Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1923-04-19


rs there something you want here,
little boy?"
He succeeded in operating the latch,
came in. and looked attentively at her
excavations. "Have you found any
nice worms?" he asked.
NO. I haven't found any at ALL" she
said, somewhat surprised by his ad-
jective. "But don't think there are
any nice worms anywhere. Worms
are all pretty horrid."
"No, they amt" he returned
promptly and seriously. There's lots
O. nice worms"
"Oh. don't think so.'
"There is, tool" he said stubbornly,
and with some asperity. Everybody
knows there's plenty of nice worms"
where did you get such nonsense
in your head?' Bella asked, a little
sharply. "Who ever told you there
are nice worms?"
"Wen tnere is ~
But what makes you think SOP" she
insisted.
"Well-" He heSitated then said
with conclusive air. settling the
question: "My mother. l guess she
knOws"
Bella stared at him incredulously
for a moment. whats your nameY
"My names George My names
George. the same as my papa" he re-
piled somewhat challengingly.
Don't you live just across the
street," she asked.
Eyes, do" He turned and pointed
to the George NJ. Sullender resi-
dence," and Bella thought she detect
ed note of inherited pride in his tone
as he added. "That's where live!"
"But, George, you don't mean," she
insisted curiously; "you don't mean
that your mother told you there are
nice worms? Surely not ~
"My mother did," he asserted. and
then with little caution, modified the
assertion. My mother just the same
! as did"
How was that?"
And his reply. so unexpected by his
! questioner, sent thrill of coming
triumph through her. "0Iy mother
"What"
"She did," said George "She called
him worm over and over"
"What"
"And if he's a worm," George went
on, stoutly. well, guess he's nice,
| isn't he? SO there got to be plenty
| nice worms if he's one"
"George!"
"She calls him a worm most every
little while these d,y9," said George.
expanding, and h &dded, in cold
blood: 81 like him gReat deal better
than what I do hel"
"You dor
"She hit him this marning," George
thought fit to menti m. upon this.
"What?"
with clo'es br, sts" he said. drop.
ping irro detail. 81 e hit him on
the back of the hea with the wooden
part of it and he said, ''O-oh
"But she was just in fun, of course"
mo. she wasn't; she was mad and
said she was goin to take me with
her and go back to my gram'paw's. !
won't go with her She's mad all the
the time. these days"
Bella stared, her lips parted, and
she wished him to continue, but re-
memhered her upbringing and tried to
he a lady. "Georgie." she said Sc
rercly, you shouldn't tell such
things. Don't you know better than
+" speak in this way of what happens
between your poor papa and your
mother?"
The effect upon George was moth
ing; for even at eight years of age
child is able to understand what in
t"reSts an adult listener. and children
deeply enjoy being interesting. In
response to her .admonition. he said
simply: Yesterday she threw a glass
o water at him and cut him where
his ear is. 1t made big mark on
him."
"GeOrgie! I'm afraid you're fell
ing me a dreadful. dreadful story"
! Bella said, though it may not be denied
that in company with this suspicion
there arrived premonitory symptom
of disappointment. "Why, I saw your
papa yesterday evening, myself. and
there wasn't any mark or anything
like"
1T don't show" George explained.
ut took him a good while. but he got
il fixed up SOS 1t didn't show much.
Then he bruSGed his hair over where
it was"
"Oh!"
My mother hates my papa" said
George. "She still hates him :"
''What for?'' Bella couldn't stop
this question.
'She wants him to have more
money and he says what good rould
that do, because she'd only throw it
around"
moi"
Yes" said George And she's
mad because once he got so mad at
her he hit her"
"What?"
lie did, too" George Informed her,
noGding. his large eyes rs honest as
tlCt were earnest. "She said she was
%oin' to see my gram'paw and she left
me at home, but my papa catched her
at the pitcher show with Mr.. Grum-
baugh--"
"Wh0g'
Mr. Grumbaugh," George repeat.
ed, with the air of explaining every
thing amply, 80 my papa made her
come home and he hit her, and she
hit him. tOo"'
Before yOu" Bella exclaimed, hor-
rified.