Amarilly of Clothes-line Alley

"I am older now," she explained in superior, lofty tones, "and of course

I hev to think more about my looks than I used ter."

He gazed at her with such ardent admiration that she was seized with an

impulse to don her white dress and impress his young fancy still

further.

"He ain't wuth it, though," her sober second thought decided.

"What does yer think I come fer, Amarilly?"

"I dunno, 'less Mr. Vedder sent you."

"He did, sorter. You see, I'm invited to one of them kind of parties

whar you dress up ter be the name of a book. One of the stock company is

givin' it fer her kids. I don't know the name of any book except

_Diamond Dick_ and _The Curse of Gold_, and I didn't know how to rig up

fer them. I went to Vedder, and he sez thar's a book what's called _The

Little Minister_, and I could rent yer surplus and tog out in it. He

said you would take tucks in it fer me."

"Sure I will. I'll fix it now while you wait, Pete."

"Say, Amarilly, I thought as how, seein' we are both in the perfesshun,

sorter, you'd come down on your price."

"Sure thing, Pete. I won't charge you nothin' fer it."

"Yes; I wanter pay. I'll tell you what, Amarilly, couldn't you take it

out in gum? I hed a hull lot left over when the theayter shut down.

It'll git stale ef I keep it much longer, and I'd like to git some of it

offen my hands."

"Sure, I will, Pete. We all like gum, and we can't afford to buy it very

often. That'll be dandy."

Thus it was that for the next fortnight the Jenkins family revelled in

the indulgence of a hitherto denied but dearly prized luxury. Their jaws

worked constantly and joyously, although differently. Mrs. Jenkins, by

reason of depending upon her third set of teeth, chewed cautiously and

with camel-like precision. The Boarder, having had long practice in the

art, craunched at railway speed. The older boys munched steadily and

easily, while Bud and Bobby pecked intermittently in short nibbles.

Amarilly had the "star method," which they all vainly tried to emulate.

At short and regular intervals a torpedo-like report issued from the gum

as she snapped her teeth down upon it. Cory kept hers strung out

elastically from her mouth, occasionally rolling it back.

The liberal supply of the luxury rapidly diminished, owing to the fact

that Iry swallowed his allowance after ineffectual efforts to retain it

in his mouth, and then like Oliver Twist pleaded for more.