Evening Star Newspaper, January 18, 1929, Page 41

BEDTIME STORIE Mrs. Reddy Freed of Blame. Be slow, 1 pray, in fixing blame, Lest thus you soil an honest name. —Farmer Brown's Boy. Farmer Brown's Boy was up in the ©ld Pasture. There were Fox tracks in the snow there—plenty of them. Farm- er Brown’s Boy followed one line of these tracks, When he found a good, clear print of a foot he took a little measure from his pocket and measured that print. Then he smiled as he wrote the figures down in a little book beside some figures that were there already. ‘The size of the print he had just meas- ured was smaller than the size of the print whose measurement was already written down in the little book. “I thought so0,” said Farmer Brown's Boy. “It isn’t Mrs. Reddy who has been stealing chickens from my neighbor. The Fox who stole those chickens was HE CONTINUED TO FOLLOW THE FOOTPRINTS OF THIS STRANGE FOX. 8 bigger Fox than Mrs. Reddy and he doesn’t live in the Old Pasture. I sup- pose I've got to prove that, however.” So Farmer Brown's Boy continued to follow the footprints of Mrs. Reddy and he soon discovered that she was doing all her hunting in a direction quite op- posite to the farm where the chickens had been stolen. Then he went back to that farm and followed the tracks of the chicken thief. That they were tracks of a Fox there was no question. The trail led by a roundabout way up BY THORNTON W. BURGESS to the Old Pasture on Farmer Brown's farm—the Old Pasture where lived | Reddy Fox and Mrs. Reddy. It was no wonder that the owner of the chickens, who knew that Reddy and Mrs. Reddy lived in the Old Pasture, was certain that one of them was stealing the | chickens. Farmer Brown's Boy could ! see the tracks of this man who had | followed the Fox tracks clear up to the | 0ld Pasture. There they turned back. But Farmer Brown's Boy didn't turn back. He continued to follow the foot- prints of this strange Fox. They led up to the Old Pasture, but they did not lead near the home of Reddy and Mrs. | Reddy. They led up through the Old Pasture and finally out of it on the far side. That was all that Farmer Brown's Boy wanted to know. He went back to see his neighbor who had lost the chickens. 3 “It isn't the Foxes who live up in our Old Pasture,” said he to the neigh- bor. “I am absolutely sure of it. It is some other Fox.” The neighbor looked unconvinced. “What proof of that have you?” said he. “Well, to begin with,” replied Farmer Brown'’s boy, “I have measured a num- ber of the footprints of the Fox that stole your chickens, They are consid- erably larger than the footprints of Mrs. Reddy, who lives up in the Old Pasture, for I have measured her foot- prints.” Then he opened his little book and showed the neighbor the measurements of the prints. ‘The neighbor grinned. “Well, that lets one Fox out,” said he, “but it doesn’t let out Reddy Fox, who also lives up there in the Old Pasture. You will have to admit that the footprints are the size of Reddy’s footprints.” Farmer Brown's Boy smiled, but he didn’t let the neighbor see the smile. “I see you followed those footprints up to_the Old Pasture,” said he. The neighbor nodded. “That is the way I knew it was one of those Foxes up there,” said he. “But you didn't follow those tracks through the Old Pasture,” said Farmer Brown's Boy. “No,” replied the neighbor, “it wasn't necessary.” “If you had,” said Farmer Brown'’s Boy, “you would have found that thos¢ tracks did not go anywhere near the home of Reddy Fox and Mrs. Reddy, but crossed the Old Pasture. So that’s that. But I have still further proof that Reddy Fox had nothing to do with your chickens.” (Copyright, 1929.) LITTLE BENNY BY LEE PAPE. Pop was smoking to himself and ma ‘was darning holes out of stockings and I was thinking about doing my home- werk, and ma sed, I wish I had a peece of candy, I just feel like eating a peece of good candy, somehow. G, ma do you wunt me to go and get you some? I sed and she sed, No, I wouldent go to that extreme, and pop sed, When I was a handsome youth there wasent a gerl or a woman in our block that could beet me at making candy, all you had to do was leeve me alone with some sugar and mollasses and a few drops of vanilla and in the twinkling of an eye or perhaps an hour or so Id appear with a flock of the most delicious candy you ever rapped your tung around, and by gollies theres life in the old dog yet, I'll sntt:fy that craving for you, bring on the sugar and mollasses, Ocoh G, pop, yest, go on, $ sed, and ma sed, Willyjum P. Potis are you crazy? Leed on your raw materials and Il produce the finish product, that’ll show you how crazy I amypop sed, and I sed, Sure, ma, I bet it will be swell, go on and leeve him, ma, and ma sed, O yes, I know exactly wat would happen, there would be pots and pans from one end of the kitchin to the other