Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1903-12-23

he brought me to be your little Philsey,
and he was very busy like then, and had
to wait till the next day? Because if he
brings the granny today there is no pres
ent for her on the tree"
Suddenly a resolution seized him.
Mother would not mind, he thought, but
perhaps it would be safer not to ask her.
He would 60 out and buy present for
the granny in case she came. He hurried
into the kitchen.
Martha" he said coaxingly, II do
so wish Philsey could have penny"
Martha was extremely busy, and it
did not occur to her to wonder why a
penny was so much desired at this par
ticular moment.
There's a penny on the dresser you
may take, Master Philsey, DEAR" she
said; ''now run away, lovey, Pm very
busy.
Philip knew exactly where to 60 for
the granny-s resent. He had often adj
mired gaily painted bird swinging on a
little hoop in toyshop window. Surely
a granny would appreciate so lovely a
thing. He put on his hat and coat, seized
moment when Martha was speaking
to the milkman. and ran out. 1t was
the first time he had ever been out alone,
and the feeling of importance was very
pleasin
He had wandered into more crowded
neighborhood and several people looked
curiously at the little boy who. with a
small parcel clasped tightly in his hand,
ran on and on as if pursued. At last a
woman, feeling sure he was lost and
wanting to help him, tried to take hold
of his hand. By this time, however
Philip was in a perfect frenzy of terror.
He broke from her kindly hand and
darted across the road to escape from
her. The next moment he gave a piercing
scream and lay motionless in the middle
of the road, while Mortified crowd gath
cred round him. A carriage drawn by a
pair of horses, and going at a great
speed, had knocked him down. A young
man, who was a doctor, elboWed his way
to the front of the crowd. He fully ex-
pected that the child was seriously hurt
if not killed, but when he picked him up
Philip opened his eyes and said
''Philsey was frightened and ran very
quickly, and the horse knocked him
down"
: II will take him home with me-" said
the old lady, "and on the way we will
call at the police station and give infor-
nation; his parents are sure to apply
there as soon as they miss him. My
horses were within an inch of killing him,
and I can do no less than take charge
of him now"
care you. the granny" he asked sud
denly. And when the old lady asked
what he meant, he told her all about the
party, and how, much he wanted a
granny and how he had gone out to buy
a present for her in case Father Christ
mas brought her that day. He explained,
too, how Father Christmas, had brought
him once to be mothers little boy, and
how. he had no daddy. He showed her
the bird he had bought for the granny
care you the granny to any little
boy?" he asked finally, and he could not
understand why tears ran down the old
iady's cheeks, and what she answered.
for she spoke in a. low whisper, just. as
if she were talking to herself, and he
could only hear a word here and there.
'EMy folly and wickedness,'' wears of
loneliness" impossible to. find them
now and other unmeaning phrases. But
he felt sure the old lady was unhappy.
for when mother was unhappy she often
had tears on her cheeks, so he tried the
same remedy that always cured her.
"This is writing mother put in my
pocket for if / got lost" he said, con
fidentially and held out a card on which
was written philip Stewart Dalrymple
8 Stoketon road, Clapham.'
When the old lady read this, she said
"'Thank God!" and she kissed Philip
again and again, and told him that she
was his very own granny: :. She gave no
explanations, nor did Philip demand
them, for never had he imagined that a
granny could be so beautiful
The. old lady told the coachman to
drive as quickly as possible to Stoketon
road, and just as Mrs. Dalrymple and
Martha had become aware of the terrible
fact that Philip was nowhere to be
found, the carriage drew up outside the
shabby little house. The footman gave
laundering knock, and in another in
slant Philip was in his mothers arms.
Mother, mother, [ went to buy the
present for the granny to put on the
tree and the horse knocked me down
and Father Christmas has sent a granny
in time for the party.
And behind him was a stately figure
whose proud face was quivering with
emotion, whose somewhat stern voice
was trembling as it said: