The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-09-27

The old refrigerator, his dog, q mongrel
Cur that had followed him home one day,
aud lastly to Billy, the DOCTORS old horse.
Bobby had his arms closely about his neck
aud there was something glistening on his
name when he sail at last, Goodbye, old
fellow"
He went In TO breakfast and Was so,quiet
and subdued that, MIS- mother asked bini
twice, If he We're silk, and Rose impressed
BY his magnanimity of the evening before,
began to feel the cravings of remorse at
her own "h%atefulness" in view of the ILL
There was a choking feeling in Bobby's
throat as he kissed his mother twice. He
did not kiss Rose, that could Mt haYe been
expected. But he. saidi t.de Je, Rosie "
which was a hiss translated.
Blu TO his FATHER he Gould 1 " say a Word.
Doctor Grey Thought 1t Was .445se WHO, had
brushed hi, hat sd carefully ard laid bis
! sIoves Just where he tcild see them, and
thet Sam had been extra careful in groom
ing Billy that morning.
Bobby was a model boy at school that
never-to.be-forgotten Wednesday. "The
last time,p he kept saying to himself, with
a pang at his heart and that curious under
current of enjoyment, His geometry les:
son was perfect: In history he had afsad
sssshs On .ts sss sss Rent gssl 1sp 1ss ie 81 tSs d slstIbs s.
fofs had had excellent effect. Tho profess
sor told him in his excited way, "You hat
a ferry gootlesson, Grey" ending with the
funny little grunt that beginners in his
classes thought was the French accent and
strove to initiate, to the foreign gentle.
not play "Crambo" with the boy behind
him. He did not throw an aEple;c6re into
Billy. Watson.s mouth When he gaped SO
widely. He did not laugh when his, most
intimate friend slipped with a pile OF draw
ing books, scattering them widely. The
hero of a Sunday. school o could not
have behaved better, nay, even Rollo him-
self Sas but a creation of the imagination
compared with Bobby.
At recess he gave away his jack-knife to
w short ones, dull at one end and chewed
at the other, to Tommy Blake, his. BLOCK 10
another fellow and his sntalf French die
tterafF "a a boy who did not own any,
large or small, but who always had the best
lesson ip the class; he was a boy Bobby
tuous and increased his meek air. When
two O'Clock came he walked quietly to the
dressing.room, tool his cap without getting
into the usual ~scuf1e, and went back to
the class room on some pretext, that on
going out he might say ''good-byeD to the
history teaehefl
There was base bali after schools: He was
going to stop for that. One last rdusfng
game, that should stand out d landmark in
the history Of tho school, and be re-
feFted to regretfully ever after-this with
the enjoyment u~ppermost-as "the last
time that stunning player, Bobby Grey,
played with us" even when his name had
become something to be handled Shrink
inglY' the heartacae Was all on the top now.
"He'n die, 1 know. And me so cross and
ugly to aim. And him so sweet and lovely
to me. Didn't I know he was going to be
killed this morning! Oh, dear, oh dear 20
and Rose wrung her hands as she went to
| tho door f0r. tho txuanttQth TINA fn looH for
Billy's Roman nose,
For half, an hour before all excited crowd
Had, brought Bobby home on Teddy Multi
gan's tip-cart, Bobby with a broken leg,
and set white face.
Mrs. Grey had somehow reached the door,
her heart standing still and a dreadful fear,
hardly enabling her to say, "Tell me quick
what has happened % with Rose, close be-
hind, clutching her skirts, and with her
eyes shut, murmuring incoherently, 81 told
| you he would break his nose?o
They had all tried to explain together
how it had happened, while between them,
Teddy Mulligan and Taffy Austin fore.
most, they were bringing Bobby in and
placing him on the Office lounge. He was
lying on a board, toe. That was the last
touch Of horror in Roses eyes.
SIT Was the ~lovliest game Of the season.
And Bobby had just gone ahead of any
| thing that had been seen on the field. And
then Taffy Austin-you see Bobby had just
made the stunningest home run. We didn't
know till we heard a howl and saw him in
a heap. Tafy had knocked a three-baser
n set out to scoot to first, and he slung
away the bat--he didn't see Bobby. Taffy
is the strongest striker ON the field. The
bat took him just under the knee" 1t was
all a jargon to poor Mrs. Grey, who had
learned to look upon a baseball as but little
inferior in danger to a battlefield.
"Shouid they go for a doctorN Four
boys were ready to dart off, glad to do
anything, and guiltily glad, too, to get
away from the sight Of trouble. But
Bobby's weak voice spoke then for the first
time: "I'll wait for father"
And wait he did, though 1t was two long
hours before Doctor trey returned. Even
in the midst of the pain Of setting the broken
limb-it proved to be a compound fracture
the boys love and pride in his father was
uppermost. How neatly he went to work
how quick and strong was his touch
Have Doctor Barrows touch him, indeed
Why, compared with his father, he was a
bungler, a quack, a homoeopothisti But
when it was over, and he was lying there
exhausted. another thought came over him
"With a broken leg, how the dickens am
1 to run away?"
He had not thought of it before. The
pain and the strangeness had swallowed up
everything else. But now the whole thing
came back over him with a rush and the
misery of it drew a groan from him such as
all the pain had not done.
why, my boy, was it as bad as that?'
and the clever surgeons hand brushed the
hair of. Bobby's forehead with as much
tenderness as a woman.
There are plenty of mothers in America.
There are fewer fathers than in any other
civilized country. 1t was Bobby's great
good fortune that he had one of them. He
had never so realized it as at that moment,
genuine hero-worshipper though be had
been all his life. There was a wonder in
| hi. Wind fnn FIN T. in htc oIpasrofia la LaJ
overlooked the fact that even more thar
%''oficer and gentleman" vas Doctor Grey
"father." Why, it seemed the mos
natural thing in the world to tell him al
his trouble. How could he ever lave beer
such a jack as to nave been afraid? Bobby's
language was never heroic.
He blurted out everything, from begin
ming to end-even how he had planned tt
leave them all. DIR. Grey, listening at first
not understanding, then gradually coming
to an insight, said not a word. Only tina
Hook that Bobby had dreaded more thar
anything that could happen to him, die
come into his face, and, manhood or NJ
manhood, Bobby did burst into tears, ant
burying his face in the sofa-pillow, criet
like a baby-''like a great grill"
"How much did you say it WASP"
"Forty-four dollars and sixty cents"
From the pillow Bobby heard his father
go to his desk, unlock it, then after a shor
pause go to the door and call to Jack
Poor Taffy's feelings were relieved by
Doctor Grey's few CHEEKY words, and b.
wentoff feeling less like Cain. Jack went
too, with the funds of the Debating Society
and School Register, for Bobby would not
of course, be able to attend the meeting
and wished him to take his place. Bobby
heard it all. When he closed the door, b.
spoke:
"Father, only say something! I wisl
Taffy had knocked me on my head in
stead"
"You must not talk. 1 shall have you il
I 4 high fever" Doctor Grey was putin,
mis- instruments in their places; his fac
was from the lounge, but there wasa strain
in his voice that rave Bobby a great dea
more pain than his leg.
II shall be if you won't say somethin,
to me about it,"
Perhaps DIR. Gray realized the truth o
that, for in a minute or two he had draw
up his chair to the lounge.
"Your fault was when you borrowed
that first cent for a postal card"
'But l put that straight back!" Bobb,
had his fathers hand close in his. II
would not have liked the fellows to hav