Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-09-09
Clarabel Ventures.

T HE early morning sun stream.
ing in through the open win
dow aroused Clarabel Frost to
Il the fact that another day had
begun.
'tOh, dear" murmured Clarabel, sit
ting up in bed and rubbing her eyes.
ut surely can't be time to get up"
But when she glanced at the small
nickel clock which stood on the bed
side table she saw that its hands
pointed to Is minutes of 5. "Well,
here goes" she said with a sigh, and,
slipping out OF he'd, began hurriedIy
to dress. A few moments later she
descended the stairs to the kitchen
and soon had a fire burning briskly
In the old cook stove. She had begun
to sing softly to herself, when she
was startled by a hoarse. croaking
sound. which came from an adjoining
bedroom.
Was that you. SOM" she called in
the direction from which the sound
had come. aren't you up YETI"
Another mutfied sound caused her
to hurry into the next room. and. sure
enough, there was Ezra burning up
with fever and with cheeks pulled out
like a chipmunks.
why. Ezra Frost Clarabel ex-
claimed. Whatever is the matter
with you?"
Il don't know, mother" replied
Ezra hoarsely. Il have been sick all
night, but l didn't call you because /
thought ] was only overtired, and If l
got a good nights sleep would he all
right this morning. But / guess 1
must have been out of my head, be.
cause the funniest things kept pop
ping up in front of me every time
closed my eyes. / do wish you'd get
me a good, cold drink, because my
throat is simply scorched."
Il should think your throat would
feel scorched, you poor dear" said
Clarabel alphabetically You just
lie still and 1 will get you something
cooling to drink in a minute"
but, mother" said Ezra in CON
sternation, you know I can't be sick
not today at least, with that load Of
caulitlower TO be delivered at the sta
ton at o'clock. 1t is only half cut
at that, and if we don't ship it today
1t will be a whole week before we can
ship again, and by that time it will
begin to turn purple, and we will have
to sell it at a loss. And you know
as we'll as / we need every cent. And
We were sure that the caulifiower crop,
If We could get it to market in prime
shape. would pretty nearly bring
enough 10 get us out of debt" And
two big tears. in spite of tightly shut
eyes, slid down Ezra's flushed cheeks.
Clarabel Frost was a widow, and
Ezra was her 19-year-old son, who
since his fathers death had tried to
take his place and shield his little
mother. who was timid and not over
strong. So far he had been successful.
and Clarabel had been comfortable.
and in spite of her loss, happy in the
protection of this big, good-natured
boy of hers.
But when she saw those tears
wrung from her boys eyes, as much
from disappointment as the pain in
his poor, swollen throat, all her moth
erhood was aroused, and she felt
herself fit to overcome any difficulty
that might arise. Saying nothing to
Ezra, she went back to the kitchen
and soon came back with a plate of
cream toast and a cold drink. Poor
Ezra tried to eat bite, but found he
could not swallow.
II don't know what we can do,
mother" walled Ezra. 81 am sure
every man in the neighborhood will be
busy today getting his own load to
the station. Well just have to let
so sand get what we can out of the
0aulif1ower next week. Where do you
suppose l got the mumps, anyway,
and why did have to have them this
week, of all times?"
Clarabel wondered herself, but she
could only soothe Ezra and tell him
not to worry. Surely something would
come up to help them out of the diff
Guilty. And after making him as COM
Portable as she could she left him and
went about her work. She started in
to wash dishes, and had only nicely
begun when she left them, and, hur-
riedly drying her hands on the roller