Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1907-03-15
ON WiLLIE'S
ACCOUNT
By BEATRICE STURCES
Copyright, 1896. by C. H. sutcliG

avVY'v;'7TT'NTT'7uV'v' V'v'v1v'uW
Willie sat OH the steps in distinctly
unhappy mood. 1t was the first of
July bright and beautiful The garden
was ablaze with flowers and he could
pick as many rs he wanted. His ball
the porch beside him, and his collie pup
was begging him to come and play, but
Willie had no heart for any of these at.
fractions.
He was grieved. What was the use
he reflected, of being the only child II
your father and mother go away for
two weeks and leave You at home?
What was the use of having a young
aunt stay at your house IL she shut her.
self up in her room and wouldn't come
downstairs? And what was the use of
being alive at all when the circus was
coming to town In three days and no
body had Invited You to go? Life was
full Of terrible problems. He was just
wondering II he hadn't better cry about
II when he saw Il friend coming down
the street and hastily changed his
mind.
This friend WAS ~ less Il person than
Max Harwool, chief of the volunteer
fire department of Norwood, commo-
doe of the cal yachting club and a
hero In Wllle's eyes. By some mys-
te .!ous coincidence Commodore Max
appeared on the scene with great
promptness and frequency whenever
Wil!ie's aunt, Miss Marjory Dean, came
for visit, and as these visits had been
rather numerous during the year just
passed Willie knew him well enough
to ruminaee through his pockets and to
boast about their intimacy whenever
any of the other boys needed little
wind t:tken out of their sails
To Willie's surprise Max was pass.
ting with merely Il wave of the hand,
20 the little boy jumped up and ran
after him.
Hello, Napoleon"' cheerily called his
hero. 1t was his fancy to call Willie by
the names of the worlds great gener.
ais one after another.
Good morning, commodore; aren't
you coming in to see us?'
"Guess not, Hannibal: it's pretty
early for company
"You have been, earlier than this"
said the child reproa chfully.
"Well-er-I'm kind of busy this
morning.
Willie was turning away to hide the
hurt look in his eyes. Nobody wanted
to bother him. Max saw this and has
tily added:
But get your cap and come along.
I'm going down to fix up the boat. You
can help me-"
The delighted child raced back to the
house for his cap and then was off
hand In hand with the commodore,
happy as lark.
TEey worked all the morning Oh the
boct and then the commodore took
Willie up the river for sail.
Are, you going to the circus, Aga
memnon?" inquired Max, by way of
converse ton.
With Il recurrent touch of gloom
Willie was forced to admit that he
didn't think he was.
"Weil, I'd like TO take somebody of
just dbptit gbtIf size, went OH his HOST,
"and l think that somebody Is you.
What do you say. my hearty?'
Fine. Fine" shouted Willie.
"Well. heave ho, there, and We'll
splice the main brace. Keep out of the
lee scuppers while l hoist the mainsail
Ha! Ulysses, what do you think of
that?" And Max, who loved to mix
up nautical terms for Willie's enter
taininelt, made the cleanest kind of
landing ut his own pier.
"Dia you ever shiver your timbers,
cOmmotnre?' asked Willie.
Lots ot times, Wellington, and still
live TO tell the tale. Don't forget about
the Fourth side shows, fat lady, pea
nuts, elephants, pink lemonade-we'll
see It all"
Indeed | WON'T cried the child,
wild with delight as he raced into the
house to tell his aunt.
She was watching for him anxiously.
-Oh, Willie boy. where have you