dogs and being taken
for a burglar and nearly killed, and she said she was afraid Pa had took
to drinking again, and she asked me if I heard any firing of guns, and I
said no, and then she put a wet towel on Pa's head."

"You ought to be ashamed," said the grocery man "How does your Pa like
your being in love with the girl? Does he seem to encourage you in it?"

"Oh, yes, she was up to our house to borry some tea, and Pa patted her
on the cheek and hugged her and said she was a dear little daisy, and
wanted her to sit in his lap, but when I wanted him to let me have fifty
cents to buy her some ice cream he said that was all nonsense. He said:
"Look at your Ma. Eating ice cream when she was a girl was what injured
her health for life." I asked Ma about it, and she said Pa never laid
out ten cents for ice cream or any luxury for her in all the five years
he was sparking her. She says he took her to a circus once but he
got free tickets for carrying water for the elephant. She says Pa was
tighter than the bark to a tree. I tell you its going to be different
with me. If there is anything that girl wants she is going to have it if
I have to sell Ma's copper boiler to get the money, What is the use of
having wealth if you hoard it up and don't enjoy it? This family will be
run on different principles after this, you bet. Say, how much are those
yellow wooden pocket combs in the show case? I've a good notion to buy
them for her. How would one of them round mirrors, with a zinc cover, do
for a present for a girl? There's nothing too good for her."

CHAPTER XVII.

HIS PA FIGHTS HORNETS--THE OLD MAN LOOKS BAD--THE WOODS OF
WAUWATOSA--THE OLD MAN TAKES A NAP--"HELEN DAMNATION"--
"HELL IS OUT FOR NOON"--THE LIVER MEDICINE--ITS WONDERFUL
EFFECTS--THE BAD BOY IS DRUNK!--GIVE ME A LEMON!--A SIGHT OF
THE COMET!--THE HIRED GIRL'S RELIGION.

"Go away from here now," said the grocery man to the bad boy, as he came
into the store and was going to draw some cider out of a barrel into
a pint measure that had flies in it. "Get right out of this place, and
don't let me see you around here until the health officer says you Pa
has got over the small pox. I saw him this morning and his face is all
covered with postules, and they will have him in the pest house before
night. You git," and he picked up a butter tryer and went for the boy
who took refuge behind a barrel of onions, and held up his hands as
though J