News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1922-01-25

( mes gol to SHOW us whether he's
game. hasn't he. uncle?"
IN bet he's a gutter watch him in
, the : Xth. He's not the kind to pay
| he game through" Uncle Thomas
was at that minute gifted with an In
| sliration that he hoped would mean
| Tom Holt's happiness restored.
I N"Oh, do hope he sticks, hate a
quterm said Lucia vehemently.
Eut Uncle Thomas proved right.
The marvel" tried all his tricks, in
Jhe SIXTH saw two more hOmers from
his futile balls. and then-something,
apparently was wrong with his wrist.
he felt it gingerly and made wry
face He called the umpires attention
10 it; Uncle Thomas and Lucia could
see him trying to CONVINCE that skep-
tic gentleman that something was
wrong. Another man was put in his
place, and the marvel" walked off the
diamond nursing his wrist.
Let us go, Uncle. / don't want TO
Sc the finish now I've read about that
fellow eeyery day and it's too much to
see him> drop out like this" said Luz
Ella, then hopefully, perhaps he real
~ Sprained it, Wen try to find out"
Listen to these two, they're from
his oNn club" whispered Uncle Thorn
as, drawing Lucia to one side, behind
two players who We're talking in low
tones.
"Sure, Bill, he quit on us, cold!
And big coin he gets, too he's moth
ing but a quitter.' said the first
chap.
The yellow skunk The yellow
skunk :" muttered the other.
Walking home brought back to
Uncle Thomas one other day when
very gay and happy young man had
been with them.
"Seems like Tom ought to be with
US today, doesn't it, Lucia?" he asked
slyIy. AS a leading remark, he could
not have chosen better Lucia was
not above bidding for sympathy.
"Oh, Uncle Thomas, we must be
an awful Disappointment to you. Tom
and / have failed somehow. l have
tried to do my part, but don't seem
to get anywhere very fast, and Tom
doesn't appreciate me-" The oraH rec
itatiOn of the situation brought big
tears to Luclat eyes, a plaintive tone
to her voice. Almost, if he had not
certain scenes in his mind, Uncle
Frhpn,oC ho1 I at,
looked up into his face for the sym
pathy that failed to register there.
Little girl, life isn't much different
than baseball, you can't quit and be
happy, or well thought of either. You
chose Tom for better or worse, as the
saying goes, and there's been a lot
more better than worse. Toms done
and is doing his share, under handi-
cap, too, for his wife has quit, cold"
Ignoring the tears in the reproachful
eyes, Uncle Thomas continued. Last
night when your husband tried to tell
you about a business deal, you yawned
in his face, and the hand with which
you sti1ed that yawn had gray-edged
nails. This morning, too, you did not !
look like the kind Of wife to inspire
il man to IA hard days work"
Lucia's face worked painfully, wom-
ln-like. She was glad that they were !
Oh n by-street. She could see, men
'ally, the pitcher leaving the box. !
head down, another called to his work. |
There was likeness between him and |
herself, cold fear gripped her heart, !
she could not bear to think of further |
Am | yellow skunk, too, am II" I
she SObbed, now keenly sensitive to |
Ier failure.
"Well. not exactly. Lucia. Yellow |
skunks do not change their color, but |
stake my guess that yours is going
to turn to true blue. Lucia, am /
right"
Yes, you are. l can see how blind
Eve been. You go into Toms Office /
and take him to dinner. I've got to |
20 home and do some things to the
rouse, to myself, and to Toms clothes.
And Uncle Thomas, please send him
lOme after dnner-alone."
Losing no time Lucia fastened to-
wards her neglected duties.
There's nothing like little base
Dall ~ straighten out our mental per-
spective," declared Uncle Thomas TO
himself as he boarded the town car,
IN route tn tell Tom that the match
maker" had accomplished his mission.