The Minneapolis journal., 1902-06-12
DUMMY DEE AND THE BISHOP
By L. E. CHITTENDEN

/ something out of bottle''-and Dummy Dee
lowered his voice to shocked whisper-"and
! she is awful mean to Nofa.''
| What is the matter with Nora?" asked
| the bishop.
| "A spinal back,sI think they call it, said
Dummy Dee, with a learned air, "and feel
so sorry. l asked fahter if he'd adopt her,
| and he said he thought he couldn't. I've
| thought I'd marry her if necessary, but IA
ther would have to adopt US both then. What
| do you think?'
i, The bishops principal thought was a de-
| sire to laugh, but he held his peace, so
| Dummy Dee went on:
"Shes English. I've told her about YOU
| She calls you Lord, but said not Lord ex-
actly, only kind Of next to the Lord, you
know ,
At this the bishop could contain himself
| no longer, but put back his head and laughed
a pealing laugh that startled the shadows ia
the dim, quiet library, and he only stopped
when he beheld Dummy Dee gazing at him in
mild sur prise.
Come" )" said the bishop springing up like
a boy, '1et us go and see Nora" ....
'tGoodbye!" said Dummy Dee, getting up.
or sliding down, rather, from his chair.
That's what wanted. Let's walk. II
isn't very far, and it's fine day
But before they started the bishop swept
up the written sheets Of paper and threw them
on the CRATE. They blazed cheerfully.
"Hi', said Dummy Dee. See EN- wriggls
as if they hurt
Il intended they should hurt others said
the bishop softly, with a curious smile. T.
Many curious eyes turned to watch the
two, the dignified ecc1esastic in his churchly
gark and the sunny, romping, rosy child,
who, not altogether aware Of these slances,
took thera largely as tribute to his beloved
| bicycle trousers and st,utted proudly.
Two delightful stops were made before they
| reached the tenement where little Nora lived,
and they went on, laden with books, games
and flowers.
| Father says she looks like picked flower
| without water'' said Dummy Dee as they
climbed the steep, rcksty stairs.
| They entered the room in response to Nora's
| summons and Dummy Dee, somewhat embaf-
rassed made the bishop known to the pale
| faced child lying on the dingy bed
No one had ever seen the scholarly bishop
| in so delightful a mood as the two children
found him that afternoon.
| Noras cheeks grew pink with happiness
and her eyes brighter than ever as she list
| ened to stories, guessed riddles and played
games with the bishop and Dummy Dee.
| At last the shadows grew longer.
GIVE a last story to tell you two children
before We co. said the bishop, and you
must be very quiet and listen hard, for there
is guessing part to IT.
"Once upon a time" began the bishop,
happens to lonely people, he grew selfish and
hitter hearted He forgot the teachings OF
the one whom he had vowed to serve but
tried instead to serve himself, and was IN
| happy as ali such men are.
/ .'There came to him one day a dear little
| friend of his who also lonely, but VINO
tried to forget his loneliness by helping others
and was comforted by doing this. SO the
man learned a lesson from his little triend'
and he, too, found comfort and happiness as
| the boy had.
Now, the man naturally did not want to
| be lonely and unhappy and bitter again, TOT
| he found the better part, so he thought our
a plan He would take the boy down south
to his mother, VINO is almost well, but not
quite so we'll as she will be when the man
brings to her her youngest boy. .,
There was a queer gurgling sol that was
half laugh and half cry and altogether
mixture of homesickness and coming delight,
and Dummy Dee shot himself bodily into
the bishops arms, cuddled against his shoul-
i der and lay there shifting happily. He groped
4 vainly for his handkerchief that could not be
4 found and mis- fingers closed gratefully over
the bishops fine lawn that he found WITHIN
his grasp
| "Guessed,'' said the bishop laughing, with
a shake in his voice. The first part OF my
puzzle story guessed without mistake. Now
for the second Then he took the little sick
girl to white, bright room that he knows
of in the children's hospital, where, surround
ed by birds, books and flowers and loving
care she can get we'll and perhaps come to
live in the lonely house of the lonely man to
) brighten it."
, Another little cry from the bed, and Nora, s
slender, cropping fingers sought the bishop $
hand tMe?'' she said. "Me-Nora? Would
my aunt
II think so.,' said the bishop. eve will
find a. way. But what fine pair of suessers
YOU two are! Never to make a mistake!
When the kind hearted woman on that floor
came in to look after Nora, her aunt being
!; away serving time for drunkenness, they went
away and left the happy child, already ce'tet'
with hope and joy working miracles with
her. .
"You make uo your mind the best and
quickest of any one I ever knew. How DID
, YOU think of such beautiful things? asked
Dummy Dee as they felt their way down the
| ritkety stairs. -
'It's a thank offering. Dummy Dee" said
the bishop with a return of his curious smile,
''for burning the papers