| Show mi miss nn selina ina lue luc AND THE M soapbox soap box babies by maria thompson daviess illustrations by magnus G kettner F mi COM right Wright low the bobbt bobbs merrhl compin company continued from december esth and again for tie the second time that day alss cynthia threw herself with abandon into the processes of the toilet and again the result warde war was de why honey bunch I 1 am m afraid ehg folks will all want to eat you in stead of 0 the tha re refreshments freshmen ts y you on 1001 so good dont the she air alan was miss selina lues luea greeting to her from the tha grocery door mr R kent ent stood b be side aide her and was the b of fresh cool elegant elego nl afternoon teh tea correctness miss selina bellna luo lue judged judesa rightly abat the expression darnt dawning r g in miss Cynt hias eyes was that of admiration mi ration for before she had received an answer to her question to mr kent about the vision of loveliness at the foot of the steps she broke out afresh with her delighted exclamations now aint he jest too fine miss aliss cynthie them white flannels Is plumb beautiful before they shrinks and after that they makes good rags to rub with in cases of and sich I 1 feel jest as proud of him miss aliss selina lue bald scald mr alan his eyes dancing with delight 1 I think you asked me a question first I 1 claim first answer I 1 do I 1 do feel hungry when I 1 look at her I 1 feel that I 1 could without provocation pio plo vocation eat miss aliss sylina selina lue broke in miss cynthia hastily 1 I am really getting alarmed and though mr air kent looks cool and afternoon tea y and grand I 1 begin to think he may be more ferocious than he be looks lions are run run sir air alan for the car to catch miss evelyn on the switch snitch she oughter aughter be here now in five minutes come on oil bennie and git all the children in line tell everybody to come com ebere her to the grocery steps and listen to the speech first thing theres mr bradford now my my miss cynthie dont everybody look fine mis kidneys pink cotton crape goes so nice with mis dobbs purple aud and lt if tyne aint fixed up to beat the band abanil miss selina lue met her guests at the toot foot of the steps and welcomed them with enthusiasm miss cynthia helped do the honors and shared in the general excitement howdy everybody said miss selina lue we sure make a fine show she Is going to shake hands right here with us all and then go and see the pictures before it gits lark dark and then come the refreshments mibs cynthie you oughter aughter hold bold blossom but you jest will hill do it and muss your dress now ethel maud hold dominie careful till her mother gits here and ad I 1 will carry cany the twins as we go down to meet her I 1 feel like the babies oughter aughter see it all aou ou cant begin on manners ter entertainments too young and so BO the honored guest found them thein an exotic colored aggregation ot of palpitating tating excitement in gala attire and iia anore re ga gala i a au limmor li imor mar it 6 often hap ap pens in the world ahr t ta coin of 0 human buman huni buni ni an intercourse stampa jt entertainment does not buy for or or barterer much in the way of 0 real pleasure but on the bluff it was otherwise joy real effervescent sparkling joy filled every cup to the brim and ran over the bluff took miss arvelyn to its arms and caressed and admired and jubilated over her to its hearts content she was greeted in nowery lowary phrases by mr air sl SI Dra bradford aford whose oratorical acrobatic feats eats were a as astonishing toni shing as the triple handsprings hand springs that bennie dobbs turned I 1 in her path at enery possible opportunity it was well that her fund of 0 enthusiasm was adequate to supply long drafts aliss cynthia stood by and watched her with awed pride and delight she crith enthused used over young jim peters in stiff and uncomfortable attire and his rosy blushing young mother in soft blue muslin she admired all six and was especially interested in ethel mauds mands little barked nose she expressed starvation at the aroma of mrs Kin kidneys kinneys pies and listened with rapt attention to luella recite a choice piece in nine verses nor did she tall fill to handle the heirloom teapot with becoming reverence when it was transported into her presence wrapped in an old flannel petticoat my imy my said miss selina lue in an aside to mr alan who had taken his stand by her at the grocery door just one step below that on oil which Z and so the honored guest found them stood miss cynthia with blosson blossom in her arms aint they having a go good od time I 1 to do hate to break it up by asking bar to look at pictures but mr air leeks leek a Is going a to play her a tune on oil his phone and as soon as its over I 1 am going to send her light up to the barn and keep the crowd down here to help me set out the refreshments aposen Sp osen miss cynthie you run on up there now so as to be there here when mr air alan gits her up I 1 am sorry you wont let friiz taka blossom away from you though I 1 know it if I 1 try there will be a hollering and it do seem a PRY pity to mix inix any tears in this party at the mention of her namo name blossom gurgled and clung to miss alias cynthia as it if she understood that the suggestion of 0 