The Pulaskian., 1921-12-01


 that this sfable isn't rulned.. It's my own uncle and aunt's stable, and I got as much right here as anybody"
 You have notr Henry Rooter pro- tested hotly. This isn't, either, your ole aunt and uncle's stable"
 Tt isn'ty"
 ''No, it is not! This isn't anybody's stable. It's my and Herhert's news paper building, and guess you haven't got the face to stand there and claim you got a right to go in newspaper building and say you got right there when everybody tells you to stay outside of it, I guess :"
 "0h, haven't r."
 "No, you haven't-Ip' Mir. Reoter maintained bitterly. "You just walk downtown and go in one of the news paper buildings down there and tell lem you got right to stay there all day long when they tell you to get out O there! Just try it! That's all l ask P
 Florence uttered a cry of derision "1And pray, whoever told you I was bound to do everything you ask me to, Mister Henry Rooter?" And she con- cluded by reYerting to that hostile impulse, so ancient, which in despair of tonehing an antagonist effectively reflects upon his ancestors. eff you got anything you want to ask, you go ask your grandmother
 "Herel' Herbert sprang to his feet, outraged You try and behave like a ladyl"
 Who'll make me?" she inquired. "You got to behave like 'ady as long as you're in our newspaper build ing, anyway" Herbert said ominously. ''n you expect to come up here after you been told five dozen times to keep out"
 For heavens sakes!' his partner interposed. ''When we goin' to get our newspaper work done? She's your cousin; I should think you could get her out !"
 "Wel, I'm goin' to, ain't I?" Her bert protested plaintiyely T expect to get her out, don't I2n
 "oh, you do? Miss Atwater in- quired, with severe mockery. "Pray, how do you expect to accomplish if, pfay?a
 Herbert looked desperate, but was unable to form a reply consistent with some rules of etiquette and gallantry which he had begun to observe during the past year or so. Now, see here Florence" he said. "You're old enough to know when people tell you to keep out of a place, why, it means they want you to- stay away from there"
 Florence remained cold to this req soning. "Oh, poot!" she said.
 Now, look heret" her cousin re- monsrated, and went on with his ar gument. We got our newspaper work to do, and you ought to have sense enough to know newspaper work like this newspaper work we got on our hands here isn't-well, it ain't any clSld's play"
 His partner appeared to approve of 1 the expression, for he nodded severely and then used it himself "No, you bet it isn't any child's playw he said.
 "No, sir" Henry Rooter again agreed. Newspaper work like this isn't any child's play at all!''
 "It isn't any child's play, Florence, ; ! said Herbert. 'It aicI any child's play at all, Florence. If it was just child's play or something like that, why it wouldn't matter so much your always pokin' up here, and" Well" the partner interrupted, ju- dicially, "We wouldn't want her around. even if it was child's play" "No. we wouldn't; that's so," Her bert agreed.
 we wouldn't want you around, any ] how, Florence" Here his tone be- came more plaintive. "So, for mercy's sakas, can't you go on home and give us a little rest? What you want, any how?'
 "Well, I guess it's about time you was askin' me that" she said, not un- reasonably. If you'd asked me that l in the first place, instead of actin like you'd never been taught anything, and was only fit to associate with hood lums, perhaps my time is of some value, myselfl"
 The lack of rhetorical cohesion was largely counteracted by the strong expressiveness of tone and manner; ar all events, Florence made perfectly clear her position as a person ot worth, dealing with the lowest of all her interiors. She went on, not paus- ing:
 "I thought, being as was related to you, and all the family and everybody else goin' to haf to read your ole newspaper, anyway it'd be q good thing if what was printed in it wasn't all a disgrace to the family, because the name of our family's got mixed up with this newspaper; so bere!"
 Thus speaking, she took the poem l from her pocket and with dignity