The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1908-01-01
The Mistaken
NenhtygTommy
BY ADDIE F. MITCHELL.
Copyright, 1907, by E. c. PARCELS.

.
had been reading. with troubled lit
lie sigh. Her daughter Madge looked
mp from the step.
whats the matter. mother? You
look as II you had been reading your
death warrant"
Il have-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 TOMB" asked Madge sue
cinctly.
"Her stepson. I've not seen Aunt
Mary since she married Mr. North, and
know next to nothing Of the North
family. But 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 boy. The boy was in
kits then, and that was Ave years ago
so he must be about eight or nine
years old. Aunt Mary says he has
been III with typhoid and that she re-
members with 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, and he'll be drowned regularly
once week and break all his arms
and legs on the other days. And l
wanted a quiet. heavenly rest this sum-
mer before l have to go back to that
awful Office. And 1t Will be-well, the
other kind Of a time with Tommy
around, that Is certain"
But. Madge. 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, whenf
''The letter says next Tuesday I'M
less they hear from us that 1t is not
convenient"
TELL Aunt Mary l have the small
pox or that died suddenly at the
news-anything Please motherv'
II was wondering" said her mother,
whether an eight-year-old boy would
be afraid TO sleep In room by him
self Shall we put bed in the alcove
Of my room or fix mp the south cham.
ber?"
Gall the boys I've ever seen," an,
swered Madge, "were afraid neither OF
the things under the earth nor Of those
upon 1t. Give him room to himself
and then you'll be saved the everlast
ing clatter Of fishing tackle and knive,
and toads and things in your room"
Still grumbling, Madge helped hel
mother get ready the south chamber
AS she worked she grew Interested ant
even took from the walls of her owl
she thought would be suitable for I
boys room.
81 can't see, though, why Aunt Mary
didn't take the little wretch abroad
with her-the sea air would do hin
good. Take, out all the fancy things
mother, as you value them"
"If you only understood big boys as
| well as you seem to understand the
small, ones you would not be twenty
four and still single" leased her moth
er.
II do, mother" said Madge vehe-
mently. II understand them altogeth-
err too well. and that's the very reason
l am still single"
There was no immediate reply to
this and Mrs. Vaughn II med her at
tention to the room.
Get all your old picture books and
put them on that shelf, Madge, and l
think I'll bring Jiin's old hobbyhorse
down from the attic. He may despise
1t, but you never can tell"
II suppose ! could make him some
kites" said Madge. There's all that
red and blue paper and miles Of yellow
string Perhaps II l make big one
he'll get fastened to 1t and fly of 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 that st. Lawrence and
his gridiron were as nothing to the
torment she was undergoing. She took
along bag Of cookies. ''tust 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 20 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
ly, with one eye on the dancing pony,
but as far as she could see no small
boy was on the train. Fearing that be
had not heard the name Of the station
called, she spoke to the conductor, who
told her that no such person was on
the train.
"WelI," she. thought, II suppose
should be glad of It," and was going
back to the trap when 1t occurred to
her that he might some way have got
past her into the station and might be
waiting for her there. She looked In
No one was there but very tall
young man, who was leaning back
rather Imply against the seat, pale az
from recent Illness. Madge gave him
more than passing glance because
she wondered who he might be. Young