Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-09-01
GUESS Bony's father and mother
used to fight like everybody else
and about bills. because they
vera having n dpht llka that


used to fight like everybody else
and about bills. because they
were having O fight like that
when Bonys father took the
shotgun and went away from homo.
That's what I'm going to tell you
about. I guess 1t was a hat Bony's
mother bought that was tho worst.
but Bony wasn't sure. He said they
began to fight when the grocery bill
came, and fought harder and harder
the moro bills there were; but 1t
wasn't until the hat bill came that
Bony's father stopped sassing back
and got solemn and quiet. and said
sometimes he felt that it was no use
trying to keep up the struggle
against poverty and starvation, and
that sometimes when these evidences
of extravaganza came in he felt just
like going off somewhere by him.
self and ending everything. So then
Bony's mother said, "Oh, nonsense"
and pretty soon Bony's father got his
shotgun and went out of tho house.
expecting every minute to hear the
shotgun and to run out and see his
father dead in the stable. He sat there
and pretended to be studying his ge-
ography lesson for Monday. but all ne
shot. It was mighty mean Job.
guess, sitting there listening like
that, and waiting to hear his father
kill himself. But he didn't hear any,
thing.
So pretty soon he shut his book and
sort Of tiptoed out Of the house. but
he did not dare go near the stable.
He didn't know what to DO. He went
out on the front steps ana stood there,
and pretty soon he saw mo and Swat
and came running. and We waited for
him.
1t was March, but II wasn't cold be-
cause We were having thaw. It was
good snow to make snowballs Of 30
we made a few snowbalis and just
him ave or six times, But he didn't
heller for US TO stop, like he usually
does; hs Put big arm IN front Of his
oo coss for e srSw Il him
more We stopped. and then we saw
"Ah. shut up and don't be a babyl"
swatty said. I'VE didn't hurt you'll"
But Bony kept right on baw1ing. He
didn't bawl the way cowardy-ca
bawls when he gets hurti he bawled
like-we1l. guess, he bawled like a
fellow baw1s when his father has
gone on with shotgun to shoot him.
shut up any more. swatty said:
Whats the matter, Bony7"
So then Bony put his arm up against
tree and cried into 1t, and after he
had cried awhile he said:
~ Mymmy fathers e.. out in the barn
gunr
HE amt, neitherw Swatty said: And
I said 1t, too.
He is. too. killing himselfp Bony
said. and he blubbered at the same
cause your fath--fathers don't kill
never kik-kilIs himself! My ia
father said he'd kik-kill himself. and
IL he said SO he w--willl"
self in the barnr' swatty said. And
! guess that made Bony mad. because
1t was like saying Bony's father was
liar. or that Rony was, anyway.
Mostly Bony wouldn't fight. no mat
ter what you said. BECAUSE he's a cow
father is killing himself in a barn or
anywhere he don't care what happens
to him. So Bony was SO mad he for
got how easy Swatty could lick him,
you step on its tail and he pitched
into Swatty with both fists. So Swat
ty had to lick him. He licked him
good. So when Swatty had him down
and was sitting on him. Swatty said:
in the barn7"
"Yes. he Isl" Bony blubbered., And
then we knew that Bony's father was
really going to kill himself, because
II Bony hadn't been pretty sure he
would have said he wasn't, because
he knew how Swatty can push a fell
lows nose into his face with the bot
tom of his hand when he has got him
down and he don't say what Swatty
wants him to say. So we knew it
must be pretty serious. So Salty
'iidn't push Bony's nose. but he said,
well, your father Amt killing
himself In the barn. because he went
by here a little while ago with his
shotgun ..n,ts He How do you know he's
II know 1t because him and mother
was fighting over bills, and he said
he would" Bony said.
So then Swatty said, Aw! he didn't
believe anybody would kill himself
because he was fighting over bills,
He said he didn't believe any grown
UP man would fight over a little thing
like a bill. So that made me mad, and
I said, Aw! any man would fight aver
u bill. and that my father did, and
that my father was better man
than Swatty's father any day in he
week, and could lick Swatty's father
any time they wanted to try it. And
that was true. and Swatty knew it.
because my father was bigger than