Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1907-07-27
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Akin to Love
By LOUISE MERRIFIELD.
4 Copyrighted, 1907, by P. c. Eastment, !
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The door Of room IA, primary de-
partment, opened very slowly, very
contritely, and a small, anxious,
freckled face peeked in. Miss Oryis
turned from the blackboard at a smooth
cred giggle from the children and saw
the freckled face
"Come in, Hardy" The curving line
of her pretty, sympathetic mouth
Strengthened with sudden determine
ton. 1t was the fourth time that week
that Hardy Andrews had come in
late, and even the children were be-
ginning to look upon it as a joke.
Discipline must be enforced, even
when the delinquent is only seven and
a half. Miss Orvis left the blackboard
with 81 see a bird" half finished and
stepped forward to meet Hardy.
He was smiling comfortably in his
half shy, half roguish way and flirting
openly with Marguerite Mcguire in the
front seat
= Hardy, you are late again"
"Yessum,' said Hardy happily.
'It's the fourth time this week, Har-
dy. Have you any excuse?"
"No'm." Hardy rubbed one shoe
over the toe of the other and tried
to jam his stockinet cap into his side
trousers pocket
"Why didn't your mother write one
for you?"
1t was so still in the large, sunny
schoolroom you could hear the clock
tick high up ON the wall and the buzz
ing Of the flies over near the open win
dow where the rows of geraniums
stood, but slowly the color mounted
in Hardy's little, thin, freckled face
and after a minute he looked up al
Miss Orvis, his big blue eyes filled
with half apologize bewilderment.
~ never had any mother" The 81
lence was worse than ever. Miss Oryis
caught her breath and looked at the
rest of the children to see what hor-
rfble effect the announcement had
made on them, but they were only In
terested and joyous over the diversion
Hardy caught the look and FASTENED
to cover his mistake.
But 1 got a father, Miss Orvis, al
right. I'm Reddy Lanes kid, and Red
dys a Waterman over on the bridge at
night, and he don't get home till most
10 O'Clock in the morning, and that's
why I'm late, cause l like to have
breakfast with him.
Miss Orvis hesitated, but the blue
eyes pleaded well their cause, and she
smiled as she laid one hand on Reddy
Lanes kids head
But somehow all the morning she
caught herself musing on the child
who had no mother. 1t was tragedy
of course-some stormy, tear swept
page of life from the great city's un
derworld and only this bit of wreckagt
left to tell the story Tears welled tC
her own lashes once or twice as she
watched Hardy's small, eager face, Sc
trusting and foolishly happy when he
had nothing in the whole world to be
happy for except the mere fact that he
was alive.
AS the lines were forming at moor
she touched Hardy on the shoulder ant
told him to wait minute at her desk
and the little fellow obeyed, watching
the rest of the boys proudly from his
post on teachers chair And when al
was still in the great building Miss
Orvis came back and took him on hel
lap.
Your papa's Waterman, you say
dear, over on the bridge?" she began
but Hardy interposed hastily.
"Oh no, not my father-that's Red
dy. 1 never had any father. I'm G
founding kid, Reddy says, and his
mother rented me, and then she died
and Reddy adopted me- his own self, 81
now I'm his kid
ooh, l see." Miss Orvls leaned bach
in her chair and gazed at the cheerful
little face. "And you and Reddy live
on Cherry street,"
''Yessum. We got a room with the
Battersons, whole room of our own
just for Reddy and me. And the Bat
tersons have only got one room left fol
their own selves, and there's six OF
'em"
''You don't say So" Miss Orvis
caught the lonesome little figure close
in her arms. Isis Reddy good tc
your
lyon bet he is" came the smotheret
gasp from her shoulder. "Hc never
hits me, and he takes me out on the
big bridge with him nights and lets
me see the lights ON the river and the
boats and the trains and everything
He's fine to me. When l said yor
scolded me cause 1 was late, he SAID
1t was a - shame"
There was sudden noise at the dool
behind them, queer hasty noise, halt
cough, half a choked explosion Of
laughter, and Miss Orvis stood ur
quickly.
Hello, Red! This is teacher
1t was the only introduction they
ever had, those two, and neither evel
forgot the moment. Flushing to the
curls Of her soft dark hair, Pauline
Orvis saw before her Reddy Lane Of
Cherry street. He was tall and broad
shouldered, this Waterman on the big
bridge, blue eyed, with keen, unswerv
ing gaze, strong jawed, with mouth
close Tipped and short fair hair that
curled crisply back from his young
resolute face. In his navy blue sweat
er he looked like a college boy, but
the hands that held his cap were the
hands of the toiler.
81 just run around after the kid
there" he explained, lowering his voice
as If he were In a sanctuary. Hes
always home as soon as the rest an6
I'm worried when he don't show up