The Nome daily nugget., 1936-02-07

1t was an inefficient waste of good maternity that she was seamstress and unmarried with only the children of her customers to contact.
 The last time she sewed for the young Pendells, the baby had come and was three weeks old.
 Marbeth and the maid, each prompt ed by the urge of vicarious mother hood, fought over him disgracefully. This time he was fourteen months old He had developed clear blue eyes. yell low curls on his head and a pleased, wondering acceptance of all that was done for him.
 They called him Georgie.
 Among his toys was large old gray elephant that Mir. Pendell's mother had just sent on. writing that when he was a baby Georgie's father had loved this king of beasts and that all baby boys generally seemed to enjoy him.
 Claire Pendell saw no reason to question either statement.
 By the looks of ii, Georgie's great great-grandfather might have owned it," she told Marbeth, regarding the aged king of beasts with scant hospi- tality. But when Pen unwrapped 1t, it seemed to stir up something tribal in him. He warwhOoped 'Georgie, it's Jum-Jum!' And presented 1t to the son as if it were an enemy scalp. And now just try to get it away from him." Marbeth laughed but she could see why Georgie or any little boy hugged him that way.
 He was a benevolent old fellow. if threadbare.
 His ears were large, flat and floppy i; his silly tail was either tasseled or frayed; his trunk moved with the cor rect unjointedness of that always en- dearing appendage; his faded blanket was still pinkishly red and edged with tarnished gold braid.
 Marbeth's quick eyes, trained to visu- alize new garments for old, lit at the possibilities she saw in a renovated Jum-Jum.
 For the present, however, she would say nothing. It would be her surprise and her own gift to Georgie the adorable.
 She lived so far across the city that when she sewed for her patrons on the North side, she brought her little suitcase and stayed nights until she had them all sewed up.
 It was maddening now to remember that 16 miles away-and double fare each way-the precise scrap of red flannel and remnant of orange soutache braid that would serve for a new howdah lay awaiting some such useful service in the piece bag hanging on her bedroom closet door.
 Claire Pendell knew only that Mar. beth had urgent business that called her home that first night
 However, she was back at work promptly in the morning and she said nothing about the long walk she had taken to save another carfare over tc a certain store called the Bon Ton open evenings, where she could get the exact weight and color of thick, ele phant-gray flannel she desired.
 Nor about how she had planned tc piece Jum-Jum under his front legs and save 17 cents on another half yart of goods.
 Mrs. Pendell was delighted with the idea of having the elephant recovered
 That was good.
 It paid these days to keep on tht right side of even such old patrons as the Pendell family in all its branches, and even though primaril! this gift of love was all for Georgie.
 "I'll work on him after hours, eve nings so it won't be time out tha you're paying for"
 Nonsense. When you insist ol paying for all the material?" Georgie! mother patted Marbeths shoulder.
 even start him right now. Brin; him to mother. Georgie."
 And before Marbeth could warn her Mrs. Pendell had picked up one of th' razor blades Marbeth used for rippin: and slashed off JumJum's left ca with It.
 How a mother could be so stupid thought Marbeth.
 Georg.e screamed.
 A hdeous, rasping scream. Of pro test. Of astonisllment. Of sheer hOr TOT.
 "Georgie!" His mother could no understand what was wrong.
 He put one arm around JumJun and held out the other piteously fo the amputated ear. "No-no-nO-ma maj" His screams increased in vol tune. Beads of precipitation appeare under his tawny curls.
 His mother pulled Junl-Jum as firm