Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-02-02
ALICE DFVINF
By EDGAR JEPSON
Copyright 1916 BY The Bobbs- Merrill Co

he boDDS- MeETlll GO.
1.-THE way she carried herself; and sh
walked SO lightly.
We went on among the pines slowly
to suit Stepniak's toddles, and the 9th
er anarchists kept rushing up to SHOW
us the wonderful things they hat
found, or to shout at us the wonderful
things they had seen. She kept smil
ing at them, and encouraging them ant
congratulating them on their finds
Then we came to the pool of the
Twelve Apostles; and she said: "Yo,
have brought us to beautiful place.
81 never saw it look SO beautiful"
said; and I never had. l had never
seen it with her in it before.
think she understood, for she flush
ed little.
Fancy being able to motor here any
children-children like these-with
you! Oh, if only I could do things like
that for the children" she said.
nearly offered then and there to put
myself and my cars at her disposal as
often as she wanted us. But am not
impatient; and 1 thought it wise to GO
slow. If I tried to hurry things, it was
very likely that should spoil 1t all.
Then Verie came rushing up, purple
| with Joy, screaming: There's a squirt
in tree! There's a squirt in a tree!
,, Bring Steppie to see the squir'l."
picked up Stepniak and we hurried
off to see the squirrel, Miss Alice as
| excited and delighted as the anarchists
We all tried in an excited way to get
Stepniak to see the squirrel; I grew as
keen on making him see it as Cherlie
and Miss Alice. They were sure he saw
1T; | was not; and we argued about it
almost in a heated way. Stepniak
seemed awfully solemn for his age, and
! did not believe that he was really
keen on seeing squirrel Miss Alice
said l moderated his intelligence.
The squirrel took us to tree where
he found two other squirrels, and they
played about in it. The anarchists
were long time getting tired Of
watching them, and l found it was
nearly four o'clock.
Hadn't they better have tea now"
! said to Miss Alice Then they will
be ready for supper before we start
back. They may as we'll have two
meals while they are about it. They
look as though they could do with
them"
ooh, you do have good ideas. That
will be splendid!" she said: and her
eyes shone brighter than ever.
Its just common sense" said. by
the way, is Alice your Christian name
or your surname?"
tits my Christian name; my sur
names Devine," she said, with q shade
Of hesitation.
81 suppose you spell it with an 81?
You ought to- I said firmly.
No; it's spelt with an 'e': and that's
how 1t ought to be spelt," she said
smiling.
with an g." said.
with an e." said She.
swell. I know best, but we won't
argue about it, said |.
We went back IN body to the car
Castor had got hot water for the tea
and big jug of milk for the anar.
chfsts. thought that fire would be
better fun for them than spirit stove,
and they grew immensely excited
about 1t. There seemed to be no limit
to their power Of getting excited
When it had burned up a little we
began to unpack the hamper.
We laid the table cloth between two
pine trees, and set the knives and
forks and teacups on IT, Then Alice
took cake out of the hamper. At the
sight OF It the children, who had been
crying out to one another how pretty
the cups were, and how the spoons and
forks shone. suddenly were quite silent.
We paused in our unpacking and look
ed at them. They were staring at the
cake in a painful kind Of way. with a
horrible craving in their eyes. They
made me think of hungry little wolves
Verie's mouth was working as If she
were already eating. Then Stepniak
walled and held out his hands.
"Why Why ~
They must have been hungry all the
while All the time
they have been laughing and screaming
and enjoying themselves a
Hungrier than ever was in my life
all the way from
town." said, more than bit shocked.
Yes they forgot
it. How dreadful" said Alice in a hush.
ed voice.
She had turned rather pale
III LOOK me ABOUT nVe seconds TO cut
up that cake and hand it round To see
the look of thankfulness on those chill
dren's faces as their mouths filled
made me positively beastly.
STEADY, now. children, Don't wolf
it," | said.
I might Just as well have spoken to
real wolves.
Alice had already mixed a cup of
cake and milk for Stepniak and was
feeding him slowly. | got out dish
of chicken and tongue and pile Of
bread and butter and sat the children
down to 1t. They seemed to find cut
ting up the slices of meat too slow for
their appetites. When they got leg
or wing bone, they just took it in their
fingers and gnawed it happily.
Alice kept saying: Gently, children
Gently, Don't eat so fast,
please
They looked at her in helpless sort
of way. as if they would have liked to
do as she wanted, but could not. I did
not get out any more food and when
they had come TO the end of that. I