Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-06-01
CHAPTER III.
(Continued.)

When we went out of the church
there stood Mr.. and Mrs. Horace
Dunkelberg, and Sally and some
other children. 1t was tragic mo-
ment for me when Sally laughed
and ran behind her mother. Still
worse was it when couple OF boys
ran crying, Look at the breeches! y
l looked down at my breeches
and wondered what was wrong
with them. They seemed very splen-
did to me and yet l saw at once
that they were not popular. l went
close to my Aunt Deel and partly
hid myself in her cloak. l heard
Mrs. Dunkelberg say.
"Of course you'll como 70 dinner
with us?"
For a second my hopes leaped
high. / was hungry and visions or
Jelly cake and preserves rose be-
fore me. OF course there were the
trousers, but perhaps Sally would
get used to the trousers and ask
me to play with her.
Thank We. but we've got a long
ways to go and we fetched a bite
with us-ayesi" said Aunt Deel.
Eagerly l waited an invitation
from the great Mrs. Dunkelberg
that should be decisively urgent,
but she only said:
I'm very sorry you can't stay"
My hopes fell like bricks and
vanished like bubbles.
The Dunkelbergs left us with
pleasant words. They had asked me
to shake hands with Sally, but l
had chung to my aunt's cloak and
firmly refused to make any ad-
vances. Slowly and without a word
we walked across the park toward
the tavern sheds. Hot tears were
flowing down my cheek-silent
tearsi for / did not wish TO explain
them. F'urtively I brushed them
away with my hand. The odor of
frying beef steak came out of the
open doors of the tavern. It was
more than I could stand. I hadn't
tasted fresh meat since Uncle Pea
body had killed deer in midsum-
mer He gave me look of under
standing, but said nothing for a
Then he proposed:
''Mebbe we better git dinner
here?"
Aunt Deel hesitated at the edge
of the stable yard, surrounded as
she was by the aroma of the flesh
pots, then:
81 guess we better go right home
and save our money, Peabody
ayes," said she. I'VE told Mr.. and
Mrs. Horace Dunkelberg that we
was goin' home and they'd think
we was liars
I'VE orto have gone with EN-"
said Uncle Peabody as he unhitch-
ed the horses.
We'll, Peabody Baynes. they
didn't appear to be very anxious to
have u.s." Aunt Deel answered with
a sigh.
We had started away up the
South road when. to my surprise,
Aunt Deel mildly attacked the Dun
kelbergs.
These here village folks like to
be waited on-ayes an they're
awful anxious you should come to
see 'em when we can't-ayes, but
when We git to the village they amt
nigh so anXious-no they ANTI"
Uncle Peabody made no answer,
but sat looking forward thought
fully and tapping the dashboard
with his whipstock, and we rode
On in a silence broken only by the
creak of the evener and the sound
Of the horses hoofs in the sand.
In the middle of the great cedar |
swamp near Little River Aunt Deel !
got out the lunch basket and l sat
aown on the buggy bottom between |
heir legs and leaning against the |
lash. So disposed we ate our |
unch of fried cakes and bread and
lutter and maple sugar and cheese. !
The road was a straight alley |
through the evergreen forest, and !
is grateful shadow covered us.
When We had come out into the hot |
sunlight by the Hale. farm both my |
lunt and uncle complained of head |
ache. What an efficient cure for |
good health were the doughnuts |
Ind cheese and sugar, especially if |
hey were mixed with the idleness
# Sunday. l had a headache also |
md soon fell asleep.
The sun was low when they
woke me in our dooryard.