T:i' e 2
THE MIDGET
March, 1924
Quill Drivers ’ Department
YOUTH.
(Cree'.oan Rowland'.)
“But, Jack, you don’t understand.
I am ser:ov:s. Don’t you see? For
almost two weeks Mary and Ruth
and Margaret and Batty, and all the
girls in my room who have sweet
hearts in your room have been teas-
me 1 mean all ’cept Kather
ine, They are always telling me about
the whippings you get every day.
And—”.
“But, Dottie, dear,—” was the in
terruption t'hat Jack of 7A made in
this unexpected speech of Dot of 7B.
“Wait tir I finish. You are the
only boy that gets a whipping every
day. You are the leading one in all
the mischief in this school. Why
don’t you stop? You know I love
yo'i. That’s why I haven’t said any-
tMng before,” gasped the troubled
'Dot.
“O'h, Dot, don’t be so seriouis,’’ beg
ged the bewildered Jack. “What are
a ’ot o’ M’le old whippings anyway?”
“They’re lots when you are always
reminded of them. And,” resumed
the talkative Dot, “they are always
bragging about their sweethearts,
’ciiuss they don’t get any old whip
pings. And now if you don’t promise
to be good and not get any whippings
I’m going to send back all of those
nice things you gave m*e and—never
G eak to you again.”
“What?'’'’ cried Jack. “You are not
tliat serious, are you?”
“I certa nly am. I mean every-
t'hing I say. It’s going to be pretty
hard but I guess I can stand it,” de
clared Dot with a determined look
that caused Jack to start to thinking,
for he knew that when she looked that
way she meant to do just what she
caid she would.
This conversation took place as
Jack and Dot were walking to school.
Jack always came by for Dot, and
they enjoyed the walk together, for
there were so many pretty birds and
flowers, and they always had some
thing to tell each other. This was the
first difference that had arisen in their
baby-hood courtship of about three
months, and Jack did not know what
to do. Finally as they neared a great
woods Jack said:
‘'Dot, I will be good today. I’ll
rot get a single whipping. This is
going to be hard, but I can do it for
you. Will you stiH love me if I do
♦■hat ?”
“Of course, I will. You know that’s
why I want you to istop. I talked it
all over with Katherine and she said
that her brother said that you don’t
have to do all those things. He says
you can stop as easy as not. Kather
ine is the only one who doesn’t tease
me and I like Iher. But I am so glad
that you are willing to change,” was
the sentence that showed how delight
ed this little maid really was.
“Now, we must seal the compact,”
promised Jack, and under the green
of the trees these two, Jack Sloan
and Dorothy Rendleman, sea’ed the
compact which was witnessed by the
birdis only.
Dot was in a room made up chiefly
of girls. This was ne::t to one that
had a great many boys in it, and it
seemed that almost every little girl
in Dot’s room had a “sweetheart” in
Jack’s room. These little girls M'^ere
accustomed to hear someone in the
other room get a whipping almost
every day and they soon learned that
it was very seldom anyone except Jack
Sloan.
This particular day however seem
ed to be very quiet, for nothing was
heard in the room next to them. Dot
was very happy, for she did not want
Jack to receive a whipping. But at
two-f^irty the accustomed sour?d3
which indicated that a whipping was
taking place greeted the ears- of the
girls in 7B.
“Is it Jack?” “Can it be?” “Oh,
what if it is?” “What shall I do?”
were only a few of the things that
ran through Dot’s bewildered little
mind in those few seconds. Kather
ine looked over there and understood.
“Come with me, Dot, and I’ll ask
brother who got the whipping,” said
Katherine as they marched out of
school a few minutes later. They soon
found Robert, Katherine’s brother,
and when she asked him who had got
ten the whipping, he said:
“Jack Sloaii got it, but—”. Here
he was called by a group of boys and
as he ran to them he called back to
Katherine, “Fil tell you the rest when
I get home.’'
Katherine turned and started to say
something to Dot but she was nowhere
to be seen.
“She heard Robert say it was Jack
and she could not stand it, but went
home by herself,” mused Katherine
as she walked home. “I -wonder what
else Robert’s got to tell me. I hope
that he soon comes home.”
The time passed very slowly for
the anxious Katherine, but finally her
brother arrived at about five o’clock.
A very interesting story followed, and
it was rather hard for the enthusi
astic listener to restrain from inter
rupting. Just as Robert finished,
Katherine jumped up exclaiming, “Oh,
I just got to tell Dot at once. She
will be so glad to hear it.”
“Why will Dot be glad to hear that
Jack did not get the whipping?” asked
Robert.
“Didn’t you know they were to stop
being friends if he got a whipping
today? She walked home by herself
because she heard you say that Jack
got it. I’m going over there right
now. Tell mother where I am,” called
Katherine as she ran down the walk.
“Brother, brother, please come up
stairs just a minute,” called Dot at
about four-thirty of that eventful
t’ay.
As the little boy entered the room
she handed him a large package and
said, “Take this to Mrs. Sloan and
tell her to give it to Jack. You may
stop at the drugstore as you come
back and get a saucer of ice cream
if you will hurry.”
“Oh, thank you.” But the little
fellow lingered.
“Say, Sis,” after a pause,” what’s
in this big package ? It feels mighty
heavy.”
“Oh, nothing, Johnny. iPlease hur-