Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1918-04-04
.ALittle Child
oo
BY
Martha Mccullough Williams
pyright. 1918. by the Mcclure Newspa
per Syndicate)

per Syndicate)
"Yes, sirl Miss Prue said oraeular-
ly. You hear my racket Somp'n is
in the wind over to Barton's-shore's
I'm knee-high to a grasshopper."
How come you to be so sheFe?"
Widow Allan demanded, settling her
knitting-sheath more firmly against
her plump side. Miss Prue half shut
one eye-a devout church member of
course could not wink-set her arms
akimbo, advanced a large foot, and
said still with the oracular intena-
tions: I'D tell ye-only I'm main
afraid yen 90 strowin' all up and
down Bresh Creek neighborhood, and
gittin' me the name o. talkin' scandal"
The widow smiled broadly. Miss
Prue was known already for the head
and front of all gossip-especially OF
the more lurid sort. Suit yerself, she
said TRANQUILITY. Tell hit or keep yer
mouth shet. l know and you know L
CANT possibly want to hear things half
as bad as You want to tell EN-"
Which was fact rudely stated Miss
Prue magnanimously ignored it. Il
know you're n sensible person." she
began. Besides ra'alely must have
somebody ter take counsel of. This
we're business is too much for one lone
woman ter wrastle with"
"How many other ones have We done
told a'ready?" the widow interrupted.
Miss Prue looked down: Il jest sorter
sketched things to Nan Wiekfield and
JoSy Crimes" she began. The wild
ow threw up both hands, shaken with
gusty laughter aye had better wrote
hit to the county paper" she said. "But
l wonder at yo' ehoosings. Nan and
Joe won't rest tell you've told the
whole neighborhood, not leavin' you
nobody but me-"
"Ihey come in on me in the middle
of things-whilc the young man was
here, asking the way-and maxim out
like he hung on admirin' my domn-
ecker pullets," Miss Prue protested.
'They seen him-also heard. So jest
had to tell partly-the rest"
stop beatin' the bushes, fer good
ness sake What is the rest?" the
widow demanded. Miss Prue drew IA
long breath. EFF / but knowed the
whole full of HIT 'twould be with
money-a heap of money. Five hun
dred dollars PIN an awed voice:
Enough to send missionary clean to
China
EFF l didn't know folks CANT git
sunstruck in the late fall, I'd think
your head was fetched" the widow
exploded.
Miss Prue looked at her Ioftily, Sc
verely. MAKE light of hit all you
wanter," she said, but that's the re-
ward. Here Look at the handful
Didn't you find one like hit in your
letter boX?"
The widow read, gasping. Sure
enough there was a reward-five hun
dred dollars for information leading to
the capture of counterfeiters, double
that for capture actual. Followed de-
scriptions-three men, a girl, hardly
more than child, an elderly person,
very darkskinned, a small boy, al
most baby. All pictured in the usual
CHASTITY fashion of dodgers" over the
Widows shoulders Miss Prue gIared
down at the alleged portraits Them
two's at Barton's, Shore" she said,
her finger on the dark woman with
the baby in her arms. "S'manthy told
me out of her own mouth they was
goin' TO board a boy-child and hits
nurse till after Christmas. Now | ask
you, what would honest folks be dom
sendin' child to the country sech a
time O. the year?"
"Oh, that amt nothin'. Town folks
has got so silly they don't s'prise me,
no matter what they do" the widow
commented. You're hatchin' a mares
nest out of nothing. as usual. Pru-
dence. Your parents ought to a-named
ye Im-Prudence-you talk so wild"
Wait! You amt heard half" Miss
Prue said maglsterlally. 1.-TWO Of the
men, and the gal, are at Barton's every
little while-come an go in a car-al-
ways on the edge of dusk else mighty
early mornin, And this other-him
come yisterday-he makes up the hull
three.
Are you shore? Did he look like
them pictures?" the widow demanded
"As much as anybody else" Miss
Prue answered, tossing her head "But
that amt all jedge by. He actually
offered me one o. his bad bills-.a
twenty, bran-new-wanted to buy a
dozen pullets, and said he hadn't no
You took hit-then you've got the
gang dead to rights" the widow said
quivering in her eagerness over the
drama.
Miss Prue shifted. Il didn't do no
Sech fool thing" she said. "Once is
enough for me- amt forgot that time
took In bud dollar SOS TO sell
dozen aigs-and had the bank man
shove it back at me, marked 'coun-
tefelt' | told that thar man / hadn't
no change-he might come again fer
the pullets. l don't believe he will do
.t-but if he should"
We'll, what?' the widow asked as
Miss Prue's lips closed like steel
trap. "Oh, nothin'-much," said that
lady, only I've got n telenhone and