Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-09-26

Once in Every
Boys Lite



The session had just been cor
Cluded and it was a baffled and mu
t,nous small boy who bent his bacl
10 slavery, horrid doom and humilia
zion, and donned the necktie whicl
his cruel parent had insisted upon al
: part Of his school attire. For som,
obscure reason the small boy had de
cided TO wear no crayat whatever
that day. and had given in merely t,
force.
He surveyed stonily this incompre
hensibe woman who could 20 cheer
fully on sticking pins into her hail
after her outrageous treatment OF hen
offspring. She even looked as tho
p she were smiling,
Il wanta know something" he
{ burst out haughtily, standing very
straight,
Well!' inquired his parent, DO
litely. Yes, she was-she actually
had a smile on her face. the sort that
one wears when things are all right
and nothing tragic has happened,
y wanta know" he proceeded cold
ly, whether when boy goes away
from home-if he has to have an aw.
Mi lot of money" There, Now there
would be an end to that infuriatingly
cheerful eypression'
81 tpl.
she failed to shrek and clasp him TO
ner bosom. HIM she asked. turn.
ing, two long hairpns between her
lips. She surveyed him lust as tho he
might have been the boy across the
street, ,.s
Why, VS. | think il mir BIT take
quite LOT of n ,ney. Thee wou
pe things 10 bu.. you .now to ct.
And he'd have to pay for a place 10
sleep-Oh. is il yourself you're
thinking about, Donald?'
Yes" he exploded the bomb ~
her fair and square. She actually
went on doing things to her hair as
tho he had not spoken Il don't
think he stated distinctly. that
you II see me any more. don't
think I'll come back here again"
oh" said his parent, seriously.
turning around and abandoning her
couture. We'll, that's sort OF sur
prise Where are you going?"
lie elowed at her darkly "Oh, |
know of place" he said dstantly.
Tlry don't care il you wear col.
lars or necktles or nothin'. Maybe |
won't even write you and you'll son
der and wonder where | am"
"Oh. | suppose | might think about
II now and then" his parent told
him, calmly. But of course if you'd
sfather 90 somewhere else wouldn't
nave you stay here for worlds, Only
lts, pretty bad weather and | wouldn't
try to go very far if were YOU"
"Mebbe I'll fall in creek and
drown to death" he surmised hope.
fully. Il guess you'd be sorry then, .
Mebbe they'd never find me and peo.
pie would say, oh, Mrs. White!
Whatever could have become OF Don.
aid! Don't you feel dreadful not to
know what has happened to him or
where he is?' Then guess you'd
wish you hadn't"
You'll want to take some clean
clothes to change into,' his mother
interrupted practically. Don't for
get your handkerchiefs, either. Maybe
you can get them in that little school
suitcase
He kicked one heel against his
other foot and swelled with wrath 1t
was awful to find out such hoartless
things about your own mother
"Ill bet you'll be sorry" he insist
ed, when don't come back any
more, bet you will
"Oh, no doubt" she said cordially.
But I'll simply have to stand It, II
you've made up your mind there's
not a bit of use Of my saying any.
thing, is there?'
NO." he admitted firmly. I'm
just going away and you can't stop
me. just won't stay in place like
this. And don't care for my hand.
kerchiefs or nothing"
He staked to the spot where stood
his bank and began shaking out the
pennies and nickels valiantly. She did
not try to stop him by orders or per
suaslon. Once when coin struck she
even handed over to him her silver
button hook with the advice to try
that. Why, she acted as tho she ac.
Iually was trying to speed up his
He jingled the money
into his pocket, stalked out and re
turned in his cap and overcoat. For
4 moment he stood in the door.
Goodbye" he said in what he
meant to be loud and defiant
f0ice, but which somehow wasn't.
Goodbye, Donald his mother
'aid, Just az tho he were Mrs. Jones
'rom downstairs or the laundress.