Show i Th The Ogress SEE here sissy if you dont don't keep keepin in your in your own lot Ill I'll get the policeman after you The biggest pie mud-pie of all fell from my dirty hands and I looked up at the speaker It was the ogress I trem trem- bled This was the first time I had seen her so close I I thou thought ht your mother didn't allow you outside the gate she continued in her gruff voice How did you get in here in-here here Climbed Clim bed the fence Well Vell suppose you cl climb m b back she said with such a look th that t I did not stand upon the order of going but went at once When I was safely hidden among the gooseberry bushes in the next lot I I took a good look at her The large bare feet fixed as firmly and easily on ona ona ona a heap of stones as if it had been a velvet vel carpet first attracted my atten atten- tion Then my eyes yes traveled up the thes s loose slouchy skirt over the torn ill ill-fittin ill fitting waist and rested with childish curiosity on her face It was not a pleasant face It was deeply wrinkled the features were large and each wore a different scowl Her grey hair hung about her face in thin untidy strands In her left hand handshe she held an immense oil coal-oil cau can The top had been taken off of and nd two holes made mage opposite each other through which a stick had be been n thrust This served the purpose of a basket and was now filled with scraps of bread In her right hand she had a willow with which she alternately the chickens chicken and coaxed them up again by fastening a bit of bread on the end of it Suddenly she caught sight of me and shook the switch with a will You had better keep home she shouted and vanished into her hovel There was just one lot between my home and the grou ground d of the ogress The next day I went into this lot to play with some children They had hada a a bench under the trees and were just preparing for a glorious time when the ogress made her appearance The bench extended just one-half one an inch on her ground It was too much for human nature such as hers and in a great passion she picked up the bench and threw it away with such force that its back was broken I found myself unconsciously unconsciously un un- consciously rubbing my hand over the thelong thelong thelong long row of buttons on the back of my dress What if she had treated m me in the same way yesterday For a long time I kept away from Mrs G G But I grew bigger and started to school A person can save so much time by going to school lots cross-lots that of course it seemed t the e proper thing to pass through Mrs G s G s 's lot As usual Mrs G objected But one individual must not stop the progress of ofa a whole community and so many of us school-children school had to go through that it became a great annoyance to have ha her continually at our heels But it was fun when she would chase us We used to send her ugly valentines we used to catch her chickens and pretend to wring their necks and we used to take her wild plum blossoms We all had plenty of wild-plum wild blossoms at home but they were not nearly so pretty as hers were One day I came up the street alone The ogress was standing by her gate I stepped out near the ditch so that I would have room to run and said mischievously Hello Mrs G G She looked at me impatiently I I have a good notion to tell your ma she said You killed my my chicken I didn't 1 I answered I I caught it but I didn't hurt it Somebody killed it It It wasn't me Honest and truth I Well if you weren't always up to something I could believe you better Well Im I'm not pot telling you a lie I flared and if you say I am Im I'm glad glady r y your ur old chicken is killed Then I expected the gate to fly open But it remained closed and the old woman behind it looked frowningly at atme atme atme me then turned and walked away I never teased her any more and rarely saw her But one day I again saw her standing at atthe atthe the gate I knew more about her now and felt sorry for her It seemed to me that she must be very lonely l living ving there therein in that old place with only her cat and chickens to keep her company while her only son lived in the fine fane house her wealth had bought him The last time I had seen her at the gate came to my mind I felt ashamed A desire to atone for the past seized me How do you do Mrs G G Dont Don't you want some violets I I- Isaid said holding them out to her A look of real pleasure came into her herf f face ace Oh Oh can you spare em Dont Don't give all to me just a few From that moment we were good friends She ceased to be the ogress and became only a poor lonely old woman to treat whom kindly was a duty and a pleasure The years passed and still we often met Her smile grew brighter but her step weakened Then there came a time when I met her no more I went to the house All the doors were locked The chickens were running about on the inside and the cat more dead than alive was crouching on the doorstep I found out that she was very ill and had been taken to her sons son's home I smiled a little litHe bitterly as I entered his gate I went to the back door and was sh shown wn int into a little dark room near the door She was in bed watched by a paid paid nurse I suppose she never saw r her in daughter law I scarcely c knew her she was so changed She did not speak but she looked glad when I Ien en entered When I arose to go she said feebly I I cant can't talk but I like to see you I went again and again Once more she slowly stretched her hand out tome tome to tome me and arid whispered I I like to see you When I went again it was to place a bunch of roses on her coffin lid She looked so peaceful an and so happy lying there I w was s glad to know she was at rest and hoped that some day the ogress ogress and I wo would ld meet again lean Tean re an |