The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-12-09
CHAPTER Il-Continued

The noise of Mr.. SchwencktOn'S sud-
denly rising and walking to the door
at the head of the stairs sent Lizzie,
white and quivering, back to her dish
washing.
Nicely, slowly following, took
towel and began to dry the dishes al
ready washed, both of them waiting
in tense anxiety for the entrance or
"the Mister"
But Mr.. Schwenckton did not at
once come down. Nicely and Lizzie.
from where they worked, could still
hear, family, the voices in the room
above.
81 have awful afraid!" Lizzie whis-
pered. her teeth chattering as she
splashed in the dishpan. "Pop he
whips so hard! It's awful good OF
you, Nicely, to help me! Mebby If l
have all done nice and clean till Pop
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
takin' up for me after what his Susie
lust toll him !-how you tol' me 1t was
a pity I wasn't old enough to run Off (!
If you took up for me now, after her
tellin' him that, he'd think ] 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
she lies! And how she imposes on
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
.sNot 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.a 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
treason Nettie and Jakey run Off was
that Pop was a-goin' to whip 'em
II 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?"
AZ don't know never seemed to do
noth.n' to get whippin' for. But l
know Aunt Rosy'll make him whip me
tonight have so afraid, Nicely! I'd
run off to CRIMINALS like Nettle done
II 1t wasn't dark night and ten miles
away!"
tits 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
darsen't make Nettie come home till
Aunt Rosy's away already. Till Susie's
well and Aunt Rosy goes, then Net
tie she'll come home. But mind you
what she toll Pop yet!'
"What?"
"She toll Pop If he tried to whip her
fur runnin' off, she'd run of where he
couldn't find her. like Jakey done.
Pop he's awful downhearted about
Jakey. He don't show 1t much: but
he is"
1t was not until after Sammy had
finished his supper and the table was
cleared and the last dish washed and
put away in the cupboard, that Mr..
Schwenckton, followed by Aunt Rosy,
returned to the kitchen.
Lizzie, with faint hope of saving
herself, spoke to him ingratiatingly,
though she was white with fear of
him. "See, Pop, how l got all the
work done-all the dishes and pans"
"Yes, well, but" Aunt Rosy broke
In, ''look at your diapers still layin-"
Mr.. Schwenckton laid his arm around
Lizzie's thin shoulders, which shrank
away from his touch, for she did not
know whether it meant a caress or
whether he was about to lead her
away for punishment.
Nicely. fearing the latter (for she
had been witness to Sammy's chas-
tisement a week ago) could not re-
strain herself, unwise as she felt her
interference might be. "Mr. Schwenck-
ton, this woman doesn't tell you the
truth!' she said breathlessly. "Liz-
zie's an obedient. willing, hard-work-
ing child land if Aunt Rosy can't get
on with her, that's her fault and not
Lizzie's. And, Mr.. Schwenckton, it's
a crime to put little frail girl like
Lizzie to such heavy work as wash
ing sheets and diapers! You don't
know, do you, that this little girl
stands ut the washtub several hours
every day? Her back will be strained
i ought to have told you before, but
/ hated to interfere. Now, Mr.
Schwenckton, you've got to put stop
to it, You must, you must this
womans devil"
"Tut. tut" Mr.. Schwenckton raised