The Holly chieftain., 1919-02-06

them the "Alinervy flowers" because
they We're present from his Aunt
Minerva. When Aunt Deel returned
to the kitchen where I sat-a sorrow
ing little refugee hunched up In cor
ner-she said: "Pll have to tell your
Uncle Peabody-ayes!"
'Oh please don't tell my Uncle Pea
body" l walled.
"Ayes! I'll have to tell him." she
answered firmly.
For the first time / looked for him
with dread at the window and when
he came / hid in a closet and heard
that solemn and penetrating note In
her voice as she said:
II guess you'll have to take that boy
away-ayes!"
"What now2" he asked.
''My stars he sneaked into the par
lor and tipped over the what-not and
smashed that beautiful wax WREATH"
Jerusalem four-corners |" he ex-
claimed. "I'll have to-
He stopped as he was wont to do on
the threshold of strong opinions and
momentous resolutions.
The rest of the conversation was
drowned in my own cries and Uncle
Peabody came and lifted me tenderly
and carried me upstairs.
He sat down with me on his lap and
hushed my cries. Then he said very
gently:
snow, Bub, you and me have got to
be careful. What-nots and albums
and wax flowers and hatrcloth sofys
are the most dangerous critters in st.
Lawrence county. They're purity saw
age. Keep your eye peeled. You can't
tell what minute they'll Jump on ye.
More boys have been dragged away
and tore to pieces by 'em than by all
the bears and panthers in the woods.
Keep out O. that old parlor. Ye might
as well 60 into cage O. wolves. How
be goin' to make ye remember It'll"
81 don't KNOW" whimpered and be-
gan to cry out in fearful anticipation.
He set me in a chair. picked up one
Of his old carpet-sHppers and began to
the bed with tremendous vigor. Mean
while he looked at me and exclaimed:
you dreadful child!"
knew that my sins were RESPONSE
BILE for this violence. 1t frightened me
and my cries Increased.
The door at the bottom Of the stairs
opened suddenly.
Aunt Deel called:
Don't lose your temper. Peabody.
think you've gone fur 'nough-ayes u"
Uncle Peabody stopped and blew as
If he were very tired and then caught
look In his face that reassured me.
He called back to her: Il wouldn't
"a cared so much If it hadn't "a been
the what-not and them Minervy flow
ers. When a boy tips over what-not
he's goin' it purity strong"
''Well, don't be too severe. You'd
better come now and git me pail O.
water-ayes, I think ye had"
Uncle Peabody did lot of sneezing
and coughing with his big, red hand
kerchief over his. face and l was not
old enough then to understand 1t. He
kissed me and took my little hand in
his big hard one and led me down the
stairs.
dreamed that night that long-leg-
ged what-not, with a wax wreath in its
hands. chased me around the house
and caught and bit me on the neck. I
called for help and uncle came and
found me on the floor and put me back
in bed again.
For long time thought that the
way man punished boy was by
humping his bed. knew that women
had n different and less satisfactory
method. for 1 remembered that my
mother had spanked me and Aunt Deel
had way Of giving my hands and
head kind of watermelon thump with
the middle finger of her right hand and
with a curious look in her eyes. Uncle
Peabody used to call it "snaptious
look" Almost always he whacked the
bed with his slipper. There were ex-
ceptions, however, and, by and by,
came to know in each case the desti-
nation Of the slipper, for If had done
anything which really afflicted my con-
science that strip of leather seemed to
know the truth, and found its way to
my person.
Aunt Deel toiled incessantly. She
washed and scrubbed and polished and
busted and sewed and knit from morn
ing until night. She lived In mortal
fear that company would come and
find her unprepared-Alma Jones or
Jabez Lincoln and his wife, or Ben and
Mary Humphries, or "Mr. and Mrs.
Horace Dunkelberg." These were the
people Of whom she talked when the
IL