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Show Sill v . v ' il 1' k! ' ' "'" :-;' '"' By MYRA EMMONS " --. ' jggZS I m mm JjtUn3erstvct'7n if Wf TOTJ&fK JtLLUS'T&ATlONSliy) mm .,ss Ernestine and Miss Josephine sat on their M wide, vine-covered veranda watching1 the sunset. M' The balmy pale gold light flung delicate lances over li the perfpet lawn, illumining the spring freshness of W rich, moist turf, tipping shrubs With fluent fire, ? flecking through young leaves and turning the maple ojSij buds to flashing ruby. "j ?Ilc daintiness of spring was reflected in the light, M. ensp draperies of the sisters, in the curling tendrils ufi.i : o1 tncir fine, perfectly groomed hair, in their slim, 5JB ; fragrant hands. sajj "Tc crocuses are doing well this spring." mur- Xi y mured Miss Ernestine, melodiously. Then she flji J became imaginative. H '- "Josephine, I have sometimes thought we might 4JT! ' tat perhaps it was our duty, having this large place M and that we might even be glad to take some f3: child the cities arc so crowded to take some boy 5J i ' to raise." fm "So have I," confessed Miss Josephine. "Or a tfW Srl." 0t "I think a boy would be best something different, ff; you know, from ourselves. lie would grow up to jj give us a wider interest. It would be a benefit to TO us as well as to him." hjtb "If we could take some child 'and b'ring "himup l in the fight way train him to have good manners jfc really, you know, Josephine, American mothers igj scarcely train tlieir children at all. I have often fw ' longed to tell some mothers what I think of them, fig but a better way would be to adopt a child and m; ' bring him up so perfectly that he would be a living Ht example to all mothers who might ever meet him." jigi "Jt wold indeed. In fact, I have often thought .tfef s pIacc wol,ld make a beautiful orphan asvlum." dJC'1 "Wouldn't it! How the little things would love 7g to play on the grass! they're not allowed to in I-! the city parks, poor lijtlc dears! In my fancv" the sun was sinking low and Miss Ernestine felt inspired to confidences "I can sec the cunning tots tumbling around the lawn, looking like flowers themselves I and making the old place more beautiful than ever." Miss Ernestine had in, mind certain water-color paintings that represented chubby fluffs of babyhood I scattered over a pale green sward. She saw visions I of fat legs rising out of low socks, of frilly frocks iW I in immaculate flower hues, of golden heads support- s ing ribbon bows as large jas themselves. 15 1 . "Seriously, Josephine, I am willing to consider the I idea of adopting a boy if you arc." Ki "W'c will do it." jTC 'r,lc .mornins: mail brought a letter which it was ijf ,' impossible not to regard as a direct opportunity. W ; : It was from Ilarric Burke: M ; : "Dear Ericnds, J am .obliged to go away to- : morrow, to stay about a week, on business con- 0. nected with the settling of Frederick's little estate. m ' I had expected my sister to come to take care of m r Freddie, but I have a telegram, at this last moment. - Jfc. saying it will be impossible for her to leave home. -3S I cannot take Freddie with me, for 1 shall have to a be flying around all the time, looking after business R details, and there is no one else in the world I g would be willing to leave him, with except Oh, I iViS: 'f know this is a wild request, ljut could vou would N you keep him with you a wqck? Do, "please, say v yes. and I will bring him over in the morning-. I Bjj : ivill spend tlic rest of my life thanking you. Sr.: I "With love, . , u . "Harric5 Burke.". PI "How opportune! This will give us some cx- IjJ pcricncc before we assume the entire responsibility ffl ; of adopting a child permanently." gk "s 1 remember him he is a pretty child." M, "Lovely!" fA "And good?" 3 ; "All children would be good if their parents irjj trained them propcrlj'." : ' "How old is her" . ! "About four." ' V "Will you write Ilarric or shall I?" "We will both write her, so she will feel assured liow pleased avc arc." ; Miss Ernestine had not overstated Freddie : Burke's attractions when she had said he was lovely. ujp His red-gold hair and the indescribable hue of his -jf starry eyes were a part of his remote heritage from W : old Ireland. .To these were added the irresistible 'j Irish smile and dimple of fame the world around. J Miss Ernestine and Miss Josephine were on their j-g'i knees to him at once both mentally and physically. kg I Now that he was to be their very own for a week, 1 '1 there was no detail of his appearance that they did Si ;. not observe and gloat over. Hi "Such a beautiful expression!" J:1 "Dear little innocent tlpng!'' $0; "It makes me feel almost sinful and wicked to ,; Jiavc this heavenly little soul with us!" t$i ; "To think how little he knows of this wicked ffi: world1" St "We will be very careful of him, Ilarric." 