OCR Text |
Show wan ana apfSMai sn waniiii IsWsWPW THAT ZERO LUNCHEON By CORNELIUS VOIQHT. "Ob, motherl mother! Do stop youi work! Something awful has hap penod!" This camo from Ruth, as wildly oxclted, her brown eyes ai round na saucers, alio bounded Into tin room. "What, child! Uliere? When?" e claimed her mother, while her llttl brother stood by, breathless. "In school! Dorothy told on raol And It's not true! I didn't do it!" "Do what, dcarT What did Dorothj 4ni14M "She said I whlBpored. And I dldn'tl Honestly, truly, mother, I didn't!" ".Vo, sho didn't," ohlmod in littlt brother, who knew nothing whatovoi about It. "How did ahe happen to say you did?" aaked her mother. "I wouldn't lot her play in the doll houso yesterday. Sho wantod to b the teacher and I did, too. And then I told her It was my yard and my doll houso and she'd hotter go home. Shi said she'd get evon, and when MIbi Marlon came back Into the room thll morning and asked who whispered while sho was out Dorothy said I did And I didn't, olthor. And all the glrla'l! prove It, too Emily nnd Klale and all of "era." "Well, I wouldn't got ao excited Ruth, dear. You can toll Miss Marlon that you didn't whisper, can't you?" "But maybe sho won't beltovo mo And I'll have to stay after school. And, oh, m-m-mother, mother!" Great sobl shook hor frnmo "I'll get a zero lo doportmont, nnd If ou get thrco zeioi you can't over, over go Into anothor grade." Hero she broko down completely. com-pletely. Little brother began to cry with hor "Como, come, children, lot'B have our lunch," urged tho mother In soothing sooth-ing tones, putting her arms about Ruth and wiping away the tears. "Maybe while we'ro eating we can think of something to do about It." "I don't want any lunch," Ruth man. aged to say In a choking rolco, "Mo neither," accompanied little brother, who then senmpored to the luncheon tabid as fast ns his logs would carry him, followed reluctantly by Ruth. The big sister and tho father camo in and took their places at the table, lletween sobs Ruth again related hor troubles. "I'll go and see Miss .Marlon," announced an-nounced the big sister "Or I'll write her a noto," added tho mother. "Well, let's eat," suggested tho father. "Well, let's eat," echoed tho llttlo brother. For a few moments tho mother was kept busy serving Ruth was beginning begin-ning to forget her troubles In tho sol-nco sol-nco of Introducing steak and potatoes Into her hungry, growing llttlo body, when tho brother, with his mouth stuffed full. Innocently remarked: "Daddy, don't you think these round potntocs that Eva makes look ltko zeroes?" Instantly Ruth stopped eating. Tears began coursing down her cheeks. Tho little brother continued" "Tears look like zeroes, too." "Wo con't talk about zeroes," com-mauded com-mauded tho mother, "Come, Ruth, doar, finish your lunch." Wiping tho tears on her bib, Ruth began again to eat. As she was about to put some of her favorite vegetable Into her mouth sho wailed: "Mother, dear, don't you think peas look like zeroes and spoons do a little bit, too? Oh, everything's Just full of zeroes!" Tho father burst out laughing. "Well. Ruth." he said. "If we could have 'om all In a row with ones in front of them and dollar signs wouldn't wc liavo lots of fun? Como on, now. loot's forget all disagreeable things, becnuBo they're bad for our digestion. Mother's going to help you," "Say, dad," exclaimed the little brother, "do you see those round things on tho tablecloth " "Hush, brother," commanded his mother. Rut ho wouldn't be hushed. "These round things on tho tablecloth " Ruth's oyes began to All. "Thoy they look Just Uko little niimnUlnnt" Ity tho time the meal was over the mother had decided what to do. Sho would go to tho school and give that tcachor a plcco of her mind for exciting ex-citing a llttlo child over Buch a trifle. If necessary, sho would go to see the school principal also. The father blandly suggested that she might call In the police forcu or take tho case to the supreme court, Sho found the teacher a pleasant, bright looking oung woman, who was much surprised to see her. "You camo about Ruth?" die asked "I'm glad to see you. She' the best behaved child I have In tho room "Hut sho camo homo crying ut noon today Sho said sho was going to be punished becauso Dorothy said sho whispered." "Why, I didn't pny any attention to that, for I knew It wasn't true," answered an-swered Miss Marlon Chicago Dall; News |