has to be done in this
family-why do l always have to be
the one: Why cant Genesis bring the
secondhand washtubs without me?
| Why can't the secondhand store deliv-
er 'em? Why can't
"That's what I want to tell YOU" she
%interposed hurriedly, and rs the youth
lifted his arms on high in a gesture of
ultimate despair and then threw him
self miserably into q chair she obtain
ed the floor. 1.-THE secondhand store
doesn't deliver things" she said. Il
bought chem at an auction, and it's go
ing out of business, and they have to
be taken away before half past 4 this
afternoon.
Genesis can't bring them in the
wheelbarIow because, he says, the
wheel is broken, and he says he can't
possibly carry two tubs and a wash
boiler himself. And he can't make
half, and I don't like to ask him, any
way. And it would take too long, be-
cause he has to get back and finish
cutting the grass before your papa
| gets home this evening. Papa said he
had to! Now, 1 don't like to ask you,
but it really isn't much. You and
Genesis al just slip up there and
"Slip"!' moaned William. "'Just slip
up there". Ye gods"
Genesis is waiting on the back
| porch" she said. Really it isn't worth
your making all this fuss about"
Eye gods!" He clasped his head in
his hands, crushed, for he knew that
the curse vas upon him and he must
| go. "Ye gods!"
Genesis and his dog were waiting
just outside the kitchen door, and of
all the world these two creatures were
probably the last in whose company
William Sylvanus Baxter desired to
make a public appearance. The aged,
grayish, sleeveless, reckless garment
which sheltered Genesis from waist
to collar bone could not have been
mistaken for a jersey.
Upon the feet of Genesis were things
which careful study would have re-
vealed to be patent leather dancing
pumps long dead and several times
buried, and upon his head pressing
down his markedly criminal ears, was
a once derby hat Of a brown not far
from Genesis own color, though de-
cidedly without his gloss. A large
ring Of strange metal, with the stone
missing, adorned a finger of his right
hand, and from q corner Of his mouth
projected an unlighted and spreading
cigar stub.
And Genesis dog, scratching himself
at his masters feet, was the true COM
plement Of Genesis, for. although no
was a youngish dog, he was q dog that
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