Glacier County chief., 1940-02-23

got her dramatic training in straw
the first time it laughed, the first time
| it stood up.
Some. of these days he'd walk and
then there'd be excitement in the
DrScoI family. The Driscolls thought
ne spoke a couple of words already,
but Jimmy couldn't make anything out
OF his vocal noises but g-r-r-r or
y-um-m. He said g-r-r-r when he
was mad and y-u'm-m when he was
He was saying g-r-r-r now. over
that last fall. and looking mad.
Jimmy looked at his watch again
She had given him that watch last
Christmas. 1t was his dearest posses
sion. The Driscolls were mighty good
70 hlm-Jmmy's half drowsy thoughts
ran on. They treated him white. The
pig farm was a home-the only home
he had even been in. He knew what
he might have run into when the
asylum farmed him out year ago. He
had heard the talk of the boys.
II was almost IL o'clock. 1t wouldn't
Mans milk and give him his bottle.
The telephone bell rang, and the
boy dumped the baby into his crib
and sprinted into the hall to the up
upstairs switch. 1t was an unusual ring
lng-sharply imperative. 1t went on
even after Jimmy answered it. At least
ne seemed to hear ringing going on,
and excited voices. Then a single voice
sharp, shrill and confused, but the
| voice OF the operator in the exchange
five miles away . Jimmy caught
words here and there -
! Special warning river rising past
t me-, aa me- point t.. great anxiety
rumors that it couldn't hold out
the operator was warning every one
Jimmy broke in with a question but
the voice had stopped.
He returned to the bedroom, went
to rear window, looked out and
| ollnked ncredulously. The meadows
mad been damp for several days from
the rivers overflow but that often
happened in the spring Now in the
| past two hours water had covered
| them, and from the rushing. swollen
river Just beyond them roar came to
| the boys ears.
Jimmy was startled and thrilled. but
floodings of the Driscoll farm account
ed Tor much OF the rich productiveness
! OF its soil. Just the same, he didn't
like that news about the dam But that
was not now. either. There was always
more or less talk about that dam going
some day.
Jimmy was recalled to the moment.
The Old Man had suddenly sat up i'm
MS crib and uttered a complaint.
"G-r-r-r." he observed sternly.
Il know, Old Man." he said con-
tritely. Its feedin' time"
He hustled into the connecting bath
room where the spirit lamb, already
filled with alcohol, stood on its stand
with the baby''s bottle beside it. Jim
my knew exactly how warm that milk
should be. As he carefully filled the
bottle he talked cheerfully to the Old
Man through the open doorway.
Eight ounces is what the bottle
holds and eight ounces is what you
get every feeding he assured the
pig; orange juice an strained vege
tables an cereals on the side, at that.
Spoiled, call you"
He turned off the flame of the lamp
and carried at d,t the bottle in to the baby
ened. He was still saying g-r-r-r, but
in a gentler tone, as II he realized
that his new aid was doing his best
Jimmy picked him up. sat down in
the rocking chair with the child in his
lap, gave him a few spoonfuls Of a
bottle to those avid little lips.
Funny she amt learned you better
manners" he observed.
Jimmy talked on while the baby
| gobbled. 1t was oddly comforting to
the boy to hear his own voice. 1t
helped him to forget that disturbing
telephone message. When the bottle
was empty the Old Man seemed to re-
gard that episode as finished Jimmy
carried him downstairs to the icebox
and ate his own lunch.
This Is where you take a nap" he
told the baby after that, and carried
the child to the cradle beside its
parents big bed. The Old Man was
used to that. too. He did not go to
sleep at once, however, but lay blink
ing at the ceiling and drowsily waving
his legs and arms.
Jimmy went to the rear windows
and stared out. The fields and mea-
| dowS back Of the barns and outbuild-
1ngs were definitely under water now
and the roar of the river, less than a
quarter OF mile back Of them, was
louder and angrier.
| The farm horses and cattle were
punched very close together at a far
end OF distant pasture, as If talking
the matter over. The point they had
chosen for the consultation was a sort
Of hillock.
They en- keep their feet dry I'D
THERE he remarked over his shoulder
70 the Old Man. except for the rain
That's gettin' worse"
! The rain was definitely heavier and
Wetter 1t was pounding on the roof of
the veranda like lead bullets. He went
over to those windows and stared
down.
Jimmy went hack To the .crib and