in every known stage of stickyness, some of our best kitchin utensils would be black- ened and skortched beyond mortel rec- konition and others would be bernt to a crisp, there would be sugar all over walls and more spilt on the stove and the floor and mollasses all over, send- ing up the most friteful aroma, your clothes would be ruined and the whole place would be full of smoke and smell and the naybers would rush in thinking the house was on fire and perhaps it would be more than likely, and Nora would give notice and leeve and the whole effect would be a gassly pande- monium. The tiny flame of another bewtiful ambition smothered under a wet blan- ket. perhaps I better not, pop sed. And he got in back of the sporting page, me saying Aw G, good nite, holey smokes, darn it all, heck. My Neighbor Says: ‘To remove ink stains from linen dip the discolored part in milk and let soak for about two hours. Take out and wash with soap while the milk still remains on the spot. Napkins will be more easily ironed if instead of being sprink- led before ironing every third one is wrung out of hot water, placed between two dry napkins and rolled up for a few hours. Bread will be soggy if placed in the breadbox before it has thoroughly cooled. Light the gas when it is turned down very low, then turn it up slowly so that the chimney is warmed by degrees. If this is d“fme chimneys are not likely Abe Martin Says: Won't it seem funny, after seven long, peaceful years, t' have a “sound” president after March 4? You're thro’ when you quit strivin’, (Copyr 1029.) Mistaken Kindness - My neighbor's lying ill in bed, with porous plasters on his head, and more upon his neck; he used to be so well and , but now he’s been lald up 50 long they say he is a wreck. And every day some three or four good fellows seek his cottage door, with kindly thoughts abloom; since he feels like a poisoned pup, they would be glad to cheer him up and dissipate the gloom. They would surround him where he lies, and tell him how they sympathize and hope he’ll soon be well, they'd place cool hands upon his brow when he's inclined to raise a row and kick around and yell. My sympathy is deep, I wot, and yet I do not seek his cot, my feel- ings to express; I have a sort of weird belief that visiting a house of grief but adds to the distress. When I am sick I'd be alone; I would be free to weep and moan without an audience; when friends come round me to con- dole they only aggravate my soul, I wish they'd journey hence. My wife and aunts are tired and sore, and when there’s knocking at the door, it makes them boiling mad; they're tired of tell- ing callers there that I am feeling pretty fair, at least not quite so bad. So when a neighbor's feeling tough I think that absence is the stuff he will appreciate; I gather cockleburs and phlox and fragrant wreaths of holly- hocks and leave them at his gate. I send him lilies white and fair and mfi that will scent the air for seven var or n;:)re:db;cy Ldrg:‘t lean against his couch ant shoo away his ch, or knock upon his door.ly i ‘WALT MASON. (Capyright, 1929.) crack, BRIDGE. —BY WEBSTER MNIGH T/ MARE OF THE MAN WHO HAS To SET UP THE TABLES AND LAMPS FOR HIS WIFE'S Al €S THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C,; FRIDAY, JANUARY' 18, 1929 NOUR BROTHER'S FISHING THROUGH A HoLe IN THE ICE: T SUPPOSE He'LL COME BACK AND TELL US ABOUT THG WHOPPGRS TRAT He ALMOST CAUGHT: a2 By BuD FiSHER Jeff's Becoming Better Acquainted With Mutt’s Brother THIS 15 A5 GOOD A WY A5 KNOW OF ' GIT_RID O' THIS, - ACHIN' TOOTH? TE IT T' TH DOOR-KNOB AN' WHEN SOME - BODY OPENS TH' l?ooa-; BLOOIE ¥ SHE'S OUT ! NIXe TMA'S \Ike GEORGE WASHINGTON! OH GOSH: W-WHY DON'T, SOMEBODY COME ALONG? T-THIS SUSPENSE 1S | GETTIN' MY N-NERVE! THEY CALL HiMm “HONEST" IMA KID, T ‘WANT T® MIT( You! You ARe TRUTHFUL, ANNHow, A VIRTUE VERY FEw FISHERMAN Possess: T'LL HANDLE You MYSELF ! 1 KNOW THE ROUTINE FROM RToZ You't HAFTR HIRE A TRAINER T'HELP ME @\T IN SHRPE FER MY FIGHTS A Slight Collision. WOW/! Look AT AT /! THIS IS THE FIRST TiME 1 EVER DROVE TS GREEN. IlL GWE You -FwenNTy DoLLARS FoR TS cLug By HOWARD FREEMAN Weak Memory. FIRST THING T WANT To TEACH You 1S BAG PUNCHING - TAKE A SHORT SNAPPY HEAR ABOUT { PINHEAD DUFFY? THEY HADDA HAVE ™e DOCTOR \FOR imi By GENE BYRNES | Double Trouble. —Nov REAuY Do THINK HE NEEDS A NURSE 50-HE'S ATOUGH CASE — M VERY FoRTuNATE 1 BEING- ABLETo SECURE JUST E RIGHT ONE O Y. TRIBUNE (e PUDDINHEAD! 1S THAT RIGHT THAT YOOR LI'L BROTHER PINHEAD SWALLOWED A NICKEL AN’ HE'S AWFUL ©1929 N TRIBUNE, IN¢. —THIS NURSE HASBEEN N THE Mowvies unnL JUST RECENTLY - 0F COURSE, You MIGHT HAVE CALLGD WHAT T CAUGHT FISH, BUT ¢ I WOULDBN'T. THE BIGGEST onE T GOT ONWY WEIGHED TEN PounDds, SO THREW THEM ALt HE SWALLOWED 2EAH~ M DENURSE DE Doc” - SENT- AN DON'T WORRY, | King HANDLE HIM—— I'M A LION °