7B "I am sure of that." K r "We'll not leave him alone a minute." c There was the ghost of an odd little smile on T' , Mrs. Burke's lips as she reiterated, Mw . "I'm sure you'll not." j Sj it . Freddie's affections were evidently elastic, for Mrs. zi . Burke had no difficulty in "making her escape from ! I i him, and when she explained that he was to visit 3: j awhile with "tlicc two aunties," he included them l in the same glowing smile he turned on her. lie Htf watched her as she disapneared out of the gate, Stt and then, turning to Miss licnestinc, he leaned con-Ill con-Ill , tciidcdlv anainst her. , .: "The" little darliiiK! So friendly!" lie stole a soft upward glance at her. his eves illumined with scrap'hic light. Then he looked down and murmured something gently to himself. Miss Ernestine bent her head to hear.. l "What is it, darling?" The murmurings continued, but so low and modest as to be liidistinguiushablc. "TcJI auntie what it is .darling."' Intense listening finally untangled the appeal: "I wish I might have a penny. I wish I might ha(c a penny. L wish I might have a penny." "OJi. the dqar little soul! Just see,- Joscphjnc, how shy and modest he is about it! Still, he feci at home with us already or he could not be so confiding. con-fiding. Auntie will gel you a penny, dearie; yes, indeed!" "Do yotf think it is just right to encourage mendicancy?" Miss Josephine asked, dubiously. "Josephine! This baby! A mendicant! ' I 'am astonished at you!" "He gives a very good imitation of one." -i . "But only a penny! Could you refuse him?" '"Probably not, but don't you tjiink we ought to begin right?" 'v- "iTow Josephine, if you're 'going- to be sniall ab'out things" .-'. "Of course not. I am thinking Of-nlvQ, principle of it" . :.. , ,. l'. "J Wish I Might ffave (i Penny." ! i. "Principle! When a baby wants a pcnnyl'V "Well, never mind. He ccrtainl3 is a quiet child, isn't he?" At luncheon it was a new dclightJo the sisters to sec the small golden head at their daintv board, enthroned en-throned on the dictionary, the family Bible, antla few cushions. His playful tendency to scatter Ins silver and china on the floor ami to decorate the table-linen with impressionistic sketches of food they bore with new fortitude, feeling that the experiences would be broadening. For slumber, Freddie was assigned to a trundle-bed, trundle-bed, placed in the alcove that opened into the hall between the rooms of Miss- Ernestine and Miss Josphine. The sisters were tip half a dozen limes in the night, gloating over his infant slumber. "Children arc so lovely when they're asleep!?' Miss Ernestine's first thought on awakening in the full glow of the morning light was of tlje joy of waking Freddie and seeing his large, dark cyes beam on her. She raised her head and smilccT in anticipation at the trundle-bed It "was empty. Josephine had robbed her of the coveted pleasure. Miss Ernstinc felt a strange thrill, which a psychologist psycholo-gist might have defined as latent jealously. But, no, Miss Josephine was asleep. Freddie was gone. No sound broke the morning stillness save the twittering twitter-ing of birds. In pale terror, Miss Ernestine woke her sister, with hurried questions and explanations. Mjss 'Josephine 'Jose-phine had heard no sound. Hastily arrayed in kimonos and slippers, the sisters fled through, the house, looking in room after room, and calling breathlessly. Miss Josephine was the first to reach the piazza. e "Come here, Ernestine," she 'called. Miss Ernestine responded swiftly. Far out on the lawn was an infant figure, barefooted- in the chill morning dew, clad in white pajamas. He carried bomething in his hands and had left behind him on the grass a wake of something a first glance did not reveal what. As the sisters paused an instant; before calling him. they saw him leap suddenly in the afr and come jubilantly vrith both bare feet o oncof Miss Ernestine's beloved crocuses, crushing it jnto the grass. Miss Ernestine screamed' faintly, but her sister held her by the apm. "Wait a minute." Trudging through the dcw the innocent landed plumply on another spcar-hcaijBd, hud of pale gold, and it was as if he had jumped ruthlessly on Miss Ernestine's heart. $ i "The little vandal!" "He's cvidcntiybcen' breaking off some and scattering scat-tering them all over the lawn, and after his hands were too full to hold any more he discovered this new and entrancing method of destruction. No. wc can't do a thing about it. The little darling