Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-05-21
CHAPTER I.
lCnntinned.l

Just step up on this lower
shelf" says the old what-not. Il
want to show We somethin.'
The what-not was all covered
with shiny things and looked as in
nocent as a lamb.
He went over and stepped on the
lower shelf and then the savage
thing jumped right on top of him,
very supple, and threw him on the
floor and held him there until his
mother came.
I dreamed that night that long
legged what-not, with a wax
wreath in its hand chased me
around the house and caught and
bit me on the neck. 1 called for
help and uncle came and found me
on the floor and put me back in bed
again.
For a long time I thought that
the way man punished a boy was
by humping his bed. l knew that
women had a different and less sat
isfactory method, for l remembered
that my mother had spanked me
and Aunt Deel had a way of giving
my hands and head kind of wa
termelon thump with the middle
finger of her right hand and with a
curious look in her eyes. Uncle
Peabody used to call it a "snapti-
Gus look Almost always he
whacked the bed with his slipper.
There were exceptions, however,
and, by and by, / came to know in
each case the destination of the
slipper for if l had done anything
which really afflicted my consci-
ence that strip of leather seemed to
know the truth, and found it's way
to my person.
My Uncle Peabody was a man of
a thousand. l often saw him laugh
ing and talking to himself and
strange fancies came into my head
about it.
who be YOU talkin' to?" I asked.
''WhO be I talkin' to, Bob? Why
I'm talkin' to my friends"
"Friends?" I said
The friends 1 ortO have had but
amt got. When l git lonesome r.
just make IN a lot o. folks and
some of 'em is good company"
He loved to have me with him.
as he worked, and told me odd tales
and seemed to enjoy my prattle.
! often saw him stand with rough
fingers stirring his beard, just be-
to show sprinkle of white,
while he loked down at me as if
struck with wonder at something l /
had said.
Come and give me a kiss. Bob"
n q 4 H. l.
would run to his arms and I won
dered why he always blinked his |
gray eyes after he had kissed me.
He was a bachelor and for a sin /
gular reason. | have always laid il i
TO the butternut trousers-the /
most sacred bit of apparel of which /
| have any knowledge.
What have you got on them but !
ternut trousers for?" / used to hear
Aunt Deel say when he came down 7
stairs in his first best clothes to go
to meeting or attend a sociabIe-
those days people just went to
but they always ATTENDED"
iables-"You re a Wearin' 'em
-hreadbare, ayes! l suppose you've
sot yer eyes on some one o. the
girls. l can always tell-ayes l cam
When you git your legs in them
)utternut trousers [ know you're
up-aYes!"
had begun to regard those light
brown trousers with a feeling of
awe. and used to. put my hand upon
hem very softly when uncle had
hem on. They seemed to rank with
'sofys," albums and what-nots in
heir capacity for making trouble.
Uncle Peabody rarely made any
answer, and for a time thereafter
Aunt Deel acted as if she were
bout done with him. She would
% around with a stern face as If
unaware of his presence, and I had
o keep out of her way. In fact
Ireaded the butternut trousers al
most as much as she did.
She toiled necessarily. She wash
d and scrubbed and polished and
Iusted and sewed and knit from
morning until night She lived in
Mortal fear that company would
ONE and find her unprepared-
Alma Jones or Jabez Lincoln ano
lis wife, or Ben and Mary Hum