Evening star., 1918-08-11
By Ellis Parker Butler.

sister," said my father. "Only by the
greatest luck she wasn't killed. A 1t
10, she has bullet In her arm. Now,
We'll. I was glad. and was scared
etiR. too. ! had left the target rife
on the rocks up by the shanty boat.
began to shake again. because knew
somebody. would md the target rihe.
and It had my initials on It. and when
they found the dead man they would
know killed him. ! guess my teeth
chattered. Anyway ! couldn't thing
s. Sa aa q, M after Sss wsasS sS.r
would want the rife and didn't have
would be hung"
Then mother saw me shake. and she
said; whats the matter? Are you
"Y-y-yes'm." said; Wen. 1T wasn't
''Father. the poor child is sick" my
th mother said. "see him chatter his
SO father looked at me. Malaria"
been up TO the Slough. because ne had
been reading In magazine about tho
malaria. 1 didn't know what to say.
1t didn't look good to say had been
up there SO near the old shanty boat.
and didn't like to lie about 1t, be-
% religion. VS. So y I didn't Rt say anything;
"Huhl" my father said. II knew
well enough something was the mat
ter with that boy when he got re; re;
coming on. Put him to bed and give
him q big dose OF quinine." And
then he said to me: Just let me
catch you up near the Slough again
This family is just one thing after
another"
got to bed pretty quick and moth
er, gave mo one OF the big cap;
sanke she the sasa ktchen sne sovs ssd
wrapped me up in 1t and put all the
bed covers she could find on top OF
me. I started to sweat right away.
So she said h f You want nna anything
call me. and she went down again.
She told father she guessed l was
pretty sick. because l looked like It:
and all he said was: Huh. boys!
made up my mind to live a better
and truer life, but I kept thinking OF
the man we had killed. l never sweat
so much in my life.
All at once the door bell rang and
/ sat right up in bed. thought the
police had come for me. But 1t wasn't
the police; it was something jpst as
bad-almost. 1t was old Higgins the
skin man. He was talking to father;
right. So father said had. and was
sick in bed. Then old Higgins said:
We'll, I don't know what to make
of it, Nobody brought my skiff back:
off Of me. and when 1t got late and
they didn't bring 1t back l got fright
ened. You ask him where he LETT my
skiff. and II they lost. 1t somebody's
got to pay me back for It,"
Well, I was mighty scared I craw1ed
down under the covers and pretended
to be asleep. but 1t wasn't any use.
because father shook me by the
shoulder
Nov what?" he said. cross. Here's
Higgins. the skin man, and he says
you hired skiff and didn't bring It
back. What's the meaning OF all thisR
And are you putting on this malaria
on this account? Explain, young
mani"
and me and Swatty and Bony got out
of the skin and-and we went ashore.
So-so-then me and Swatty. we run
down the railroad track little way
and-and when we looked back Bony
was going to get into the skiff, and
we hollered for him to wait for us, but
he wouldn't. He got into 1T and rowed
away.
And a left M you there"
guess he didn't believe it. I guess
he thought was trying to put it onto
Bony. to get out of it myself. He for
got I'd got religions. I guess. So he
snapped his fingers the way he does
when he's mad
"Get out Of that bed and get into
your clothes and make haste about
itw he said, and 4 said: Yes. sir!'
and 1 got out of bed right away. I
dressed quick.
Mother cried. because 1t was wrong
to make a sick boy dress and go over
to Bony's house out of sweat, and
I'd catch pneumonia; but I had to go.
So nobody said anything on the way
over, except Mr. Higgins tried to talk
about what nice weather we were
having, but father wouldn't talk.
didn't like to go, because-well,
thought all Bony's folks would be cry
ing because he was drowned. So when
crying. but Mr.. Booth.he was Bony,s
socks and said: We'll. what is 1t
now?" because I was there. and he
knew something was the matter or ]
wouldn't be there with my faths& So
father, said; "Did your son come
homer"
"Yes, he come home" Mr.. Booth
said, "but he aint well. and ma put
him to bed"
was glad he wasn't drowned, any,
way. Unless he'd told about the dead
man, and then maybe II wouldn't have
ben so bad II he had been drowned.
So father and Mr.. Higgins told about
the skin. and Mr. Booth sent Bony's
ma up to ask Bony. Pretty soon she
came down.