does'nt know Kc. is doing wrong." ? "Let me get him, anyway, before he kills them all." Yes, his feet must be icy, in this dew, and his pajamas arc wet around the ankles. He must be warmed and dressed." "Oh, Freddie! Freddie!" moaned Miss Ernestine. "What have you. done to auntie's crocuses I" Ko quiver of cimfusion bespoke infant repentance. Freddie was bland, cljccrful, unashamed. His-glancc merely roved about in search of new entertainment. "The child," Miss Ernestine said to lier sister, "iccnis entirely devoid of moral perceptions. Do you suppose they are all that way?" "They can't be. Don't you know how all the magazines and books arc full of such lovely things about them? Everybody writes poetry abot them and makes pictures of thejn." ' , "They certainly do look well In pictures," admitted Miss Josephine, guardedly. ' ... "Wc cannot, of course, attempt any discipline! Wc will simpl' have to watch him closely." Accompanying Freddie's ethical deficiency was an acute discernment in relation to the absence of punishment In view of his evident immunity, his shyness rapidly wore off. He perceived that his opportunities for lawless joywcrc limited only by his ability to elude "aunties. His clinging timiditS' gave place to bold masculine possession of the premises. "Isn't it dreadful?" exclaimed Miss Josephine. "He was so quiet at first. Freddie come to auntie and look at .these pretty pictures.'' "Nope," declined Freddie,' bojdly. , "Don't you love pictures, darling? I'm sure you must love pictures. All good little hoys love pictures. "Nope," . "Don't run that way. dearie. It makes such a terrible noise. Wouldn't you like to stop running awhile and sit by auntie? Your little leggiesj will be all tired, running so much." As if in derision of this underestimate of his ability, the intrepid infant 'responded with a j-cll and a leap of fresh enthusiasm, for the sounding capacities capa-cities of the hard-wood floof. "Auntie has something gbdVl for you, dear. Gome to auntie and sec what it is.'- ' Miss Josephine knew shevwas opening the way to a scries of errors, but hcrjmoral sense was submerged sub-merged by the noise. t. "It seems to be so easy foj him. It would wear a'man all out to jump and scrcani that .way. What will you take, dearie, to kceprquicl awhile?"' V "I want a nickel." J ' The tone was a slatliiigacontrast to the -meek ""''murn.iur. of the nig'h't bcfow'JwilJ ,imglitjhave a penny." " " -'- w "It seems to me," said Miss Ernestine, "that mendicancy mendi-cancy is strengthening its claims." "It is; I knbw it is." moaned Miss Josephine, "but what can we do? Wc can't punish him and he will not stop. Here, darling, here's your nickel." "Wc must entertain him more. Children arc so active. What can wc give him to play with?" "The Venetian decanter?" suggested. Miss Josephine, Jose-phine, derisively. y , "No doubt he would enjoy it. Freddie what would Freddic'likcto play with?" "Ten cents." "Heavens, Ernestine! Wg arc rearing an octopus! No, Freddie cannot have airy more money. Preddic has money now. How much ha,s Freddie? 'Come, let auntie count it for him." Freddie was firni "Money! Ten cents!" he demanded. ' "No Freddie. Come " Her firm but gentle tones the kind recommended by all writers on helpful suggestions for the training of children were interrupted by a loud sob, followcdi by a gulp and a prolonged wail. "Don't cry, darling, don't cry. Auntie loves Fretl die very much, but " "Ten cents!" roared Freddie. , "Darling-" , , "Ten cents!" . The implacable veils were suddenly "fcrpsscd by the ringing of the iront-door bell. "Oh, hush, darling, hush!"' I;or an instant the bcllowings ceased. Then, perceiving per-ceiving his opportunity, Freddie lifted his voftc with renewed energy. "Hush, dearie, hush! Ernestine, it is Mr. Baldwin! Bald-win! Frcddic here, darling heavens! Anybody would think we were murdering the ch'ild here here is ten cent's hush, be a gocd-boy now, that's a darling" Mr. Baldwin was the new rcctpr, struggling to make himself favorably acquainted with his parishioners against the odds of a long, lean frame, a cadaverous face, a manner of such deep embarrassment embarrass-ment that it embarrassed everybody in his presence, and a peculiarity of manifesting his nervousness by turning blue instead of red. "" To subsidize Freddie, seat Mr. Baldwin, and begin a lightsome convcrsalion required 'the combined tact of the sisters. They had always been united and firm in the conviction that children should not be ' allowed to appear when callers were present.,-"Ah," present.,-"Ah," said Mr. Baldwin collecting his legs and forgcUing, in the difficulty of arranging them suitably, suita-bly, just where he was, Ah, your little son? Oh I Ah! No, certainly not. Oh, I beg your pardon Oh " He turned a deeper purple than usual, while the sisters faintly and gaspingly endeavored to restore harmony by centering the conversation on Freddie, this being a practice which had always met with their special condemnation in parents. "Mrs. Burke's little boy. Visiting us for a week." Freddie's limpid gaze was. fixed on Mi;. 