Page:The strength of Gideon, and other stories (IA strengthgideon00dunbrich).pdf/319

JOHNSONHAM, JUNIOR 301 some one, slapping the happy Ike on the shoul- der as the crowd burst into aloud guffaw. Jim’s head was sadly bemuddled, and for a time he gazed upon the faces about him in bewilderment. Then a light broke in upen his mind, and with a ‘“Whoo-ee!” he said, “No!” tke grinned a defiant grin at him, and led the way to the near- est place where he and his friends might cele- brate.

Jim went home to his wife full of a sullen, heavy anger. ‘“‘Ike Johnson got a boy at his house, too,” he said, ‘an’ he done put Junior to his name.” Martha raised her head from the pillow and hugged her own baby to her breast closer.

“Tt do beat all,” she made answer airily; ‘we can’t do a blessed thing but them thaih Johnsons has to follow right in ouah steps. Anyhow, f don’t believe their baby is no sich healthy lookin’ chile as this one is, bress his little hea’t! ‘Cause I knows Matilda Benson nevah was any too strong.”

She was right; Matilda Benson was not so strong. The doctor went oftener to Ike’s house than he had gone to Jim's, and three or four days after an undertaker went in.

They tried to keep the news from Martha’s