White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1927-12-16
CHAPTER II-Continued

III
white and quivering, back to her dish
washing.
Nicely, slowly following, took q
towel and began to dry the dishes al
ready washed, both of them waiting
in tense anxiety for the entrance OF
"the Mister"
But Mr.. Schwenckton did not at
once come down. Nicely and Lizzie,
from where they worked, could sui
hear, family, the voices in the room
above.
II have awful afraid" Lizzie whis-
pered, her teeth chattering as she
splashed in the dishpan. pop ne
whips so hard! It's awful good OF
you, Nicely, to help me! Mebby II
have all done nice and clean TIL fop
comes down, he won't whip me SO
hard"
"You poor little thing!" Nicely eX-
claimed, working as fast as Lizzie her-
self. Il won't let him touch you
I'll"
"But have afraid that would make
him do it all the harder, Meely-your
just tol' him how you tor me it was
q pity I wasn't old enough to run Or 7!
If YOU took up for me now, after her
tellin' him that, he'd think 1 was get
tin spoilt by you and that he'd have
to learn me"
''But you've done nothing! That
horrible woman lies I'll tell him how
Az CHI
you two children and overworks you.
He's too fond of you, Lizzie, to allow
it, once he understands. He seems so
especially fond of you, Lizzie. Did he
ever whip your"
"Not yet I'm the only one he didn't
whip. Each one, as soon as they got
big enough, got one awful hard whip
pin and then never no more. Oncet
was enough. After that one they never
disobeyed to Pop no more. Oncet was
enough to learn 'em. Except Sammy.
On account of Aunt Rosy's bein' here,
Sammy's had his second one. The
reason Nettie and Jakey run off was
that Pop was a-goin' to whip 'em
if they didn't mind to Aunt Rosy, and
as big-growed as what they are yet.
they didn't want to take it off Of him,
so they run Off"
"But how have you escaped, Lizzie?'
II don't know never seemed to do
nothin' to get whippin' for. But l
know Aunt Rosy'll make him whip me
tonight! I have so afraid, Nicely! I'd
run off to CRIMINALS like Nettie done
If it wasn't dark night and ten miles
away!'
"It's a wonder your father doesn't
force Nettie to come home. He did
try to, didn't he?"
Eyes, but Gramma she told Pop he
darsent make Nettie come home till
Aunt Rosy's away already. Till Susie's
we'll and Aunt Rosy goes, then Net
tie she'll come home. But mind you
what she tor Pop yet!'
"What?"
"She toll Pop if he tried to whip her
fur runnin' off, she'd run off where he
couldn't find her, like Jakey done
Pop he's awful downhearted about
Jakey. He don't show it much; but
he is"
1t was not until after Sammy had
finished his supper and the table was
cleared and the last dish washed ant
put away in the cupboard, that Mr.
Schwenckton, followed by Aunt Rosy
returned to the kitchen.
Lizzie, with a faint hope of saving
herself, spoke to him ingratiatingly
though she was white with fear O
him. "See, Pop, how / got all the
work done-all the dishes and pans
Eyes, well, but" Aunt Rosy broke
in, 'look at your diapers still layin-'
Mr.. Schwenckton laid his arm arount
Lizzie's thin shoulders, which shranl
away from his touch for she did no
know whether it meant a caress O
whether he was about to lead he
away for punishment.
Nicely, fearing the latter tfor sh
had been witness to Sammy's chas
tisement week ago) could not re
strain herself, unwise as she felt he
interference might be. "Mr. Schwenck
ton, this woman doesn't tell you tn
truth !" she said breathlessly. "Lf7
zies an obedient. willing, hard-worB
ing child land if Aunt Rosy can't ge
on with her, that's her fault and no
Lizzie's. And, Mr.. Schwenckton, It,
q crime to put little frail girl lik
Lizzie to such heavy work as wasf
ing sheets and diapers! You don
know, do you, that this little gin
stands at the washtub several hour
every day? Her back will be strained
/ ought to have told you before, BIT
hated to interfere. Now, Nj
Schwenckton, you've got to put a sto
to it You must, you must !-th1
womans devil"
"Tut, tut ~ Mr.. Schwenckton raise
his hand in protest against such III
seemly language on the lips of girl
and Aunt Rosy's look of deadly spit
at Meely's accusation turned into
broad smirk .of satisfaction. "Didn
] tell you Sam, how she's gettin Lii
zie spoilt fur. you? Learnin' her
swear and curse (you heard her ca
me a devil yetD and to disrespec' n
and you"
"Aunt Rosy" Mr.. Schwenckto
spoke in quietly, II didn't speak not
I'm to you upstairs, for the reason
didn't want to get my Susie stirre
up. But I'm sayin' to you now tn;
/ pay you to do the work here an
you don't do it. You try to put 1t
on my little Children. And what the