The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1909-02-03

quite clearly as tney came uOallng up
from the window far below:
Sweetest little fellow
Everybody knows.
Don't know what to call him,
But he's mighty like rose
| And little John Junior, who had
known no lullabies or mothers Groom
ings in his lone babyhood, felt that he
must follow and find where the beau
tiful voice came from.
After some cropping he found his
small wooden slippers, and after pull
ing them on very slowly and carefully
he climbed out Of the window and be-
gan the perilous descent of the fire
escape.
The wind blew right through his
nightgown, and the iron steps were
very cold, but he kept bravely on,
afraid only that the grownups in the
fats across. the air shaft might sudden
ly peep out from the curtains and see
him.
; The window at the foot Of the long
ladder stairs was open, just as John
junior expected it would be, so he
climbed in softly. The voice was still
again, but he was sure he must be
very near it.
By the light that came into the room
through the transom he could see a big
bed, with the covers all turned down
as If waiting for some one to creep in,
and sc, as John junior felt quite shiv-
cry, he crept in himself.
He had no sooner drawn himself up
into a snug little bunch than the sing
ing began again. and so near that 1t
made his heart thump hard 1t came
right in over the transom.
When the last sound of it had died
away he heard mans voice-his ia
theirs voice. So his father had fol
lowed the singing just as he thought.
III a fash John junior was out of
the big bed had opened the door and
went pattering down the hall toward
the lights and laughter and singing
Between the two big curtains he
paused and gazed into the wonderland
Of the grownups. John junior waited
until the song was over and then tip
toed in very softly
please" he begged, won't you sing
about the little fellow once more?"
And then weren't the grownups star
tied! John junior would never forget
it. But at last the beautiful singing
lady just gathered him up in her arms,
and, her cheeks all pink and her eyes
all shining, she sang the song he loved
best in the world.
And after that John junior never
knew exactly what happened, for he
went fast asleep.
Mighty like a rose," murmured the
singing lady, looking tenderly down on
the little flushed face nestled against
her arm.
Like rose," repeated John junior
father reverently. And the singing
lady, looking up. found the mans eyes
not upon the child, but upon her.
''Take him." she urged the quick
tears springing to her eyes, "And
don't, don't make it any harder for me,
John"
Then for many nights John junior
did not again hear the singing
lady's beautiful voice after his nurse
had tucked him in bed, although he
lay fat on his back and listened hard
with both ears
He questioned his father about it,
but got only foolish answers which he
knew were not true. The idea Of the
singing lady going away to learn to
sing more beautifully! That was non
sense! Who could teach her anything
And 1t was just as silly to tell him
that when she came back she would
not sing for them any more, because
lots and lots Of people would expect
her to sing for them in big parlor.
John junior knew better than that too.
There were plenty of people to hear
her in their house and in the houses
across the air shaft.
At last John junior declined to be
trffed with any longer.
"Why don't you write and ask her
to come back?" he demanded.
Il have, DEAR" his father admitted
smiling little YEARLY.
''And she won't Gomez"
John senior shook his head.
'Then why don't you go find her and
bring her backY urged John junior
"I'll go with you"
The more John juniors father
thought about this plan the more it
appealed to him. Finally one memora-
BILE day he put it into execution.
Once more John junior found him.
self in the wonderland Of grownups-
so many. many grownups-with mil
lions of twinkling lights.
Suddenly out Of the babel about
him he heard a voice-the singing
lady's voice. And there she was, more
beautiful than ever, with her pink
cheeks and her shining eyes!
1t was very, very quiet while she
sang, but when she had finished every
body app'auded. John junior clapped