The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1907-11-21

WON'T BE SPANKED p
ing across the river at the Blessing
tons country place. Ruth was to leave
tomorrow for Bar Harbor, and unless
he spoke today there was small chance
Of winning her hand for another six
months. Carman was no letter writer,
and he could not hope to conduct an
epistolary courtshp.
Helen Dudley, his partners wife, had
suggested the scheme of his running
down ostensibly upon business just
at the time that Dudley was going
away. He might go over to Blessing
toms for want of better occupation,
and the battle would be won.
But they had not counted upon d. d.
d. That ingenious six-year-old had
spent the early morning in bridging
with branches and sod the tiny stream
that cut through the Dudley lawn.
Carman had broken through the shaky
bridge and had soaked himself to the
knees Mrs. Dudley had spanked d.
d. D., but that did not dry damp
trousers nor muddy boots and now
Carman was sitting in the guest room
smoking Bob Dudley's cigars and soft
ly cursing small boys and other fates
that kept him from Miss EmOrys side.
Presently he laid down the book as
D. d. d. came around the corner Of
the carriage house again. The roof re-
pairers had left some tar on the dirt
heap, and in making up a ball of the
sticky compound ID. d. d. had smear
ed his clothes with the mess.
Good" commented Carman. Now
you will get spanking No. .. Just wait
until your mother sees YOU
There was not long to wait. d. d. d.
ran to the rear of the house. and pres
emily succession of walls announced
that the Youngsters condition had
been discovered by his long suffering
mother. Carman chuckled.
vengeance was swift, my boy.
You'll wind up on the gallows yet"
Carman was not ordinarily heartess,
and, as a rule, he was fond of children,
but the provocation had been great
Mrs. Dudley tapped on his door, and
Carman answered.
"Do you think" she asked, "it would
hurt your boots to put them in the
oven to dry? We had them in the sun,
but they are drying very slowly Here
are your other clothes"
Carman decided in favor of the oven;
anything TO hurry the process. Per
haps. after all, he might be in time.
He assumed his restored clothing and
shutiled down to the porch in Bob
Dudley's bath slippers. Carman was a
six foot giant, While Dudley was small
and dapper, There was nothing in the
house that would fit Carman
On the porch he chatted with his
hostess and found it more pleasant to
talk of Ruth than to sit in room by
himself and brood over his lost oppor-
tunity.
d. D. D. was playing at the other
end of the piazza under the maternal
eye. With the prospect of speedy re-
turn of his footwear Carman even
found it possible to smile upon the
youngster mildly.
Then the servant came out bearing
the boots, and as she neared Carman
d. d. d. made a dive for the foot
wear.
Il want my tar" he exclaimed. II
hid it there when Norah ran after me-"
Norah dropped the boots on Carman's
stockinged feet, and with howl of
dismay and pain. the latter picked
them up. 1t was all too true. In the
right boot were the dark stains that
told how well the heat Of the oven had
spread the pitch. The shoes were
ruined.
Mrs. Dudley was all concern, but 1t
began to look as though all the fates
were against Carman. There was not
another pair of shoes about the place
that approached his size. 1t was out
Of the question to send the girl to
town. The chauffeur had driven the
head of the house to the city and had
not yet returned
ITS all over" said Carman grimly.
"I'll go to town in the morning in the
auto. Until then it will have to be
bath slippers for me- and | cannot
very well propose in bath slippers.
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