Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1906-09-06
Little Mary's
Bachelor Father .
BY CLARENCE O. oHEADLE.

Copyright, 1906. by Daily Story Pub. Coz
Simmons leaned back in his chair,
drew couple Of long puffs from the
meerschaum, and smiling at his com
panion, began:
you know me, Tom. You know
blamed we'll that l never was very
fond of children; as rule bachelors
never are; and when a fellow like
me, without kith or kin, gets such
a letter as l received, why, 1t nat
urally takes his breath away. Here
is the precious missive itself.
Simmons presented crumpled
sheet of paper, from which he read:
Dear Papa: l want to Sc you so
bad / can't wait no longer 30 ! am
coming to Sc you tomorrow mite.
Peas stay at home and I will com
about 7 O'Clock. With lots Of Low. l
remain, Your little Mary
How would you like to get some
thing like that, Tom, old boy?
Wouldn't it kind of make your breath
come short for a few seconds? Well,
l wonder! Sure, you'd stop to think,
and more than that, you'd begin fig
uring what to do with that kid when
she showed up to see her papa
"Of course you'd think of getting
a detective to look after her when
she showed up. That's just what
thought, but, then, detectives some
times have the habit of telling things
that the newspapers get hold OF, and
| had no relish for seeing q faring
headline proclaiming that; John
George Simmons Spurns His Baby
daughter or any such. tell yeu' |
did some pretty hard thinking.
tom, you old numskull certainly |
thought of going to see her and pre-
vent her coming; but this was wise
little girl, and she forgot to pat her
address on the note.
ooh, your suggestions are all right
Tom. but thought of all of them. But
lers and babies don't mix well, and
YOU can imagine what nice spec
tacle 1t would have been to have that
kid standing on my front step yelling:
4 want to see my papa and the but
Ter trying to argue her out OF 1t.
Say. Tom, you know how a fellow
feels the morning after; well that
was me the day after got that note;
was simply yelling for help. And
the worst feature of the whole bust
ness was that l had invited q few
of the boys up for quiet game that
night-that tomorrow night IN Mary'f
note.
WELL by afternoon / was most all
In. and the more thought OF 1t the
hotter got; sntll decided to &c
ahead with that game, u all the kids
in town came tearing into the house
yelling Hello, papa, we've come to
see YOU
When Il got to be half-past seven
o'clock and that kid had not shown
up, l was about as near a crazy man
as / ever want to be.
Later on the boys began coming
and every time one of them rang the
bell at the front door 1t was like pour
ing a pitcher of ice water down my
back. You know. fellow can't tel
what woman will do, and it occurred
to me that maybe Mary had decided
to call later.
talk about trouble! I'd got my
self in such a devil of state thai
the boys took it UP. and the way they
handled me during the evening wat
nothing small. .
when they had all gone, and
finally went to bed, I lay there hoping
and praying that as Mary had MOI
put in an appearance that night, she
never would; and easing myself Will
that. dropped off to sleep.
"Of course, heard from her again
Heard from her again-well,
should say did. The first thing
that caught my eye when got II
the Office next morning was lette'
addressed to me in that same big
round. uncertain hand. Everything
of the past two days came rushinl
back to me in that second, and, say
Tom, guess the office boy though
I'd gone cranky the way l grabbed
that letter and ducked. Once outside
and alone, concluded to face thu
worst and tore open the envelope
Here it is;
"Dear Papa. couldn't come las
mite becaus l was six. / am not wei
yet and>so want you to come and 81
me. Hoping to Sc you tonite, / am
Your little Mary.
"'No. 1856 Blank St.
Eyes, and down here In the corne
she had a bunch of crosses and tn
information that they represente'
kisses for me.
TON, did l go? OF course l did
made up my mind to say som'
things that gentleman ought reall!
not say to lady; but, then, ia
Their has some privileges, and l pro