her possible dis lodgment was being negated ne gateI strenuously by the lady of her ad orations well mr air alan better go long with em and hand her up the ladder to miss cynthie then hurry back so you will be here when the piece is finished now lies hes tuning up and obedient to instructions and the exigencies ot of the case sir mr alan aim did hurry only one minute was long miss cynthia knelt kneit on the lott loft floor and reached down for or the blossom he held to her froni from the ladder and her face ace was the hue ot of the roses and her eyes were twin stars and tender A moment she held the rapturous baby to her breast and smiled down at him over the golden head and as mr alan ran for the grocery to the last strains of 0 wont you come home bill bailey as executed by mr leeks his heart lent wings to his teet feet the hour the four of them spent in tbt studio with the pictures was delightful tor for evelyn looked into miss Cynt hias eyes for or a moment then kissed her on both cheeks and was merciful and charming the pictures so BO absorbed all three nay all four our for or from rom the first time blossom had been transported to the studio she had gazed at them with wide eyed wonder that had overjoyed the artist that when miss selina luex lines beaming face ace appeared above the tha ladder they could scarcely realize how the time had flown down well well what a nice time tim you all do seem to be having such a day as never was in n the bluff before and everybody so happy I 1 declare mr air alan have smiled so much since morning I 1 ng that hes sitting fat at they aint nobody said gald a cuss word or slapped a child since sunup but come down everybody for or the crowd has sung and laughed a itself itsek hungry and I 1 cant hold em back no honey did you notice the wreath of 0 larkspur mr air alan and deliale dobbs tied around charitas Char itys neck dont she look dressy and proud and ashes kinder switching her tall perky trust a women it if she la Is jest a cow to skitter some in finery but ill go on and you follow as fast as you can the refreshments were appreciated to their limit and so enticing were their appearance and flavor that miss evelyn first chose cross barred then accepted open faced and finally begged for kl ki vered to mrs airs kinney N manifest delight in tact fact when the tale was told there remained only one of each persuasion which miss selina lue had packed in a basket to send to mrs jackson page whose regrets had been profuse though formal you walk on up the hill with the girls mr air alan and carry the basket said eald miss selina lue as they began after unnumbered farewells to take their departure come back often miss evelyn youve got friends here on the bluff aall stand to you the rest of your life and ter them iou ou cant come too often now mr air alan hand them pies to mis page yourself and dont trust em to the girls tor for they are having so much good time I 1 am to risk em and so mr kent appeared for the first time tim before mrs airs jackson page bearing a gift of 0 rare spices and though at first welcomed icily after an hours conversation in which transpired by her adroit maneuvering his parentage and tho the social and financial standing thereof he be was invited most cordially to dine law miss aless heliny lue luc where can sir mr alan be questioned mrs ira kinney as she sat tor for a few minutes on the grocery steps in the moonlight its after ten and he aint never showed up since he ha took them girls home ile he must have on oil his tar pants panta ter settin cotlong cating to be gave in sich hunks broken doses Is better belter well now mis alis kinney honey answered miss selina lue dreamily her eyes resting in the long shadows the hackberry cast across the street you know folks git married ter fer a long time and it do seem like edding ought er cr go on quite a spell tore fore they goes through the door from which they aint no returning unless by death or davor divorce e which is and then too aint it jest one of the best times they is to life so I 1 fear ear one say let it be draped out into fine strands though strong as number forty cotton CHAPTER vill VIII the wilted blossom dont nothing put the heart in a broke down woman like a little loving miss selina lue bennie honey run up the hill and tell miss cynthie that I 1 wisht she would come right down ter fer blossom aint so well and stop in and ask asemis alta Mis kinney to come and sell the suppers ter fer me cause I 1 dont want to leave the baby oil oh miss aliss heliny dollny lue Is she much sick degutes Benn De les freckled face drew up into a knot with anxiety for blossom was tho the core of the green apple that at his age passes for a heart yes honey ashes pretty bad and I 1 feel I 1 must see miss aliss cynthio cynthia a bit bil now run along and if you see mr air alan send him to me too loo miss seline lues strong face was grave and sweet but had nono none of the disfiguring maiks with which anxiety ravages many countenances As she turned mr alan entered the back door allows the blossom he be asked anxiously as he be deposited his kit in the corli corner or i looks like I 1 cant even want a thing in my heart without when I 1 open my eyes there it 11 ft said miss ills selina lue softly the baby aint a so well I 1 am afe ered and I 1 was as