Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-01-30

only it made me ever so much more
uncomfortable, and I stepped out o.
the car.
The boy pulled himself together and
said in a husky voice to the elder girl:
Buck up, Cherlie! Don't tyke on
Well 60 inter the Park, an Miss Alice
will plye wiz us"
THE Park amt Kew Gardings! II
amt Kew Gafdings!" walled the little
girl.
whats the matter?" l said.
The boy looked me up and down dis
trustfully and fancied he liked my
face better than my clothes. Then he
said
Miss Alice's lost, Ter purse with 'alf
a-suvrin' in it, She was tyking hus to
Kew Gardings for a treat-an' now
she can't
The elder girl took her face, wet
with tears. out of the baby's frock and
said in heart broken voice: cts
don than Kensington Gardings; an e
was looking forward to it So" ! gath
cred that Steppie was the baby. And
! she's bin to Kew Gardings once
| "uci BIC was Olucl uO1 Ctcp-
pie. She remembers them, though"
And the tears ran down her cheeks.
! II want to go agyEe how walled
Verie. There was a squirt in tree"
! The boy turned to her and said gruff-
! ly: ut amt no use you tykin' on. Verie
! it amt really. The morn's CORN"
| Verie broke into broad howl Cher
lie sobbed twice; and feared that the
baby would Join in.
turned to the pretty girl, raised my
hat and said: This is regular trag
edy, don't you know? And it's got to
be stopped. Suppose we take them out
into the country in my carr"
She drew back, frowning little;
and I went on; II can't handle them
myself, don't you know. l couldn't
give them good time"
She looked from me to the children,
and from the children to me; she
wrung her hands and said softly: ooh,
dear-oh, dear"
It was hard for her, Of course, to
make up her mind what to do
Whether she ought to go motoring with
perfect stranger, or let the children
slide?
I did not say anything; it was the
kind Of thing she must settle for her
self. She looked at them again and the
children won.
Her face cleared, she smiled at me-
and she said: ooh. it would be good of
you! 1t is such a cruel disappointment
for them"
I turned to the children and said:
"It's all right. I'm going to take you
into the country-the real country in
my motor car"
Verie stopped bowling. Cherries
eyes opened wide. and so did her
mouth and I never saw such thankful.
ness In any ones face before.
ooh, Steppie, the real country
Steppie in the real country
where the cows are." she
said in whispering voice.
''In you get" said cheerfully And
the two girls stepped quickly toward
the car
ERE. old on. Wyte Bit" said the
boy "She don't mind. Mss Alice
don't, but this gov'ner won't want to
tyse the likes Of u.s." Then turning
to me. he added sternlv: Were an.
archists, we are and don't you myke
any mistyke abart it,"
Cherlie stopped with the thankful.
ness dying out Of her face and she
looked at the boy as If he had to be
obeved. Verie looked at him. scowled !,
at him deaantly and climbed into the |
tonneau.
Come out of it. verie!" he said |
sternly
ooh. Robbie don't you think we
might just fer once? |
Think of Steppie in the country" said
Cherlie in such a pleading voice that it |
gave me lnmp in my throat.
"Oh. that's all right! don't mind,
I said quickly Anarchists =,
I rather like 'em. In fact, I'm bit of /
an anarchist myself never could |
stick the House Of Lords-never-give
you my word tell you what I'll be
a full blown anarchist myself all the at.
ternoon."
said it straight OF without break,
for the children had got to go.
"Strite?" said the boy.
Straight" said I.
"If it's like that, thank yer, gov'ner."
said the boy with grnnt of thankful
ness. And he grinned all over his /
face as he held Cherries arm while she
got into the car.
] helQ open the door Tor MISS Alice.
ut is good of you" she said. as she
stepped into it. And she looked at
me in way I couldn't have deserved
If had given the children house in
Garthoyle Gardens and an income to
keen ii up.
"Harrod's," said to CASTOR, and got
in after her.
The tonneau is big: but it was only
when saw how much room the chill
dren left on the broad seat that real.
ICED what thin little things they were.
AS we settled down ] took stock of
hem. I saw that there were great
many patches in their clothes. But
heir faces were clean. and all the
more recent dirt had been scrubbed off
heir discolored little claws. They
were claws
1t struck me that there had heen
OF of careful preparation for their
aunt to Kew
They were sitting rather stiffly
ooking very serious, as If they were a
Dit overcome by the grandeur Of their
position. They were still busy getting
lsed to il when we came to HarrOd's.