Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-02-04
A FRIEND IN NEED.
They had quarreled.

They had quarreled
One day, while sheswas visiting a poor
family that she looked after in the lower
part of the city, she had seen him-for his
business often took him there especially If
he knew it was her day for visiting that
family-take small ragamuffin over his
knee and administer TO her. for 1t was .
girl ragamuffin, more to his discredit. a
sharp but decided punishment.
Shocked and disappointed in him more
than she could have said, the young per-
cause that was her name, got into her car
rage and drove home with tears in her
heart If not in her eyes. For after all, it
Is very trying to be disappointed even in
one whom you are indifferent to. When
they met that evening, she was cold and
incorporating, and he, after trying
once or twice to make peace without ask
ing what the matter was-another diff
cult thing to do-demanded in 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 man who
would strike child, and that no expla-
nation was needed, and-good night.
After he went she cried for half an hour,
until her eyes wero quito unfit to be seen,
and then 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 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 note, Though you refused to
let me explain this afternoon hope you
will read this note on the subject" 1t
read: 1.-The child 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 cry
of what 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 don't think
that even your sweet temper would have
stood the shock Mine didn't, and
spanked her. Suppose you were rushed
upon, Beatrice, and the little ragamuffin
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 have 'em."
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 1890,
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, WILDLY lady," scrubbed
cheerily at the wash she took i'm for a
living, on the porch.
He waded through the sloppy soapsuds
and bluing water to a chair, and then he
said: II want to take Patsie to the matinee
this afternoon, Mrs. Maloney. If you'll
give her bit of schrub Che always talked
brogue when he conversed with the wild
dy), we'll go and have 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 youngster
away from those pies with ruthless
hand, and before Dick realized what she
was doing she had the slip of a 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 astonishcd look at the bare, plump
young body, turned away and waited I'M
til he heard her put down in the room near
him, where Mrs. Maloney had taken her
to put OH the one clean dress she had.
When she emerged from that room five
minutes later, she was such 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 theatcr.
Before they had got far she turned in
his arms, and, laying her cool little cheek
against his, she said contritely, ''I'ze sor-
ny bited your
"Oh, you arep" said Dick. "Wcll, Pat
sic, DEAR I'm sorry I spanked you. Let's
kiss, then, and make up"
And they did.
When they reached the theater at last, a
trif1e late, he cast an anxious look about
the place and then breathed sigh of re-
lief. His plan was going we'll. Beatrice
was there, and the minute she turned
around would see them together. Then
he sat down with Patsie, open mouthed,
but pretty as picture, beside him and
pretended he knew nobody in the house
but her.
Beatrice saw them just before the cur
tain went up, and her heart leaped into
her throat at the sight. 1t could not be
Dick, she said, and yet-yes, 1t was, and
who was that lovely little thing by his
side? She took her glasses and looked,
and then her breath went, sure enough. IL
was the child he had spanked, and, more
than that, the little thing was leasling
her curly black head against Dicks vest
as confldentially 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 had accused this man of being
cruel!
The next afternoon a small boy saun-
tered into the office with that indifference
all messenger boys have and handed him a
note. Then he sauntered out again, and
opening 1t with trembling fingers Dick
read: II was wrong, Dick. Please come
tonight for tea Beatrice"
But Patsie, his friend in need, has neves
been spanked by him again. -Cincinnah
Post.
Genealogy.
Alexandra Dumas, the great French au-