The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1907-09-03
Akin to Love
By LOUISE MERRIFIELD.
Copyrighted, 1907, by p. c. E. ment.


The door of room IA, primary de.
partment. opened very slowly. very
contritely. and small, anxious,
frecllled face peeked in. Miss Oryis
turned from the blackboard at a smoth.
.red 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. II 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
half. Miss Orvis left the blackboard
with Il see bird" half finished and
stepped forward to meet Hardy.
lie was smiling comfortably in his
half shy, half rogush way and flirting
openly with Marguerite Mcguire in the
front seat.
Hardy, you are late again"
"Yessum," said Hardy happily.
Its the fourth time this week, Har.
dy. Have you any excuse?"
Nom" 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
sch0olrOom you could hear the clock
tick high up OH 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 IIardys little. thin. freckled face,
aud after minute he looked up at
Miss Orvis. his big blue eyes filled
with half Apologize bewildermeut.
II never had any mother" The ST.
ience WAS worse than ever Miss Orvis
caught her breath and looked ut the
rest Of the children TO see what hor
rible effect the announcement had
made OH them. but they were only in
terested and joyous over the diversion
Hardy caught tlt look and FASTENED
TO cover his mistake.
Bot | got father. Miss Orvis, all
right. I'm Reddy Lanes kid. and Red
dy's watchman 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 | like TO have
breakfast with him."
Miss 0rvis hesitated, but the blue
eyes pleaded we'll 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. II was tragedy,
Of course-some stormy. tear swept
page of life from the great city's un-
derworld and only this bit Of wreckage
left 10 tell the story. Tears welled to
her own lashes once or twice as she
watched Hardy's small. eager face. so
trusting and foollshly 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 noon
she touched Hardy on the shoulder and
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 all
was still In the great building Miss
0rvIs came back and took him on her
lap.
Your rara's Waterman. you say.
dear, over on the brldge:" she began,
but Hardy intcrosed hastily.
"Oh. no. not my father-that's Red
dy. never hal any father I'm a
founding hid. Red'ly says. and his
mother rented me. and then she died.
and Rcddy adopted the his own self. so
now I'm his lid"
"0h. see" Miss Orvis leaned back
In her chair and gazed at the cheerful
little face. AMI you and Reddy live
on Cherry strcct:"
"Yc~sum. We got n room with the
BattrrsUns. a whole room Of our own.
Just for Retdr and me. And the Rat.
tersnns have only got one room left for
their own selves. and there's six Of
EN-"
"rol don't say co." Miss orvis
caught III, lonesome little figure close
In her arms. Isis Reidy good to
your
"Yon het he ls." came the snothcred
gasp from her shoulder. Tie never
hits mo. and hc takes me out on the
big bridge With him nights and lets
mo see the lights on the river and the
boats aud the trains and everything.
He's fine TO me. When l said yon
scolded me cause was late. he said
Il was --- shame"
There was sudden noise at the door
behind them. queer hasty noise. half
q cough. half a choked explosion Of
laughter. and Miss OrvIs stood M
quickly.
"rIcllo. Red! This Is teacher
II was the only introduction they
ever had. those two. and neither ever
forgot the moment. Flushing to the
curls Of her soft dark hair. Pauline
orvis saw before her Reddy Lane Of
"a. Att a