The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1922-12-01

voice OF Alice, the youngest OF the
three sisters. Peter in question had
come home to enjoy the leisure Of a
Saturday h~alf-holiday. A new book.
a magazine or two. a pipe and a
chaise Tongue on the awning sheltered
terrace had left Peter feeling the con.
tent Of a mild summer afternoon.
Alice's %reproving "Peter, Peter" was
the cloud floating by ON the %cloudless
sky. For, ever since Peter had been
brought up as the youngest child in
a household of three older sisters, he
had become accustomed to having all
his seedlings and ~reproving begin with
just these two words.
There was never any mlstaking
about the nature Of the comments to
follow, so Peter said: well, what's
the matter? What have l done to
dlsplease your majestyT' Alice was
only a year older than Peter and he
especially objected to her repro9fs.
"Peter, dear" she said, taking a
seat near his. 81 saw you downtown
this noon, and Peter, Peter-thePe
was a hole In your stocking. l was
walking behind you and honestly |
saw the hole first and wondered what
sort of man could be 50 careless, and
then l realized that it was our darling
Peter"
Thanks" said Peter. "Tll change
'em before dinner" He began read
ing furiously and Alice moved INTO
the background Of the garden beyond.
Half an hour before dinner Peter
went to his room to freshen up. and
a good fifteen minutes Of that time
was spent searching through bureau
drawers in search of a pair of hole
less socks. At length he found a pair
one solitary pair among fifty pairs OF
so that we're more or less unsound.
81 can manage to wear these to
morrow and Monday" reflected Peter
land I'll get one of the girls to memo
some up on Monday"
SO Monday morning he approached
the middle sister, Janet.
"If you haven't anything else to do
some time today" he began with wha
he thought considerable diplomacy
"you might mend a few of the bes
Of the socks I've laid out on my bed
I've such a skad Of them that I don
like the Idea Of buying any more, s
If you haven't anything else to do"
Janet interrupted:
"Peter, Peter" she began In dulce
but reprovlng tones. THAT'S just llk
a man. He assumes because a wOma
has no regular business that sh
hasn't anything to do. can assur
you that when I marry Tom he'll hav
to look at things from a difrerer
angle. Really, it is so rldiculou
Men spend fortunes educating an
cultivatlng women. They send thel
to college, have their voices traineI
have them learn all the arts and a
the graces and then they say: 'SinC
you haven't anything else to d
please darn my socks Really, Pete
r l don't want to be dlsagreeable. 1t
the principle Of the thing. When
want my automobilel painted or r
tired I don't get you to do It. I tai
It to a garage, because I know yC
have something else to do. I don
Y ever darn my own stockings and
|. don't intend to darn Toms, 80 I dor
see why l should take on yours"
Peter excused himself from Il
X feminine circle Of sisters a little earl
In his own sitting room he unwrapp'
c a small parcel containing darning CO
ton and silk, a large thimble and
paper Of needles. The girl at the n
ton counter Of a department sto
had told him that this was the niece
sary paraphernalia. Then he S
d erect and uncomfortable by the side
~ his reading table and tried to mast
the art Of darning, assuring hims'
J that there was no use in dlscardl
/ fifty pairs Of socks just because ca
pair needed a very little darnlng.
There was a rap on his door. B
before Peter had time to gather |
i'd mendlng equipment together sisi
n Maud had come in.
"Peter, Peter" said Maud, SEQ
n in her voice and in her eyes. ~ ca
IS Imagine a brother Of mine doing al
thing like that. ! thought you we
a regular man, but | see you arer
IN / hope that you don't tell our frlen
that you have to mend your o.
stockingsW
III Peter gathered the socks and I
Id mendlng things together with a han
IL dog look and then asked his sister
take a seat. But Maud did not. S
10 had been too seriously shocked.
mel The next Saturday afternoon Pc
.h made a neat package containing
or fifteen pairs Of socks and faI
n forth. He was going to try and q
some oldish person who would
willing to darn socks II well pa
He had no idea where he was go
TO nnd one. He started thinking
an inspiration might come. But
. fore anything like an inspiration !
come he spled his three sisters &C
! ing up the street. No street to Il
down lay between him and the 4
One OF them. probably Janet, a &
daughter Of Eve, was sure to ask
what was In the package. Pc