Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-03


and catching her breath. But in minute she
was stern again.
Listen, dear. You must never, never eat
anything until say you may. Do you under
stand? Tell me, Mary Alice"
st must never eat anything until you say I
may" said Mary Alice, remembering hard. And
next morning Mother tickled her toes, but it
was not as it used to be, and Mary Alice did
not want Mother to do it because she was
asked.
ONE could play in the garden, putting the
peanut blossoms to bed. Mary Alice had
carefully picked up the peanut blossoms and
busted them, until father found her doing 1t.
He laughed then, and called mother to laugh,
too. Peanut blossoms must dig down into the
ground to make peanuts. So now she put
them in little holes-and buried them-the
peanut blossoms were glad because she was
helping them
well, guess Wen have to live on peanuts"
father said The cow was dead He had found
her in the piney woods with her legs cut, so
he had to kill her, and there would not be any
little calf. Mother looked sick. She said:
"How can human beings do such things! But
won't back down on them" she said; Its like
going away and leaving Charley"
There were no more peanut blossoms Under
the ground there were peanuts, and father
was digging them up; some day mother would
roast them. The banana plant in the yard
had grown taller than Mary Alice; its broad
leaves hung limp and warm in the sun. Be
meath it on the ground a moth huttered; 1t
was alive. but 1t was covered with ants The
ants were eating it. Mary Alice got grass
stem and fought them She poked them as fast
she could, but they kept coming, and the
poor moth huttered. She must not touch
moths. a touch brushed the weeny little
feathers of their wings, and hurt them. Mary
Alice fought the ants as fast as she could, but
in moment the moth jerked, twisted up its
o. ANxwNk
Molly was leaning on the fence, watching her
from the shadows of a sunbonnet. She did
not speak, but beckoned with her hand.
"See what I've fetched you, honey" she
said like a secret. She uncurled her fingers
and on her palm was a little red ball. Its
spruce gum" she said. ct grows in the piney
woods Your Aunt Molly's fetched it and
chawed it all soft for YOU"
She felt warm and grateful toward Aunt
Molly. But Aunt Molly's eyes were strange;
their look came out Of them and pushed Mary
Alice's gaze down. She could not look at Aunt
Molly. She lifted her hand to her mouth, and
then turned the red ball over in her hand.
"Chaw It," said Aunt Molly. "Chaw it,
It was only to chaw; it was not something
to eat Mary Alice took it down and looked
at it again But it was not to eat. The screen
door slammed and she looked up guilty.
Mother, see!" she said "See what Aunt
Molly gave me! Mother, can eat it? It's
gum"
Mother looked at Aunt Molly. Aunt Molly
stood up straight, and the sunbonnet fell back;
her face came out hard and bright. and she
smiled at mother.
Eyes, Mary Alice, you may have it," said
mother and just as joy leaped into Mary
Alice, mothers hand came down quickly and
took the red ball. after supper" she said
Mary Alice looked up, protesting, and was
struck silent. Something vast and terrible was
there in the air, invisible, coming out Of the
eyes of Aunt Molly and mother. Mary Aice's
legs stumbled as mother led her by the hand
into the house.
Mother sat down and took Mary Alice into
her lap. She rocked her for while and then
said:
MARY Alice, promised you the gum, and
mother always keeps her promises. The gum
is yours. Will you give it to me for pan
of peanutS?"
Mary Alice thought. She thought of the
red ball, how good it looked and she thought
of hot, cracking peanuts.
"a large PAM" she asked.
1.-THE black baking pan," said mother.
"All right" said Mary Alice. Mother got
the black baking pan and filled it with pea
nuts. She put the pan in the oven and shut
the oven door. Then she went out. Mary
Alice sat on a stool and waited She looked
at the sunshine on the floor and at the ironing
board laid on the backs of two chairs; she
heard the piney woods whispering, and the
safe sound of the tea kettle. Now and then
she SnnIeu. Sne SIneIIeQ the peanuts. she
smelled them very loud. She began to smell
them anxiously; they smelled burning. She
was trying to open the oven door when sud-
denly some one seized her. Mother had her
tight; mother was shaking and sobbing and
laughing, her face was wet and twisted against
Mary Alice's. Mary Alice shrieked aloud and
struggled. screaming
EATHER came in. running the hoe In his