Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1921-10-13

of Herbert and his friend, impressive
ly maneuvering upon their fence, was
so extreme as to be all too plainly Wis
ible across four intervening broad
back yards; in fact, there was almost
reason to suspect that the two per-
formers were aware of their audience
and even of her goaded condition; and
that they sometimes deliberately in
creased the outrageousness of their
was watching them. And upon the
Saturday of that week. when the note
book writer's were upon the fence at
intervals throughout the afternoon,
Florence Atwater's fascinated indigna-
ton became vocal.
"Vile things!' she said
Her mother, sewing beside another
window of the room, looked up in
quiringly.
"What are, Florence?
Cousin Herbert and that nasty lit
tie Henry Rooter."
"Are you watching them again?"
her mother asked.
Eyes. l am" said Florence, tartly.
Not because i care to, but merely
to amuse myself at their expense"
Mrs Atwater murmured deprecat-
ingly, "Couldn't you find some other
way to amuse yourself, Florenew
81 don't call this amusement" the
inconsistent girl responded. not with
out chagrin. "Think I'd spend all my
days starin' at Herbert Illingsworth
Atwatef, Junior, and that nasty little
Henry Rooter, and call it amusement"
"Then why do you do it?'
"Why do l do what, mama?" Flor
ence inquired as if in despair of Mrs.
Atwater's ever learning to put things
clearly.
"Why do you spend all your days
watching them? You don't seem able
to keep away from the window, and
it appears to make you irritable.
should think if they wouldn't let you
play with them you'd be too proud
"Oh, good heavens, mamaw
'Don't use expressions like that,
Florence, please"
"Well," said Florence, 81 got to use,
some expression when you accuse me
of wantin' to play with those two vile
things! My goodness mercy, mama,
don't want to play with EN-! I'm
more than four years old, l guess;
though YOU don't ever seem willing to
give me credit for it. l don't hat to
play ali the time, mama; and, any
way. Herbert and that nasty little
Henry Rooter aren't playing, either"
Aren't they?" Mrs. Atwater in
quired. 81 thought the other day you
said you wanted them to let you play
at being newspaper reporter, or edi-
tor or something like that, with them,
and they were rude and told you to go
away. Wasn't that it?''
Florence sighed mo, mama, it
aert'nly wasn't"
"They weren't rude to your"
Eyes, they cert'nly were!"
swell, then"
Mama, can't you understands"
Florence turned from the window to
beseech Mrs. Atwater's concentration
upon the matter ut isn't .playingp
| didn't want to play being report
err; they amt playing"
Aren't playing, Florence"
"Yes'm. They're not. Herbert's
got a real printing press; Uncle Jo-
seph gave it to him. It's q real one,
mama, can't you understand
"Pn try" said Mrs. Atwater. "You
mustn't get so excited about it, Flor
ence."
"Pm mo-" Florence turned vehe-
mently. II guess it'd take more than
those two vile things and their old
printin' press to get me excited! /
don't care what they do; it's far less
than nothing to me All l wish is
they'd fall off the fence and break
their vile ole necks !"
With this manifestation of imper-
sonal calmness, she turned again to
the window; but her mother protest
ed. "Do find something else to amuse
you, Florence; and quit watching
those foolish boys; you mustn't let
them upset you so by their playing"
Florence moaned. "They don't up
set me, mama They have no effect
on me by the slightest degree And
told you, mama, they're not playing"
"Then what are they doing?"
well. they're having newspaper.
They got the printing press and an
Office in Herbert's ole stable, and ev-
erythng. They got somebody to give
'em some ole banisters and railing
from a house that was torn down
somewheres, and then they got 1t stuck
up In the stable loft, so II runs across
with kind Of a gate in the middle of
these banisters, and on one side is
the printing press, and the other side
they got desk from that nasty little
Henry Rooter's mothers attic; and
table and some chairs, and a map on
the wall; and that's their newspaper
Office. They 90 out and look for what's
the news, and write II down In Ink;
and then they go through the gate to
the other side OF the railing where the