'Baldwin's face. . "Auntie." "Yci, darling." t N "Auntie." V'f "Yes, darling; what is it?" V "Auntie, is this the man that died last week?" ' "Fortunately,'' said Miss Ernestine, in cgininonling on it afterward, "Mr. Baldwin is too intelligent to blame us. He knows the mother is responsible for the language of her child not mere temporary guardians." "The child seems," said Miss Josephine, "to ljavc an almost uncanny' curiosity. Look afcjiim now." He had sidled down the hall and was standing at the door of the north room, with Shis hand on the knob and an irresistible appeal in the entrancing smile he turned on aunties. "Little human question mark! Yes, look in, if you wish to." Freddie turned the knob softly and peered in. For a moment 'he stood transfixed. Then with a scream of terror he slammed the door, rushed back, shrieking, to Miss Josephine, and clung to her in panic. Miss Ernestine ran to give first aid. "What is the matter with him, sister?" "1 have no idea. Freddie darling, what is it? Tell auntie. Nothing shall hurt him. Aunties will take care of him. There, precious, don't be 'fraid. Tell auntie. Is there anything in the room, Ernestine, that could have frightened him?" Miss Ernestine opened the door and looked in. "It couldn't have been the picture?" She referred to a life-size painting oPhcr maternal grandfather which fronted the door, done in the hirsute age, with majestic imprcssiveness of bushy white hair and beard. At the opening of the door, Freddie cowered closer to Miss Josephine, gasping: "Is He the Man (hat Died Last Week?" , "Don't let him get me! I don't want-Gawd to get me! Will lie come to get me? " - "At last", murmuwd--Miss Josephine -over-her shoulder to her sister, wljilc she comforted the terrified infant in her arms "at last his dormant moral sense seems to be roused." "You don't mean that he thjnks grandfather's portrait is is a picture 'oj-" , "Exactly. What, do you think,, has been the nature of the religious instruction Harric has bestowed on him? Some parents seem to employ a bogey man, but Uarric " ''Oh, hush! Be careful what.jou say!" "Yes, I will, but if wc should need a means of discipline, perhaps grandfather's portrait might " "Oh, hush! Somehow it sounds wrong. We must divert the child's attention just now. What can wc give him?" "Perhaps he would take a nap. I can think of nothing I should prefer to give Inn;.'' , Freddie's fears, though allayed seemed to have had a chastening effect, for he- proved amenable to the suggcslior of a nap. "Now he's safe for a time, it would be a good plan for us to work up-stairs on the silk quilt. It is so' nearly done wc can finish it before he will waken, and I should like to have it ready before Janet Leslie's visit." The softly padded, pale yellow silk puff was a dainty thing to work on and the sisters became absorbed in it, discussing what' last touches the newly furnished yellow room needed to put it in perfect condition for Janet and future guests. Suddenly a strange sound fell on their cars. Borh sisters started guiltily, dropped their work, and rushed to the stairs, Miss Ernestine exclaiming agitatedly: "It cannot be that child! He cannot have awakened so soon. It has not been ten minutes." -"Perhaps he was not asleep." The sound came from the bath-room. Miss Josephine pulled open the door. A shower of icy water struck her full in the face, drenched her crisp, fresh frock, poured into her slippers. "Freddie! Freddie!" she gasped. ' Through the blinding flood she sav,- a small, delighted de-lighted figure, dripping fror.' head to feel, turning the rubber bath spray hither and yon over the bathroom bath-room and gurgling with joy. Xo spot on the floor was dry, the tub was filling, the walls, thc'dciling, the towels, the mirror, the bottle-cabinet, the electrolier, elec-trolier, the sash curtains, the shades, the hamper of soiled clothes all were drenched. Again the spray was pointed joyously in Miss Josephine's direction and again the shower deluged her, before she could reach the faucet and heartlessly shut off her visitor's source of innocent gaycty. "Of course," said Miss Ernestine, gratuitously offering consolation, "it is only clean water. Itcan-nol Itcan-nol really harm anything." ' liss Josephine was grim. "Oh, of