Evening star., 1909-06-19

faster And soon found herself in busy,
high-walled streets, not at all like the
streets of her home suburb town. where
the houses and shops were few and FAR
apart Dumpy-Doo became frightened.
She was lost and lost in a strange place
which she had unintentionally entered
The crowds became dense. the street
cars were rolling along. the electric lights
CLEANED from great shop windows. IL
was full night, and still Dumpy-Doo was
far. far from her beloved home. How
long she had been wandering about she
had no way Of knowing. 1t was per-
haps 4 o'clock when she left home to
meet her papa, for that was the hour
he usually arrived home.
Then Dumpy-Doo beheld great clock
away up on the front Of building The
hands pointed at five minutes OF 5.
Dumpy-Doo's heart dropped within her
she was, in the heart of some strange
place. tired to death from walking and
running and much frightened. Oh, TO
be at home again With her papa ana
mamma. And what We're those dear par
ents doing? DumpyDoo knew how ter
ribly frightened they would be when she
:, not come home.
..ealing into a corner OF building
poor little Dumpy-Doo began to weep
heart -brokenly She feared she would
never an her home again. Just then
some one touched her arm. Dumpy- Doc
looked up into a tall policemans face.
"Whatre you doing here, little one"
asked the officer.
Doc. Then as best she could talk for
crying. Dumpy-Doo told her story, and
the officer said: Has your folks got a
phone. miss?"
Yes, and it is No. 100 Anderson street.
replied Dumpy-Doo, her memory clear.
Then she told her fathers name and
their home address. Why hadn't she
thought to do that long before-to some
of the policemen she had passed on the
many streets she had trayersed? But
now she would soon be all right. and
she dried her eyes and went with the
officer into drug store, where the officer
telephoned to her home. And then
DumpyDoo heard her dear mothers
I've got the little one safe and sound,
missus" the officer called over the phone.
DO you want to speak to her." Ana
Dumpy-Doo was. put to the phone
through which she called out, Hello,
mamma, dear Then a joyous voice
answered, saying: Papa is out hunting
for you. dearle. He has reported your
disappearance to the police and he calls
me up every twenty minutes to find !.
/ have got news Of you and to report
his success. 1t is almost time for hin,
to call me again. Tell the officer who
has you in care to give me the name or
the place you are In SO that papa VIII
call for you soon as he learns of your
wherea bouts. Oh, you don't know how
papa and mamma have been distressed,
dearest child! But now that you are
safe Wen all be so happy again" Then
with a kiss through the telephone,
Dumpy-Doo's mamma rang off. for it
was time to receive a message from the
papa who was still searching for the
strayed or stolen little girl. And you
may believe there was a happy man
when Dumpy-Doo's father received the
good news over the phone a few minutes
later. and he in turn called up the drug
store, where Dumpy-Doo was waiting for
him. to say that he would soon be there.
And he was soon there. too, for he c,me
in an electric cab which made a quick
trip, for Dumpy-Doos papa could hardly
wait till he reached his little daughter.
On their, way home Dumpy-Doo's p pa
said: why. grille, you travelled about
three and half miles from home. You
went into the big city And when
Dumpy-Doo told Of having seen man
whom she thought to be her father en-
tering a shop close to her home. md
how she had run to meet him, to find
he had disappeared somehow, her father
said: NO, child, l was not in any shop
on my way home You saw some one
who resemted me- and that is how the
whole mistake came about"
"Well, never, never again will ] cross