Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-05-19

1
one al the house had seen him and I
was inst thinking of looking him up
when saw the child edging his way up
the steps. In his arms he carried the
fiowerpot with the scraDbv '.g'raniuln"'
of Joeys .garding." and from one of
his sleeves there dropped scrap OF
black Grape.
I've brung yer this we're COS he set
store BY it. and yer was good to him."
lie said. as l opened the door. He
wont want il no more" he said, care
fully setting the pot on a chair in the
hallway. His face and hands were in
describably dirty. He rubbed off some
of the soil from his hands upon his
trousers.
Guess if you had lau.> back and
bad leg you wouldn't go up four flights
OF stairs to wash en-" he said. apollo
getically, besides he amt there now"
The last link that bound the little
| walf to love seemed severed by Joey's
death. Something in his isolation
| touched me inexpressibly, and l said
impulsively: Wolfe, how would you
like to stay here with ne?'
What? yer don't mean t." he said
sudden ray tightening up his face.
Yes, | do mean it. | want q boy
who will black my shoes and do my err
| rands, resolving on the spot to throw
away my French dressing and buy a
shoe brush and backing. and you,
/ Wolfe, are the boy | want
.'Oh Lor.' he exclaimed. too surprised
to collect himself. The tears were
running down his cheeks. streaking
face.
There amt nobody speaked kind to
me since he died, and amt had nobody
to do nothin for ne sobbed. and l did
not try 10 comfort him for thought that
tears would be the best relief to his bur
dencd little heart.
Yer sure yer mean it," he asked,
dOubtfully, when he had recovered him
self.
Indeed do" | answered.
shake, he said. extending his hand.
If he had been just little cleaner I
think that | should have kissed him to
seal the bargain, but dirt is d great re-
presser of sentimentality and | not only
did not kiss him but | did not proIong
the ceremony of Misunderstanding beyond
necessary limits.
Would you like to go ZONE for any
thing?" | asked when We had talked
over the new arrangement.
faint home now ,Jocy'S gone: and
my clothes is mostly at the Chinee lauu-
dry" he added, with dignity.
oh of course. if your clothes are at
the Chinese laundry You won't need to
go home" l said. politely as could,
and when you have had bath You
will let me give you some others;
clothes will be part of Your wages.
He was so grimy. 50 very griny, that
it did not seem as if any ordinary
cleansing process would have much cf-
feet. and, after some consideration. I
took him to a Turkish bath tablish-
ment, whence he emerged. some hours
later. in an unrccogniza state of
cleanliness. New clothes throughout
completed the tran Sformation. and no
butterfly, newly emerged from the
chrysalis. could have found the meta
morphosis more delightful.
do yer spose Joey has clothes like
these yerc in heaving?" he asked. after
conte mplating his attire. for some time,
in silence.
Joey has all that his heart can
WISH | answered. gently, and with
that answer Wolfe was content.
Il s'pose | KNIT use bad words no
more if I'm going to be your boy. kin
-" he asked. when the novelty of the
new clothes had worn off little.
Certainly not" replied. land Joey
would be sorry to have you use bad
words, too
He got along bravely through the
day. but the next morning found him
with his fingers pressed tightly over his
mouth.
"Oh my. oh Lor." he exclaimed. II
shall just Inst if don't say bad words
now and then. Do yer s'pose Joey'd
mind if / should just ease off kinder
gradooal instead of stoppin' SO suddint
Iike?''
Wolfie's progress was indeed grad
GOAL" and his relapses were at first
alarmingly frequent, but In due time
persistent care and kindness brought
their reward The stuuted little form
began to fill out and increase in stature,
and though the crookedness must al
ways remain one forgot it when one
glanced at the sensitive face, whose
rewdness was fast giving place to j
bright intelligence.
Lame dogs were very near his heart.
and the house was in danger of being
converted into an asylum for battered
CANNES. for Wolfe pleaded so hard for
his fOur-footed friends that / had not
the heart to forbid his bringing them
in. and he experimented on them with
splints and bandages to his hearts con-
tent
seems if they was sorter human
like" he explained one day when he
looked mp and saw me watching him.
And indeed he had a dexterity and skill
of manipulation that was not thrown
away on me.
The days grew into months and Wolfe
staid on. making himself useful in such
n variety of ways that | wondered what
| had done before he came.
One morning an idea occurred to me,
and | said, rather abruptly: "Wilfrid,
how would you like to be doctor"
"Golly," he exclaimed. surprised into
u lapse of language. Il mean-that is
what do yer say, Miss Annie?''
Il mean that l am going to have you
educated" | said. decidedly, land it
rests with yourself what you will be-"
Wolfe was silent for moment, and
when he looked up the tears were
streaming down his face.
iii try to be credit to yer" he said
earnestly: Ito yer and to Joey"
And the weeks go whisking into