course not. I prefer, however, to direct my own bath. If any portion of the premises must be sprinkled I should choose the lawn. Please call Lena. -We shall need help in getting dry." Only once the following day did Freddie succeed in making his C7capc from the watchful sisters. Then lhcy saw him trudging harm'essly over the lawji "to the stable. "Little dear! "He is sweet, Josephine, and so bright he can find his way all over the place alone. Olson will lake care of him for a while, and it-ccr-' tainly is restful to have him out of the house. Do you remember, Josephine, when we cleaned house last falP" ' ' ' 7 - H "Don't remind me of it. I wish I' could forget it." And put up our fruit at the same time." H "And made four new quilts." H "And the Davidsons came to visit us right in the midst of it." H "And wc had the library papered. 'And the Jersey cow was taken sick I can never forget how tired H wc were. But it seems a lotus dream compared with. H the way I feel to-day." H "Suppose wc go up-stairs and lie down. Freddie is perfectly safe with Olscn. He knows that he must H watch the , child." . H Miss Josephine even fell into a gentle doze, but it was broken by a scream from Lena, mingled with tlm crash of falling glass. H 'Lic still, dear, lie still," commanded Miss Ernestine, as ncr sister roused wearily. "Whatever H it is, I can take care of the situation. I seem to be H nerved up for almost anything." H Another crash and another, followed'by the shriller H and shriller screams of Lena and the merry shouts of Freddie j "The laugh of a cliild So joyous and wild " IH flitted inconsequcntly through Miss Ernestine's j agitated thought as she sped toward the lower H regions the dining-room seemed to be the storm H Lena had him by one arm and he was joyously whacking' her over the head, with a stick that re- H semblcd a piece of broom-handle. Where he had H obtained it, later investigations' failed to reveal, but H as a means of demolishing cut glass it could 'hardly H have been excelled by a Maxim gun. i A salad-bowl H lay in scvcraWiundrcd pices on the floor, a baccarat H decanter mingled in atoms with jts contents on tho rug, and of the lemonade-pitcher only the silver H band that had encircled its top remained intact. M Small glasses and punch-cups were too trifling to b H counted, ' "Yes, Miss Ernestine, I've got 'im, but I couldn'C catch 'im a minute sooner. Lord, Lord I 'c's broke t H t'qjrsar.d. dollars of the beautiful glass!" H "Not so bad as that, Lena. Give him to rae and fM brush up the pieces. Don't let me know how many B things arc broken. Fill their places on the buffet H with something else and let me forget it for a while n " ' 1 H He J'as Joyously Whacking "Her. H "I suppose," said Miss Ernestine, as they sat one H on each side of their heavenly-eyed guest, plying H him with various novelties to keep his attention fixed H "I suppose that if wc would tell Harric she would H replace what he has actually damaged." H "Do you know what would be the result of telling H her? She would not believe it. Or else she would IH blame us forgetting her precious boy run the risk IH of hurting himself on the horrid stick. I can just H hear her say it. She would simply think we were H disagreeable things, and from that time would cease H to be friendly to us. .No; wc wanted experience and H wc arc having it." v H Nothing worse than a countenance covered with H jam and shoes plastered with mud awaited Freddie'? H mother as he rushed to greet her on her return. H "My darling boy!" IH She clasped him to her breast and pressed his iH jammy face against her new and costly automobile veil. His shoes left their immovable tracks on her H silk gown. She patted his chubby legs lovingly. H "Mamma's darling boy! Mamma is so glad to H have him again!" Silently Miss Ernestine and Miss Josephine echoed H Iter sentiments. As they sat on their widc-vincrlandcd ycranda. jH watching the sunset, the two sisters reflected gently. H "They arc best in water-colors don't you think. J Josephine?" "Well, anyway, they seem to be a business by H themselves. I feel a chastened gratitude that wc did not start the orphan asylum." "As I look at it now, if wc should ever adopt any H one, my1 choice would be an old man." H "It was wonderful," Harrie Burke told her friends. H "how completely they spoiled Freddie. I could not H have imagined that such a thorough piece of work could be done in so short a time. It will tafkc me the rest of my life to reform liim, especially as he seems determined to visit them at every opportunity, l and they simply dote on him." jH fk !k 1 Copyright 19 OS by Harper ft' Brothers. All rights reserved. ' ' H i |