Show BELLA'S BELLAS APOLOGY Pull the trigger Two little children sat upon the roof roof of a shed coal-shed calling names at a little negro peacefully playing in the next yard For the two weeks that the negro family had lived there this had been the the childrens children's principal occupation and amusement Usually the little black girl took no notice of them except to look up now and then from her keeping house-keeping to say philosophically Sticks and stones Might break my bones But names will never hurt me To-day To she was silent she was homesick homesick home home- sick for the rollicking black settlement she had come from Her little heart was filled with rage against her white tormentors yonder on the coal She was tired of answering their taunts If she kept still perhaps they would go away She reasoned thus as with a great show of indifference she swept out the little corner where she had set up house house- keeping But the little urchins on the sh shed d became more anxious to draw her out Instead of getting tired and going away as she had hoped they called louder loud loud- er and louder They clambered down from the roof and came toward the fence still calling at her She did not yet turn turu around Getting bolder one little f fellow ell ow- ow stuck his head through the palings and shouted in her ear In a flash she turned caught his collar firmly in one hand and with the other dealt him several resounding cuffs saying in an angry voice Ill teach you to mock at me Then as the little boy went crying to his mother she turned to her house keeping arranging some broken crockery in a goods dry-goods box zest Still her play had not the same that it had before She could hear heat th the aIm through J Jamies Jamie's ies ie's dismal wailings open door of the next house and from j. j i i 7 V 1 iI jJ 1 time to time the voice of Jamies Jamie's mother What would the mother say to her She wished she hadn't slapped the boy so hard She was beginning to be sorry aud and She watched the next house furtively After a little Jamie came out with a abig abig abig big piece of bread and butter thickly sprinkled with sugar and sat down on the step door-step to eat it The little negro came to the fence Jamie she called come yere I want to tell yer some- some thin Jamie slowly put down his bread upon the doo step door step and came fearfully toward her Well what want he asked from a safe distance 4 Im sorry I slapped you said little black black- Bella honest 1 I am I wished I But you hadn't oughter e called i me me names names and yer do o it no more v ore If you do l' l Ill I'll 11 slap your head clear off Grace Nelson |