Show Dr E. E M M. Keysor is s suc successor to Dentist J. J T. T B B. B K Keysor Scott c tt Auerbach r- r i I. I Building 0 j n i II l Ii I You see it was was like like this I had the most abominable temper in the w world Mother said it was because I had such curly dark hair but I never understood how that could be for Aggie Smith had a dreadful temper and her mother said it was because she had such fiery- fiery red hair Then there was Maggie J Jones ones whose hair was so straight that it t took ok three girls and seven newspapers every day to produce the faintest kink And when Mag Maggie ie was angry a dead calm pervaded the entire vicinity Even the proud little rooster on the back fence forgot to crow Last of all there was my brother Val His hair was darker than mine but he was never the least bit ruffled So I believe that the color and curl of your hair has not much to do with your temper after all But to go back it happe happened ed this way Mr Mrs Atwood gave a dinner in honor of the new minister No children children children chil chil- dren except Val and me were invited Mis Atwood was fond of Val he was such a little gentleman She was not fond of me but as Val Valand Valand Valand and I were always together she asked me too At first all went well Val and I sat satin satin satin in a corner by ourselves discussing everything and everybody in the room One man especially amused us not because there was anything particularly witty about his up make-up but because like the minister he was new Anything Anything Anything Any Any- thing new in Maywood always attracted considerable attention He was talland tall talland talland and gaunt with a massive head covered by shaggy grey hair that hung perfectly even to his neck I think thin k that instead instead- of going to the barber he must have covered his liis head with a bowl and then trimmed his hair along the curved edges His face was smooth and he had a great great- hooked nose and large mouth His eyes were peculiar One was small and sleepy-looking sleepy with a drooping lid The other was larger and brighter but butt t seemed perfectly immovable It stared straight ahead with such an air of stern command that I could stand the suspense no longer Pretending to examine the articles in the room I Icar car carelessly drew near the old man and examined that eye at leisure It was glass I went back to Val full of f information information information tion and we looked at the unconscious individual opposite with still deeper interest He was sitting with his knees turned in and his heels turned I out at an angle of one hundred d and eighty degrees in other words he was sitting pigeon Gaze on those Trilby feet Val I giggled II And that eye he continued That man is a scholar and a wit I can see seethe seethe seethe the pupil u il and the humor in that eye There was nothing very bright about that remark but it had th the desired effect I giggled a again ain Then we went in to dinner Mrs Atwood asked the minister to say grace He closed his eyes and preached a minute five-minute discourse e followed by a three-minute three exhortation and closed with a two-minute two entreaty In the middle of the discourse Val kicked my foot I looked up Everybody held his eyes religiously closed except II Monsieur toe Pigeon-toe as Val had called him One of his his' his eyes eyes was shut the other was fastened longingly on a mould of delicious jelly II He He is hypnotizing it whispered Val It was wrong very wrong but those Tribly feet loomed up as plain as if they were not hidden by the table and I began to laugh quietly but convulsively The minister was nearing the en en- treaty Oh if I could only keep that laugh in for another minute But alas when my merriment becomes three distinct shudders pass passover passover passover over me accompanied by three three distinct distinct gasps and a snort that would rouse the seven sleepers And now my my agony was intense for the first shudder came I grasped my chair tightly but it was of no avail The second shudder came Next came the words 0 And take away our lightness of mind mind then came shudder number three and ye gods the snort Laughing and crying to together together together to- to gether I pushed back my chair and ran out of the room and towards home How ashamed I felt How I hated to go down stairs the next morning I I. knew Val would tease me unmercifully I would stay in my own room all day No that would be cowardly Besides I would have to go down some time Well Well if Val said a word to me me-I me I clenched my hands and stamped my foot When I went in to breakfast Val looked quiet and unconcerned I began to feel a little more at ease and decided that grief had not entirely taken away my appetite I was calmly helping myself to a muffin when the table moved mysteriously Looking up I cau caught ht Vals Val's eye He jerked himself himself himself him him- self three times gave three gasps and deliberately snorted A thousand light light- flashed from my eyes He threw his arms about me and in spite of my struggles galloped me up and down the room singing at the top of his voice Once there was a little girl And her hair was full of curl J And about the hour of nine She invited was to dine II Let me go let me go I shrieked II Why dont don't you like my poetry I stayed awake all night to compose it The new minister was there And you should have seen him stare When she jerked and when she wiggled t f When she snorted and she giggled When she ran ran ran- Let L t me go Oh I hate you Val Wrenching myself free I turned on him like a wild cat W Why whoever would have thought she would get so angry simply because she laughed while the parson was praying praying praying pray pray- ing he went on mockingly Whoever Whoever Who Who- Whoever ever would have thought that simply because she aroused the whole neighborhood neighborhood neighbor neighbor- hood hood Wild with fury I seized a knife from the table and threw it with all my might It struck him on the forehead In a moment his face was covered with blood and I was wiping it away with my handkerchief and sobbing Oh Oh forgive me forgive me Val And an hour after when he was sitting with his head bandaged up I said It was my my horrid temper I never will get angry again never For three weeks I was a model of gentleness The chickens scratched up my pansies the children carried away my shells the maid broke a highly- highly prized ornament without one word of anger from me I had completely conquered conquered conquered con con- my temper and I was happy One day an invitation to dinner came cameto cameto cameto to mother Val looked up and said dryly You had better take Al with you She would just keep the company in a roar Now at Mrs Atwoods Atwood's II My face flushed and my fingers clenched and the old fierce i light t came into my eyes But the strip of court- court plaster on Vals Val's forehead checked the impassioned words I sat down humbled Val I said it isn't right for you to plague me so when you know how hard Im I'm trying to be better Val sat silent for a moment then he said Youre right Al AI and Ill I'll stop it II And so I 1 am still trying hard but it itis itis itis is much easier now for Val helps me all he can I lean Jean |