Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1908-03-06

the child grew and prospered, and with
it prospered the little household. Dick
Junior was now a lusty young rogue,
tumbling about and suffering a few
words in pidgin English, which shocked
his mother ineoneeivably, but made his
father roar with laughter. Little beg
gar" he said, hes as bad as old Quong."
And then he would lecture him on the
iniquities OF the yellow man, to all of
which the child would listen with wide.
wondering eyes-those eyes which seemed
to draw out the soul of the father. And
he could touch him now without fear of
breaking the little bones, and toss him
about as though he were ball, all of
which the child bore with never a whim-
per.
You can't make the little beggar cry,''
he said to Quong one day. He's not
afraid of anything-not even of your
face, you wooden headed old joss"
Quong ignored the compliment, having
grown accustomed to endearing terms.
No dam fear" was the reply. "Wha-
for he ely? He belong number one top
side piece kid"
The father was lost in admiration, and
wondered how he had lived until this
dear woman and her dear child had come
into his life.
The day came round for Dicks accus-
toned journey to the town, but this was
to be q journey which would be marked
with a red letter in the history of their
lives; for things had prospered with
them, and he was going into the town
to complete the purchase of larger
tract of land, and he intended to mark
the occasion by returning with presents
for his beloved ones. The parting in
junction had an addition now, but it al
ways came in exactly the same way
Look after the misses and the kiddy,
Quong. If anything hapens to them I'll
belt the life out of you" And Quono
blinked his invariable reply, Me make
'em all Ii, boss" The promised betting
never gave offense. He never thought it
necessary, but on the whole he liked it.
1t showed that the boss took an intelli-
gent interest in MIN.
He had worked for perhaps a full hour
when he scrambled out of the hole he
was digging to take a few puffs at his
pipe; but just as he was in the act of
lighting up he happened to look round,
and saw woman approaching him from
lower down the creek. At first he did
not quite realize who it was, nor did he
understand her wild gesticulations or her
cries. But as she came nearer he knew
it to be the missis, and in his stolid way
he stood blinking at her till she APP
preached. Then he saw that her face
was deathly white, her eyes starting
from her head, and that she had reeled in
her steps like one about to fall Indeed,
he knew that nothing but a supreme eff
fort of will prevented a physical col
lapse.
Whats up, missis?" he asked
Quong's blood flowed coldly; his man
ner reflected the cold blood She tried to
speak, yet nothing but an unintelligible
gibbering passed her lips. Her mind,
however, was working clearly enough,
and Selling him by the arm, she swung
him round and pointed to a column of
smoke which rose above the trees. He
started, and the wooden face suddenly
grew animated. Fear and intelligence
widened the oblique eyes,
THE piecee kidd" he shouted.
"Yesye The words came from her
lips in fifierce gasp of agony.
My clil'
Kicking off his old shoes, he flung frohs
her side like flash of lightning. She
tried to follow him. She called on heav-
en-, on her indomitable nature, but in
vain. The earth sprang up to meet her.
Once it struck her violently in the face.
She scrambled to her feet and staggered
onward, but the weight of all the world
seemed to press her down, down. Now
she was cropping wildly on her hands and
knees toward the burning house, the
smoke of which glared blood red in the
sun. The great masses of hair fell over
her face and blinded her That, too,
seemed blood red haze through which
she saw world of fire.
With the return of consciousness she
found herself supported by the most
grotesque looking creature in the world.
His face was black and blistered, he had
not a scrap of his pigtai left, and even
the few clothes he wore were burnt or
singed beyond recognition But he was
tenderly bathing her face with water
drawn from the creek and speaking to
her in a coaXing, sing-song fashion-iust
as he soothed the "piecee kid in its
most turbulent moments
"Quong!" 1t was both an exclamation
and an interrogation.
| "All Ii, missis. Ave got"
| He pointed to a scorched and black
ened blanket by her side The "pieeee
kid looked up at her and crowed Not
hair of his head was singed Carlton
Dave in The Sketch