Columbia College - Cayuse Yearbook (Milton, OR)

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R , iter S LEttEIS ref . tf my desk in mm . 0 Ellen 10 Oklng Q ThIS was a little cross. w came quickly and angrilri- '0qu girl releRx earnest the R out 1t .3 came in reply. in woul d, the elder girl RdRR: led more kindly. Stilllamstr ed her mother angrily int: suppen leclared the girl. FORMER; came that day and totalh s at sch 001 thatl left 13.511133? :t a tennis ball right atRRRRR: - R mr lett ers? 1nqmredllr.. . ' and out what was 1n them. m3- he wrote. . iri we the lettersonacha a a hh- t and hid the letter: 01H 1 t t m lllli j Up With a know: a 5 11115 chlevously bent on R bed immediately after supper and remain home from Katherinels party tomor- row afternoon? her mother said decisively. llBut, motherhe llThat will do, Ellen. Donlt add another falsehood to those you have al. ready toldf, Ellen turned and brushing the blinding tears away ran to her room where she wept out her disappointment and tried to smother her injured and troubled feelings. llI did so want to go to Katieis party lcause we always have such good times and I didnit take her old letters anyway? she told herself brokenly. The next evening the family were sitting on the porch, and Fern suddenly broke the silence by demanding of Ellen who was disinterestedly trying to read, llDo you know where that old racket of cousin Tomls is? The crowd are com- ing here tomorrow afternoon and it will be well to have an extra one around? llIt,s behind that old trunk up in the store room or was when I saw it last? llWill you come with me to get itPI, asked Fern in return for the infdrma- tion. llNo, thanks. thh, all right then? and Fern went alone. I am reading? answ ered Ellen a trifle coldly. Presently they heard her give a sh ort scream and then call out llMother, Ellen, come up here. There is a whole lot of little mice behind this trunk? liCome Trixie, let,s go get iemf called out Ellen. They went up and watched the pet dog rapidly devour the tiny mice. llEllen, run down and get the dust pan and broom. XVe must clean this out right awayf, said the girls mother. Ellen brought the broom and Mrs. Rodney with one magnificent sweep Cleaned the debris from behind the trunk. Scraps of paper fluttered at Fernls feet. She stooped over and picked them up, then she gave a short exclamation of surprise. llWhat is it ?m asked her mother. ttIt is a piece of Bobls letter. I know it is because he always uses that pe- culiar paper and signs his name so funny, and this is where he Signed 1t? llI told you I didn,t take your letters. Better investigate another 1-at,s nest and maybe you will find the rest of themf'l and Ellen moved stiffly away from her sister. llNow Puss, donlt get mad. Any more scraps there, mother? Any pink or blue ones? The girls, letters were writ ten on pink and blue paperfl llNo, I don,t see any except those white ones? Fern steped over and seizing the trunk moved it clear of the wall. There under one end of it lay the missing letters. ler. Mouse must have brought too much material for his house so laid a part of it away? she said as she gathered them up. llBut Fern, how could a mouse get them of1C your desk or chaii-Pli interposed her mother. Twenty- nine

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Sisterls Letters llEllen, did you take a letter off my desk in my room this afternoon.PH de- manded Fern, the eldest sister. llBobls latest goneV asked Ellen looking up with a knowing grin. llI asked you if you took itfl This was a little cross. lIWas it from BobW Ellen was mischievously bent on finding out all about the letter. llDid you take that letter? came quickly and angrily from Fernls lips. Seeing that her sister was in earnest the young girl replied soberly that she had not. liAre you sure? llDo you think I would lie about it ? came in reply. llNo, I donit really think you would? the elder girl admitted. liPerhaps I lost it out of my pocket? she added more kindly. liStill I am sure I laid it on my deskf, Several days later Fern faced her mother angrily in the sunny kitchen where her mother was preparing supper. tlEllen must be punished? declared the girl. llFour days ago some one took my letter from Bob that came that day and today half a dozen other letters, all old ones from the girls at school that I left laying on a chair are gone, and Ellen was in my room to get a tennis ball right after dinner? gWhy should Ellen take your letters? inquired Mrs. Rodney. llSo that she can tease me about what was in them, and when Bob comes she will repeat to him every thing he wrote? llHOw did you happen toi'lhave the letters on a ChairV llI was cleaning my desk out and laid the letters on the chair preparatory to putting them in my lock box? llWell, when Ellen comes home I will ask her about it? llWhat did you want, mother? asked Ellen from the door-way where she stood with her tennis bat and tousled hair after an afternoon of hard play. llDid you take those letters in Fernls room when you went after that tennis ball? Being accused twice of the same thing in so short a time makes one feel rather uncomfortable, and the blood rushed into Ellenls face and she sur- prisedly stammered out, llNo, I didn,t.,l llEllen you look guilty and I will have to punish you. You must go to Twenty-eight h; . .- - ,,,,,

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llThey could have easily been knock ed off on the floor? llYesfi broke in Ellen, III remember brushing a bunch of pink and blue en- velopes offa chair by the window when I went after that ball yesterday but I was in such a hurry that I didnlt stop to pick them up? llSo it was partly your fault after all, Ellen? HNot any more than it was yours. I never saw Bob,s letter, and turning to the window. Hthere go the girls home from Katherinels party? Ellenls speech ended sobbingly. lth! Donlt cry, baby. Listen, next week I will give you a party here on the lawn. Of course you missed Katherinels, but you can tell her why and you can tell her it was all my fault. PM have pink ice-cream for you andeBob will be here. I,ll have him take the girls home in his car so they can stay ever so late and you can go ,long with him. I am sorry Ellen. Donit cry so hard. Now, isnlt that alright?,, questioned Fern. llYesf, sobbed Ellen, who was now crying simply because she could not help 'it, llbut don,t you think you ought to get pink paper to write the invita- tions onV llPink Ipaper- Oh! Of course. Come on down and tell Father about it? answered Fern as she laughingly assist ed Ellen down the stairs. Ada Rogers Eventide The sun was sinking in the West, The birdies all had gone to rest, The evening shadows slowly fell, Casting all about the dell A rose-tint hue of color clear, Which rested on the tree tops near. As brighter tints had passed away The pale white moon and twinkling star Shone through the cottage door ajar. The scanty meal was eaten now, And Freddie went to milk the cow; The smaller children went to bed, Mother waits alone for Fred. At last he came with drooping head, And sort of humble like he said: Ma, in that milk thafs in the pail, 01d Bossyls went and switched her tail? Francis Nugen Thirty W3 W .yf'lwu age ; fi'wfviwt a z? . m 1:.vl a fight? VA djitr iii 1 J ghtnbw rf'fult vi imgl.n $95 , 1 5.931! ' 3 4? 111:.mw' .-.:3n385 ' I y: M 4 n' 1 1; web. I a rd H w. h lfrmmw I 212:: uh ! w : m