Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1911-02-14
HER BRAVE
SOLDIER

| forenoon hours. The sou were
out in full force. every b.. had itsl
song, and such people as - about
carried good-natured face OF an
places TO finish up the last .'-,e chap
tiers OF an interesting book ne park
had the lead.
And little Tot. six years ID. Miss
Molly's niece, had found IT, park q
regular paradise. A quarter mile
away Capt Phil Dayton OF army.
VINO had been invaded home rom the
Philippines, sat on a select, ! bench
every morning and blessed tie parh-
Please. sir, I'm lostedl"
Captain Phil had finished lis papeN
and laid it down beside him and was
fairly nodding In sleep. He straighti
ened up with a Jerk and opened bin
eyes very wide at sight of the ownsf
Of the voice-little Tot She stood be-
fore him with fingers clasped very
solemn look on her face, and the sus-
picion of tears In her eyes.
II say I'm losted," she repeated an
the captain continued TO stare. /
"Oh, I see," he replied. you cams
into the park alone and have goo
turned around and can't ind the way
outf
NO, I didn't come alone. Aunt MOI
ly came with me. I ran away fronJ
her and got losted. rye been walking
miles and miles, but I can't find hef
again. She'll be awfully scared" {
"And how about you-arent you
scared7"
"Oh, no. knew I'd ind somebody
to take me home"
"And what Is your manner
tot Foster. Do you thir It's q
nice name?"
Il surely do. How far do you live
from the park"
"Oh, we have to take a S eet car,
and the conductor charges lie full
fare. He told Aunt Molly that was
no kid"
We'll, Miss Tot, think the best
thing we can do is to wait RI Mt here
for a little time. Your aunt III sure
ly be searching for you. and is apt to
come this way. Besides, there will be
policeman along soon, and we can
get him to help. Plenty Of room for
you to sit down here by me-"
Thank you, sirl" said Tot with all
the dignity OF a married woman; and
after taking a seat close beside hin
she continued. V
1T wasn't a week ago that frnt
Molly told mamma that II she "rar
married 1t would be a brave sc Ter.
You are brave. aren't your"
People have said So"
Then that settles It, AS Soc -
Auntie finds me I'll introduce y"
guess she's gone some other y~-.
Let's walk and walk until we EHI
her"
They walked and walked, and talked
and talked. and strangely enough they
encountered no one searching for 6
! "losted" girl. One of the entrances
was reached at last. and the captain
| asked:
Does this look like the place you
usually come in att"
why, It surely is" Tot answered.
Yes, recognize 1t by that squirrel
there Now, all we've got to sit down
on this bench and walt for aunte.
| She'll soon come a-hying. But must
know your name or | can't introduce
you"
It's Captain Dayton, II you please
That's a nice name, and | know
auntie will be pleased with It. She's
pretty particular about names. My
| stars, there comes auntie now"
It was true. Aunt Molly and a SOL
emn policeman were coming on tho
run, and Just at that moment an auto
| came up and stopped at the entrance.
There we're two EXPLANATIONS uttered
that Captain Dayton did not forget
| for a year:
"Oh. Tot, my darling!" from tho
| halfdistracted aunt.
In the KIDNAPPING business, eh-
come along!" from the solemn police
man.
And while Aunt Molly was huggtng
Miss Tot and being Rugged in return.
the soldier was hustled into the auto
and the chauffeur ordered TO drive TO
a police station.
Got him and it's a straight case"
said the officer TO the lieutenant at the
desk
Captain Dayton gave his name, adj
dress and profession. He had the doc
uments with him as corrobOration-
The lieutenant was about to ask him
II be thought the police force could be
taken In that way when an auto came
chugging up and Miss Tot and Aunt
Molly came hurrying In.
"You Just let this gentleman gol
ordered the little girl as she advanced
and took the prisoner by the hand.
I'm sure be didn't intend-in,
tend" said Aunt Molly. but could
get no further.
And he wasn't trying to hidnap
Won >" asked the oficer OF Miss Tot