The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-12-27
The Mistaken
IdenfiUq7 Tommy
By ADDlE F. MITCHELL.
Copyright, 1907, by L. C. PARCELS.
By ADDIE r. MITCHELL.

Copyright, lgo., by t.. Z. PARCELS. III
Mrs. Vaughn put down the letter she
had been reading, with a troubled lit
tie sigh. Her daughter Madge looked
up from the step.
whats the matter. mother? You
look as if you had been reading your
death warrant"
81 laye-the death warrant of our
summers peace. Aunt Mary North
writes to ask if we won't keep her
Tom while she and Mr.. North go
abroad for the summer"
Who's her Tom?" asked Madge sue.
cinctly.
Her stepson. I've not seen Aunt
Mary since she married MI. North, and
! know nnxt to nothing of the North
family. I;ut Mrs. Wilson knew Mr..
North when they were living in Chi
cago (that was in the time of the first
Mrs. North, and she said there were
two girls and a boy. The boy was in
kits then. and that was five Years ago,
SO he MIST be about eight or nine
years old. Aunt Mary says he has
been i'll with typhoid and that she re-
members we 4 hope for his health that
the air at pinecroft is healing"
But we can't have him. mother.
Think of having an eight-year-old boy
on our hands the whole summer! We
can never get enough cooked for him
to eat, ANA he'll be drowned regularly
once 4 week and break all his arms
and legs on the other days. And
wanted. Il quiet. heavenly rest this sum
mer before ] have to go back to that
awful office. And it will be-wen, the
other kind of a time With n Tommy
around, that is certain"
"But. Madge. l can't refuse Aunt
Mary. She was your fathers favorite
aunt and always so good to him. No,
Tommy Will have to come, whether We
want him or not"
"Well. then. when?"
"The letter says next Tuesday IN
less they hear from US that it is not
convenient"
Tell Aunt Mary l have the small
poX or that / died suddenly at the
news-anything. Please, mother!"
II was wondering" said her mother,
whether an eight-year-old boy would
be afraid to sleep in a room by him
self. Shall; we put a bed in the alcove
off my room or fix up the south cham
! ber?"
Cali the boys I've ever SEEN" an
swered Madge, were afraid neither Of
the things under the earth nor Of those
upon it. Give him a room to himself,
and then you'll be saved the everlast-
ing clatter of fishing tackle and knives
and toadsa and things in your room.r y
Still grumbling, Madge helped her
mother get ready the south chamber.
As she worked she grew interested and
even took from the walls Of her own
room some. interesting prints which
she thought would be suitable for a
boys room.
II can't zee, though, why Aunt Mary
didn't take the little wretch abroad
with her-the sea air would do him
good. Take out all the fancy things.
mother, as you value them"
IF you only understood big boys as
we'll as you seem to understand the
small one you would not be twenty
four and s;l!l SINGLE" leased her moth
er.
Il do, MOTHER" said Madge vehe-
mently. s.; understand them altogeth-
er too well, and that's the very reason
I am still angle"
There was no immediate. reply to
this, and Mrs. Vaughn t, med her at
tention to the room.
Get all your old picture books and
put them Oh that shelf, Madge, and I
think I'll bring Jim's old hobbyhcrse
down from the attic. He may despise
1t, but you never a tell
81 suppose l could make him some
kites" said Madge. There's all that
red and bI,le paper and miles Of yellow
string. Perhaps if l make a big one
he'll get fastened to 1t and fly Off to
Mars. And while I'm up in the attic
I'm going to bring down some of Jim's
| old overalls."
Arrangements were finally complet-
ed. and Madge rather looked forward
to the coming of the little boy. so that
when Tuesday came she willingly
drove to the station for him, though
she protested hat ST. Lawrence and
his gridiron were as nothing to the
torment she was undergoing. She took
along a bag of cookies, "just to stop
up his mouth so he can't ask ques-
tions," she explained.
The train was late, and Madge got a
little cross as she waited in the open
trap with the hot sun beating down
upon her. The pony was restless, and
she dared not leave him to go inside
Of the station. When the train finally
steamed In. however, she gave the
reins to a porter and went to find her
young charge. She watched the few
who came out Of the coaches nervous
", with n eye on the dancing pony,
but as far as she could see no small
boy was 90 heytrain. Fearing that he
had not hcnrd the name Of the station
called, she spoke to the conductor, who
told her that no such person was on
the train.
WELL" she thought, II suppose l
should be glad Of it." and was going