While he was thus occupied, Tim and Maggie played checkers, there being
little difference in their respective skill. They were quiet, and when
necessary to speak, did so in low tones, so as not to disturb the
parent.
An hour had passed, when he suddenly turned, with his spectacles on his
nose, and looked at the children. The slight resentment he still felt
toward Tim caused him to address himself directly to his sister:
"Maggie, do you know who has been writing these articles in the paper
for the last few weeks?"
She held a king suspended as she was on the point of jumping a couple
of Tim's and asked in turn:
"What articles?"
"They are signed 'Mit' and each paper for the last two or three months
has had one of them."
"No, sir; I do not know who wrote them."
"Well, whoever he is he's a mighty smart fellow."
"Maybe it's a 'she,'" suggested Maggie, as she proceeded to sweep off
the board the two kings of Tim that had got in the path of her single
one.
"Fudge! no woman can write such good sense as that. Besides, some of
them have been on the tariff, the duties of voters, the Monroe Doctrine
and politics: what does any woman know about such themes as those?"
"Don't some women write about them?"
"I haven't denied that, but that doesn't prove that they know anything
of the subjects themselves."
The miss could make no suitable response to this brilliant remark and
did not attempt to do so, while Tim said nothing at all, as if the
subject had no attraction to him.
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