Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-04-05

1t was the Rev. George Gasket who
first nicknamed Tommy The whelp."
The Rev. George began fairly enough
with the lads of his new parish. He
got them together within a fortnight
| OF his arrival and talked football and
baseball To them until they were as
wax In his hands. Tommy. who was
| fifteen and overgrown TO hulkiness.
hung upon his words and thought II
would Ice line 10 die for him. And then
the very next week. when Tommy
stumbled over his own feet and fell
down with the ball. thereby letting the
minister's side get a whitewash. that
gentleman said irritably. Il knew The
whclp would beat us. but really it
didn't seem fair 10 shunt him of on the
other eleven
The field rang with laughter as later
the school and playground rang with
II when somebody called: "Whelpi
Whelp-ce. Are you goin' TO eat us all
when you grow up"
Children reflect wonderfully the So
cial color of their homes. For awhile
all the parish was entranced with the
new pasior-so much so indeed that
whisper against him would have been
received as something between high
treason and the objectionable sin. The
Rev. George was youngish. fair look
ing. quick and def in phrasemaking.
suave. He admitted In his private
talks temper but said. with eyes up
cast. that he kept il under by help OF
strength beyond his own. He was sin
gle. That OF course set all the mothers
I'm the church to work mating him
suitably. He saved them the trouble
of choosing for him by devoting him
self TO Alison Prior from the day she
came home
Ii emily she had been home from the
| first. Tommy would never have been
| The Whelp. Tommy was Alison's
brother and in many ways her chum,
yet she only smiled when he explained
the minister's sin and said OF last:
Really. Tommy. l don't know just
what whelp is like. but you do look
very much what | fancy II is-all legs
and arms. SO much too big that they
are in their own way and everybody
else's''
When Tommy had gone away. how
ever. trying TO stand very stiff and
keep his elbows primly beside him.
| Alison looked after him lovingly. then
turned and shook her fist at the recto-
| ry. which was visible across half a mile
| OF fields.
II only Tommy had known that: but
how should he: He was a very human
boy. He loved Alison so well he would
have grudged her 10 any fellow. 1t
was unbearable TO think of her marry
ing that preacher and sitting perked
| up in the front pews. never daring to
smile or whisper. Besides. there was
his affront. Tommy flung himself up
on the grass out in the pasture. dug
his heels in the turf and thought very
cheeks.
All at once something came with a
rush. struck him sounding thwack on
the back and sent him rolling over and
over As he got up he felt a harder
| thwack and tumbled all in n heap
| When at last he scrambled up. eaping
nimbly aside. 10 shin up convenient
apple tree. Blinky. the big Cotswold
ram. stood ut the tree foot. shaking
his head up and down. evidently invit-
Ing Tommy 10 try conclusions again.
Tommy had no mind for that In
stead he sat up among the laden
| boughs and thought harder than ever
After little he whistled joyfully. fill
ed his hands with red apples and
climbed down TO the lowest fork of the
tree. Blinky was at him in a minute.
but stopped short as Tommy tossed
him an apple AS soon as he had de-
voured it he looked inquiringly at Tom
my. who tossed him another redder
and juicier than the first.
| Twenty minutes after Tommy passed
unscathed from the pasture with
Blinky trotting behind. pattern OF
content. Every day for the next fort
night Tommy gave Blinky apples. tufts
Il of sweet late grass. nubbins OF corn
and pungent dashes of salt and red oak
bark. Blinky followed him like dog,
never trying To butt or chase him,
though toward the rest of the human
race he preserved an unregenerate
/ mind
| Whom the gods would destroy they
first make mad. The Rev. Georges
particular madness that autumn was
golf. Golf was but an idle name In
the parish until he came to IT, Fancy
his delight. muscular. masculine and
missionary. In laying out links and
teaching his parishioners the game.
Alison was one of his earliest and most
promising pupils. They spent hours de-
liciouslg together. yet apart. upon the
course. Alison was certainly devoted
TO the game. As to whether she was
also devoted 10 her teacher she her
self did not quite know.
Love may he slain with laugh.
Tommy was not enough Of "A psycholo-
gist TO know that. but he did know
Alison. and he laid his plans accord
ingly.
Upon a perfect Indian summer after
noon all the golf crowd OF their parish
met all the golf crowd of another
parish upon the home links to settle
various fOursomes and other things
Alison and the Rev. George were the
.nainstay Of the home crowd. Tommy
meekly asked to he his sisters caddie
and clustered good biz when he was
L Ara Ia e. Dat