The Chilhowee echo. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1899-19??, 1900-01-20
with pleasure at a treat long promised
but often denied him.

here and keep quiet, and we'll take a
ride" Danny placed the child COM
fortably on the seat, near the forward
door, tipped his wide sun-shade little,
and started the car.
1t was the beginning of happy sum-
mer for little Danny. Day by day he
watched and waited for Danny's hours,
and gradually got to know them well,
so each trip the motorman found the
lonely little figure awaiting his well
coming hail, and they became COM
rades.
The child had sad life; shut off
from all other company of his own age
by his fathers nerves; he played day in
and day out by himself in the big,
shady yard. He was about four years
old, sober and sedate beyond his age;
a sweet little face, with big, timid
brown eyes, that seemed constantly
seeking something never to be found.
The look had been there since his frail
young mother died the year before,
and Danny missed her so. His little
life was so changed, and so checkered.
His father who was all theory, and no
practice, as regards children, had care
fully taught the child the only thing
he ever did teach him, that his mother
was off for her health, and that when
he was older, and good-"very good
he might be allowed to visit her.
Meanwhile he was to be very quiet, and
not touch anything, and not worry any
body, and
"There, there, run along now,"
usually wound up the professor, seeing
the tears rising in the boys eyes. He
was so tired of hearing always "Be
quiet" and Don't worry" He was in
everybody's way - that was evident.
Old Nancy generally found time to
dress the child in the morning and to
see that he had his meals at the proper
time, but that was all. With the best
intentions in the world, she was too
old to do more than attend to the
housekeeping and cleaning. So it was,
generally,
,+MFsra along Eew,-shat,s a geeSaa elhiilltG !,
and here's cookie for you," when the
little ones loneliness tempted him to
invade her domain. So the motor
mans friendship became very pre-
cious-a sacred thing in Danny's eyes
something to love and ponder over
at nights, with his eyes shut tight to
keep out the dark in the big, silent
room upstairs.
Many trip they had together on the
car; many continued story the child
listened to, different to the fairy tales
his mother had told him, but fascinat-
ing too. Danny senior learned all
about mamma" what she said and
did, and best of all, how she used to
look.
On one of old Nancy's periodical
marketing trips to town, he asked,
SLOWS Mrs. Halls health now"
glancing back through the open door
at his old passenger.
Old Nancy stared vacantly at him.
Because continued Danny, "seems
to me, it would be a mighty good thing
to send the little one along to her.
He don't seem overly strong, and his
eyes go all through one at times"
"Mrs. Hall died last summer, young
man," finally answered the woman.
swell, why in the name of goodness
do you deceive that poor little child?"
Danny asked Indignantly. "His mind
is dead set on her, and when he's 60
ing to see her and all that, and it's a
shame, that it is"
81 know faint right" said Nancy,
unbending little, 81 said so from the
first, when his father would send him
away till it was all over. But 'twasn't
any good. The professor will have it
that children hadn't oughter know
about such things, and bound me up so
can't speak. But know faint right"
Danny's tenderness toward the child
increased, if possible, after this. He
missed him sorely if the familiar little
voice didn't Cry out to him in the
morning, "Hello, Danny" while the
child swung on the gate, or perhaps on
the lowest limb of the gnarled old tree,
whose branches hung over the fence.
*x*
Thus the summer passed. 1t was late
in August that low murmurs and NUT
terings foretold the big strike. Danny
conided to Ditto one day his grave
fears of such. On the childs inquiry
as to what that was, he patiently and
laborously explained all about it. The
child's mouth quivered at the idea of
anything stopping his dear friends
visits, for so he considered them, but
Danny treasured him.
"No, little one, Danny won't stop if
every blamed man in the service quits.
Never you fear, we'll have our rides
just the same," but the boys heart was