jest mean and selfish enough to send ter fer miss alias cynthie to come down and worry with me I 1 never did hold bold with sharing worries but I 1 ddn t expect you on back till 1111 dark and it jest seemed like fillad I 1 had to have one or vother of you a while what 1 at did tho the doctor say asked mr r al alan an as he be came and stood by her in the door thero there was strength and comfort comford in the very sight ot of him and miss selina sclena lue brightened visibly as she bho an aw aired well mt AIL alan it 11 do test l eat everything to me to see BOO a man doctor flounder around and hunt tor for the matter with a baby its plumb painful but this young teller feller what you and miss hiss cynthie say la Is a ape claler with babies done pretty well with my helping him along lie he says it Is with a long named sido issue to it what I 1 call jest plain being threatened avith bad croup it I 1 it was one of 0 the now or luella kinney I 1 would think sure I 1 could pull em through but blossom looks like she mixed the same as the other children on the bluff and somehow I 1 miss selina lues voice faltered altered for or a moment mr air alan took her hand in his and said gently she Is a very special sort of 0 flower Is the blossom and we all feel eel that did the doctor say he would rather have the trained nurse 1 I raked asked him faithful al thul cause I 1 promised you but he jest looked at me and he said there no sich nursing as sho she had to be bought in the city and course he knows about you walking her nights and miss cynthia a spelling 0 of us both looks like to me too that they aint no nursing in the world that can do as well as what comes from rom the hand band of 0 love if 1 it Is guided by common sense yes but skill sometimes Is 1 needed in some well aint skill another nanie name ter er common sense ive done had experience per peri fence ence with the lack of em both when ethel maud was six months old mis alta dobbs fed cd her a little strawberry 16 1 lol mr L he watched the girl bend over the bed preserves and ami I 1 thought her time had c ome come when I 1 seed the spasm she went into after a spell when I 1 got her emptied out and full of hot ginger tea she bhe boulder quieted down but her mother set her afire with a candle she was holding to see it she was a breath ing and lands alive the child was most burned to death fore I 1 could put her out and what with the strawberry poison working on oil her at the sanle same time she almost passed from rom us and there she Is alive ind and a by blossom as quiet as a mouse to call me it if she stirs baby loving and tending was homed in that child miss heliny lue called a small frightened voice which was followed by a hoarse cough watch ter fer miss cynthie and her back to my room there comes mis alls kinney to sell the suppers cant you kinder keep keel her talking out here she do make the baby jump so mr air kent gave up the walk down the river road to met miss cynthia that had been in his intentions for the last few moments and set himself to the task of holding mrs ira kinney out of the leanto lean to howdy mr alan she aha remarked in a lugubrious tone of voice aint it too bad that miss aliss heliny lue havo have got got to suffer sich a affliction well mrs airs kinney I 1 dont think that miss aliss selina lue feels as oh course she dont feel it like it was her own they cant nobody know the feelings of a mother lessen its a father about halfway half halt way 1 I think I 1 should say that alies selina lue luc miss much a light view of 0 the case mr air alan of course she misses not having baving children of her own its a wom ans duty to have children and husbands and well I 1 think we can all acquit miss selina lue luc of at any failure to do her duty by tho the rising generation mrs kinney remarked mr alan in a dangerously suave voice he doubly welcomed the sight of miss cynthia hurrying down th the street estreet accompanied by the anxious messenger as he was on the verge of a few disastrous observations ions leaving mrs kingey to attend to the needs of 0 the various supper shop pers pera that were approaching the grocery mr air alan led miss cynthia to tho the door of the leanto lean to and there posted himself as aa a vigilance committee to insure quiet lie ho watched the girl bend over the bed and touch the tumbled curls with a caress that wa waz s as light as that of a butter flys wing while she slipped her other hand into tt alp a one of miss selina lues that rested on oil the pillow when did she seem not so well all asked and her voice was low with tenderness bridel iless anil nd lear fear tho the blossom opened her eyes and with a little sigh put pui her tiny pale hand band up to the beautiful tace face bent over her there Il lere now the first time ashes taken arty any notice today whispered aless selina lue as miss alias cynthia slipped to her knees and carried the babas hand band to her lips jest look at that mr air alan it if blossom aint gt I 1 do declare miss ariss cynthia and her net act like they ahey was twins ln in heart heak I 1 suspicion she havo have been pining for fer you all the day air honey same as the rest of us on only I 1 y she ehe ask ter you aiho we can well she shant ant miss miff me again for T f am going to stay wibb her ber anell 01 bf I 1 |
