The Glenwood post., 1923-12-27

| AT little before nine O'Clock, Mr.
William Sperry had departed Tin a
Young husbands car) for his place Of
business, some five miles distant, in
the smoky heart of the city; and not
long afterward the thoughtful Bella,
charmingly accoutred as a gardener,
came forth with a trowel to uproot
weeds that threatened a row Of iris
she had set out along the gravel path
between the tiny white veranda and
the white picket gate. Thus engaged.
she became aware of small presence
fumbling at the latch Of this gate, and
she changed her position from that Of
one on all fours, who gropes intently
In the earth, to that of one upright
from the knees, but momentarily re-
laxed.
DO you want to come inT she in
quired, looking out from the shade Of
her broad hat to where the little fig
ure in blue overalls was marked off
| into stripes of sunshine and shadow
by the intervening pickets of the gate.
"Is there something you want here,
little boy2"
He succeeded in operating the latch,
came in, and looked attentively at her
excavations. Have you found any
nice worms?' he asked
mo, haven't found any at ALL" she
said, somewhat surprised by his ad-
jective. But I don't think there are
any nice worms anywhere. Worms
are all pretty horrid."
mo, they amt" he returned
promptly and seriously. "Theres 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, little
sharply. "Who ever told you there
are nice worms?"
"Well, there isv
But what makes you think soT' she
insisted.
"Well-" He hesitated, then said
with a conclusive air, settling the
question: my mother. I guess she
knowsw
Bella stared at him incredulously
for moment. "What's your name|
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
"Yes, / 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 mott"
my mother did" he asserted, and
then with little caution, modified the
as did"
"How was that?"
And his reply, so unexpected by his
questioner. sent thrill Of coming
triumph through her. MY mother
called my father worm."
"Whatl" |"
"She did," said George. "She called
him a worm over and over"
i "Whatw
"And II he's n worm," George went
on, stoutly, "well. I 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 NEST every
little while these days." said George,
expanding. and he added. in cold
blood: II like him great deal better
than what I do her."
you dor
"She hit him this morning" George
thought fit to mention. upon this.
"What?"
with clo'es BRUSH" he said, drop
ping into detail. "She hit him on
the back of the head with the wooden
part Of 1t and he said, 'O-ohv"
"But she was just in fun, of course"
"No. she wasn't; she was mad and
said she was goin' to take me with
her and go back to my gram'paw's. I
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-
membered her upbringing and tried to
be 4 lady. "Georgie," she said se-
verely, you shouldn't tell such
things. Don't you know better than
to speak in this way Of what happens
between your poor papa and your
motherr'
The effect upon George was moth
ing; for even at eight years of age a
child is able to understand what in
terests 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. It made big mark on
him."
"Georgiel I'm afraid you're tell
ing me dreadful, dreadful story r.
Bella said, though 1t may not be denied
that in company with this suspicion