Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1901-03-14
WOODBURY., n J, THURSDAY, MARCH IA, 1901

any pictures to do. Then, you know,
| it's pretty hard to have the landlord
call. guess you know how that is"
sAnd where is your father?" and the
old mans voice suddenly grew hard.
"He's beaded in Callyforny," said the
child. "He was an actor, you know; a
stage actor. | don't member him very
well. / was too little when he wezt
| away. I've tried to act, too, but Della,
that's the janitors wife, she says
can't act for shucks."
"Good thing" muttered the old man.
s'Well, don't know" said the child
"You see, I wanted to do somethin to
help mamma, an if / can't act / don't
know what can do. But / s'pose it's
no use. Della said that as child won
der was the wust she ever seen, an
Della goes out a good deal"
A faint smile crossed the old mans
stern features.
"And what made you think that am
your grandfather" he asked.
'Oh, Marie Kramer told me!' replied
the child. 'She knows everybody
She's lived out more places. She's
Bessie Leighton's nurse now, an just
as soon as she saw you sittin here one
day she said, There's old Colonel Rob-
son. She knew you cause you used
to go to the Bronsons, where she was
livin then. An pretty soon she looked
at me an said, why, he's your grand
father, amt hep An / said | didn't
know, an she thought it out an said,
Yes, he is, cause your mamma is his
daughter, an she ran away with play
actor, an the old hunks shut his door
on her forever That's what Marie
said. An when l went home | said to
Della, My grandfather's sittin over
there in the park, an he's the lonesom-
est lookin thing An Della says: If
he's settin in the park, he's either a
tramp or millunaire. If he's tramp,
you must keep away from him, but If
he's mil]unaire you want to rope him
in An when / looked at you again |
saw you didn't look like a tramp, an so
thought I'd take my chances an rope
you in, an that's just what did"
"And your mother knows nothing
about my being here?' the old man
asked.
Eyes, she does" replied the child.
81 told her, an she looked so queer, an
her face got red, an she said: 'Philippa,
dear, it may not be your grandfather.
But anyway you mustn't speak to him
unless he speaks to you first An
made you speak to me first, didn't Il"
The old man leaned back and looked
at the child
"Philippa," he said slowly, chow
would you like to come and live with
me? You would have your own beau
tiful room, and all the playthings you
could want, and somebody to wait on
you, and pony to drive, and every
thing that could make a little girl
happy"
''An would mamma come, tooY the
child asked.
The old man shook his head.
sI'd like the room," said the child,
"an the pony an all the rest, but l
guess I'd be too lonesome without
mamma"
'sBut you'd have me- urged the old
man.
"We'd be just two lonesome ones to-
gether," said the child. Then she add
ed, IF you knew mamma, you'd see
how it is"
perhaps am beginning to see,'
said the old man softly.
'Pll tell you what we'll do," cried the
child. "You can borrow me. How's
that?"
'It sounds WELL" said the old man.
s'How must set about it?'
"Oh, it's easy" replied the child.
''You just come to our fat an send up
your card, an then mamma will whis-
tie down an say, please come up
Then you go up, an I'm there, an say,
Mr.. Grandpapa, this is mamma Then
you bow an say, PLEASED to know you,'
an mamma says, Where have l seen
you before? an then you say, Can
borrow your charmin daughter for the
rest of the day?' for you've come very
early in the mornin, you know, an
mamma says, Have you any security
for the remit mean for the child?' an
you say, oh, yes; indeed l have an
then you put up silver quarter for
security an take me, an we go away
somewhere an have splendid time to-
gether an get home when it's real dark,
an mamma is gettin fidgety. I'd like
to see that house of yours all that room
an those ponies We ought to get bet
ter acquainted-we ought to, really"
The old man smiled at her enthusi-
asm. Evidently this was delightfully."-
original child
do you think your mamma would
paint my portrait?" he asked.
"She'd be real pleased to- said the
child. "An I'd get the commission, too,
wouldn't I? She told me if l got any
orders I'd get the commission. You're
my order, amt you?'
"Yes," said the old man as he slowly
arose. "Come, we will go and seek your
mother. | must get that picture before
grow any older-and before your
mammals memory quite outgrows the
"reminiscences of her childhood. Come,
Philippa.' =
And hand in hand they passed down
the graveled walk and through the big
gates and presently found themselves
in front of the huge apartment house
that the lonesome Philippa called
home.-Cleveland Plain Dealer