Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-12-24


loolxeer from Sonny and his baseball
nine on the green in front of the shop.
Sonny's mine" consisted of small
Sonny and an imaginary eight.
For Pete smiled at the rough chill
dren of his rougher neighbors. but
Sonny played alone.
Wien Sonny was six Pete laid down
his tools one morning and called him
from his play.
Then he shut the door of the shop
behind them, and led wondering Sonny
up the street
Pete told the teacher when they got
to the school house that: "Sonny's nav
didn't git no chance, an he never kud
seem ter get nh chance hisself an SO he
wanted Sonny ter get nh chance sure"
The teacher looked down at small
Sonny and smiled Sonny listened and
wondered as he looked up at daddy and
the teacher.
At the end of some weeks at the
school house Pete. who sat mending
child's shoe one day, paused with up
lifted hand as the small owner of the
shoe told him that ''Sonny kud 1arn
thet air readin' like chain ightnin'."
Sonny did not play with the bits of
rcd leather now. Night after night
while dad was peggin'," Sonny sat
| near with the ''readin' books" that
Pete regarded with such awe.
So the days went on, pegging days
for Pete as he worked and thought
of Sonny's chance in CROPPING way.
Capering days for Sonny filed with
happiness, a red ball and the new
fsreadin' books"
When Sonny was eight years old he
pranced into the shop one day in carly
| spring where Pete sat at work.
Pete looked up and smiled at Sonny
and Sonny smiled back at Pete.
Then Sonny put his wonderful readin'
| book, away and picked up the red
leather ball.
A few minutes later he had marsh
| aled his basel ball nine on the green
'where dad kin see u.s. he said.
AS Pete pegged away he heard the
shouts and commands to the imaginary
eight. The game progressed to fever
| heat of excitement.
Sonny, with upturned, eager blue
eyes and flying feet, was speeding
| across the green to catch the ball.
| Suddenly his foot struck stone that
| was frozen into the ground. He fell
with a heavy thud.
The sudden silence outside caused
Pete to look up from his work. Then
he hastily laid down the unfinished
shoe.
Soon he was STOPPING over Sonny,
who lay with closed eyes and the red
ball held fast in one small hand.
At last Sonny slowly opened his eyes
and looked into the face so near his
own.
He tried to smile a little as he
said: ''Suthin' cracked in here, daddy.
l heerd it crack Jest here pointing to
his hip
For answer Pete smoothed back
Sonny's hair gently and said: ''Dad-
dy'1l fix it for We, Sonny. Daddy'n fix
tiff he kim
Sonny smiled family again and
closed his eyes.
Pete carried the child into the house.
Very carefully he laid him down on the
bed in the living room. Then he
hurried up the street to see about
Sonny's chance.
Pete walked on till he came to a
sign that was taking a swing in the
spring breeze while it told the public
that this was the office of one S. p.
Gilbert, M. d.
L
Pete sat down patiently to wait.
On the table lay an open telegram.
1t was dated Chicago, and read:
To DIR. s. P. Gilbert: Come at once
Maurice is dying.
ELIZABETH G. PORTER.
DIR. Gilbert, coming in from one of
his patients, had picked up the tel
egram. When he had read it he said:
Poor sister! 1 must go to her."
So he had gone that day to Chicago.
When DIR. Gilbert reached his sisters
home he found that there was no hope
for the boys life.
The child died.
The next day the doctor returned to
| his patients.
He found scrawled on his order slate:
''Kum ter sunny at Pete Peculiars."
The doctor inquired the way and
| went.
Soon he was following Pete through
! the shop TO the bed in the corner.
| Sonny smiled up at them as he lay with
| white face and patient eyes.
Sonny's smile was so like Pete's.
The doctor looked grave when he
heard Pete's story.
| After long weeks of patient uncom-
planning little Sonny and pegging
Pete, the doctor said the child could
| try to use his leg.
Then Pete smiled more hopefully.
He began to sit up nights working
away at something made of wood and
leather.
| They were clumsy little crutches that
| Pete made for Sonny. But Pete had
| said gently as he smoothed Sonny's hair:
''Daddy'n fix 'em fer ye," and Sonny
had smiled and waited.
So to Sonny they were all that a pair
| of clutches could be.
1t was on a Christmas eve that Pete
| put the last touches to them. So the
next day there was a merry time at
Pete's, for Sonny and Pete were fond
of ''kele as they always called
it at Christmas time.
The widow said: s'That's Jest like
them PecoOlyurs. Who ever heerd tell
of ''kilebratin' at Krissmus an havin'
fire-crackers too. Pecoolyur by name
| an natur 1 say
For two years the sound of Sonnv's
voice and Sonny's crutches could be
heard sometimes in the school, but