Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1921-09-01
MAS SLANG CURE
By EDNA NJ. FoRDE.
%. 1924 by Mcclure Newspaper syndicate.)


way?" shrieked freckle-faced Freddie
to his sister.
Sittin' On a stone WALL" she re-
torted nonchalantly, IAN don't you get
too fresh or I'll spill the beans to ma
that you gave the cat our gold fish ~
Jaw, whadda care! If you squeai
about the gold fish I'll tell teacher
where you hide your chewing gum.
See?"
"Well, 'awright If you won't tell,
then won't Huh?'
But Freddie'S answer was lost as
they disappeared through the hole in
the back yard fence.
Now all the while there had been
an 'eavesdropper who had heard this
sslsngy conversation. Mrs. Hapgood,
mother Of these two scallywags, stood
flfstening behind pile of wood which
Freddie should have chopped long
ago.
Its a problem" she sighed, as she
emerged and trudged her way through
the deep snow to the chicken coop.
ITS a problem to know how to man.
age children nowadays"
Sarah and Freddie, Is ard IA re-
spectively, were at the age when they
should have been a help and a joy
to their mother.
While Mrs. Hapgood was in the act
of collecting eggs, brilliant thought
occurred to heri She sat down right
then and there and wondered if her
idea, carried out, would cure those
little imps of their Stang and lazy
habits. "He who hesitates is lost"
she quoted. So putting the eggs back
in the nests, she trudged the short
space from the chicken coop to the
house.
mo harm in trying, anyway" she
unused.
"Yoo-hoo! Oh, 1na4a+a-a-a % shouted
voices from the back yard. "Is sup
per ready? Gee, we're starvin'r" And
then followed general slamming of
doors, kicking off rubbers, shifting
from the cold AID plenty Of impa-
thence.
"How do you get that way?" greeted
a voice from the next room-and they
entered to find Mrs. Hapgood seated
snugly before the fireplace with a
~Why don't you two have
a hearth" she continued II don't feel
like getting supper. 1t can go hang
for all I carer
Freddie and Sarah round-eyed and
speechless, stoed staring at her from
the doorway.
The voice continued: 1.-THE eggs
aren't in, the Store lis closed. the woods
not in, and there's no fire in the
range. How dc you expect me to get
At this point Freddie ventured to
say timidly: ''NOw, ma, quit yer kid
dim; we're awful hungry, honest!''
And Sarah, encouraged, ran to her
mother, threw her arms around her
neck and pleaded: "Please hurry, ma !;
we're goin' slffin' tonight up to
Browns hill, ana it's nearly time we
were leavin'! Isn't it, Freddie?" turn
ng to her brother, who burst forth
with torrent OF pleadings.
Right here Mrs. HapgoOds courage
learly failed her, but she pulled her
self together and forcing a laugh ex-
claimed: "Wel1, III IT'S time to leave, |
cts CO.,
"But ma-the supper"
"Never mind the supper. Slidin's |
more important than eatin' anyway
cts gor'
"Oh, whatever is the matter with |
na?" walled Sarah. '"She talks like
hat bold woman on Alden street, who
lever cleans her home.S'
''Tm waitin' - ea1fed a voice like
he woman's on Alden street. aren't
'ou ready YETI"
Freddie ambled into the kitchen,
md with penitent eye and dropping lip
le toed the mat and mumbled: Jaw,
guess won't go slfdin" tonight, and
wish you wouldn't go esther, ma"
eyes, let's stay home and We'll all
ook supper together" echimed in
'arah.
"And Wen play dominoes," - suggested
red
NO" declared ma, firmly. 'I'm sick
stayin' home, dom all the work an
ookin' meals, an talkin' like a nice
lother. From now on I'm goin' to
ak slang and do no work. Get me?"
Mother dear, please!'' begged Sa-
an. II don't know what has hap
ened to you, nor how you got shat
mean how you changed, but some
ow feel it is my fault and Freddie's,
nd If you will only say you are fool
e, and promise you will be our own
airing sweet mother once again, TIL
D anything you want, and we won't
Tx slang or be lazy any more, will
e, Freddie?"
please, maa-a-a! We've been too
esh, | guess. and anyway / was just
inkin' l could chop half that wood
| such nice moonlight night as to-
ght''-pause-' you'll cook us some
rambled eggs first"
I'M