The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1894-09-03
A FRIEND IN NEED.
They had quarroled

They had quarreled-
One dav, While she was visiting a poor
family that she looked after in the lower
part Of the city, she had seen him-for MS
business often took him there. speciality
he knew it was her day for visiting that
family-take a small ragamutfin over MS
knee and administer to her, for it was a
girl ~ragamuffin, more to his discredio' a
sharp but decided punishment.
Shocked and disappointed in him more
than she could have said, the young per-
son, whOG we had best call Beatrice, be-
cause thai was her name, got into her car
riage and drove home with tears IN her
heart if not in her eyes. For, after all, IL
is very trying to be disappointed even IN
one whom you are Indifferent to. When
they met that evening, she was cold and
uncompromising, and he, after trying
once or twice to make peace without ask
ing hi the matter was-another dl1h-
cult thing to do-demandcd in a worried
manner what in the world he had done to
offend her. And she told him.
And, besides telling him, she said she
would have nothing to do with a man VINO
would strike a child, n that no expla'
nation was needed, and-good night.
After he went she cried for half an hour,
until her eyes were quite unfit to be seen,
and thcn went down to get a book from
the library and read far into the night.
AS for him-hiS name was Dick, just
plain, everyday Dick-he marched home
in a towering rage, and, after eating sup
per, marched across the city again to
where a charmingly inane but always
peaceful young girl lived, and there spent
the evening, pretending to himself that no
one woman was essential to his happiness
-ahem.
When he got home, though he felt cool
er and ashamed Of himself, he sat down
and wrote Il note, Though you refused to
let me explain this afternoon, l hope you
will read this note on the subject" 1t
read: The child I have known for several
years and have, up to today, never laid
violent hands upon its young person, but
when she rushed out upon me with a cry
of what l thought happiness at seeing me
as she is sometimes wont to dO-and
then proceeded to sink her small and very
sharp teeth into my knee 1 don't think
that even your sweet temper would have
stood the shock. Mine didn't, and I
spanked her. Suppose you were rushed
upon, Beatrice, and the little ragamutfin
sank her teeth in your Knee
Come, Dicky," said he to himself at
this point; THAT won't do at all. Not at
all. Girls, you know, don't nave EN-"
So he decided upon another plan, and soon
after sought his bed, where he dreamed Of
but that's still another tale.
The following day, promptly at 1880,
he closed his office and made his way to
that unsavOry section Of the city again
and to the home of the small cause of his
troubles.
He found her deeply involved in the
problem of making mud pies out of some
very black mud in the back yard, while
her mother, a ''widdy lady," scrubbed
cheerily at the wash she took in" for a
living, on the porch.
He waded through the sloppy soapsuds
and bluing water to a chair, and then he
said: I want to take Patsie to the matinee
this afternoon, Mrs. Maloney. If you'll
give her a bit of a schrub Che always talked
brogue when he conversed with the wild
dy), we'll go and nave a fOine time, won't
we, Patsie?"
And Patsie nodded her head and went
on with her problem. But the WILDLY lady,
pleased and delighted that he should sud
denly be so kind, tore her small %youngste1
away from those pies with a ruthless
hand, and before Dick realized what she
was doing she had the slip of q gown off
the little girls back, and the remainder OF
her garments, and was industriously put
ting her through the tub, while Dick, after
one astOnished look at the bare, plump
young body, turned away and waited I'M
til he heard her put down in the room nea1
him, where Mrs. Maloney had taken he1
to put on the one clean dress she had.
When she emerged from that room five
minute later, she was such a pretty,
bright eyed, rosy checked little thing, and
SO ~shiningly clean, that Dicks warm
heart quite rewarmed itself toward her,
and without the slightest feeling of bored
ness he took her in his arms and carried
her out Of the alley and down the street
to the thCatcr.
Before they had got far she turned in
his arms, and, laying her cool little cheek
against his, she said contritely, TIE sor
ry l bitcd you!'
"Oh, o arc?' said Dick. We'll, Pat
sic, dear, I'm sorry l spanked you. Lett
kiss, then, and make up"
And they did
When they reached the theater at last, 6
tribe late, he cast an anxious look about
the place and then breathed a sigh Of re.
lief. His plan was going well. Beatrice
was there, and the minute she turned
around would see them together. Then
he sat down with Patsie, open mouthed,
but pretty as n picture, beside him and
pretended he know nobody in the house
but her.
Beatrice saw them just before the cur
tain went W, and her heart leaped into
her throat at the sight. 1t could not be
Dick, she said, and yet-yes, it was, and
who was that lovely little thing by hi:
side She took her glasses and looked,
and then her breath went, sure enough. Ii
was the child he had spanked, and, more
than that, the little thing was leaning
her curly black head against Dicks vest
as con~ftdentially and happily as if she had
never been spanked in her life, while one
small hand clasped his with childish love
and tenderness.
And she IA accused this man OF being
cruel,
The next afternoon a small NJ Sam.