The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-09-02
The RED.HEADED
BOYS BIG BONFIRE

from the back porch of her fiat to the
telephone pole in the alley, no right
minded person could blame her for
losing her temper if reh-headcd boy
| with wide mouth and the ingenuity
OF fiend should START smudgy bon
fire directly below.
The redheadcd boy worked in
Sim-ns' grocery, one of the stores that
occupied the ground floor OF the flat
building. He was pokins the fire as
though hn cnioycd it when Miss
Clancy saw him.
"Say. you, Tommy Herkimer!" Miss
Clancy called thrcateningly. See
what you're doing to my wash"
Tommy grinned up at her and gave
the fire another stirring. Great clouds
Of smoke and black smudges wavered
upward. seeking the chaste Wilderness
Of the Clancy linen.
stop it," Miss Clancy shricl;od,
shaking one fist il the offenders d.
rccton The fist Was small and white.
for it was Miss Clancy's mother who
| had washed the clothes. her pretty
| darghter's share in the work being the
hanging out process. Mrs. Clancy was
proud of Sade's hands just as she
was proud Of Sadie's crisply curling
black hair and blue eyes and the gen.
eral freshness of her. stop it. say!
You're horrid, and if you don't stop
it I'LL"
"Yah-h-h," yelled Tommy, derisive.
ly. II amt afraid of you, Sadie Clan.
cy! You can't 10 nothin'!"
Sadie Clancy shot down the one
flight OF stairs like an angry comet
and catapulted toward Tommy. Drop.
ping the broom handle with which he
was stirring the fire. Tommy bolted,
with Sadie after him. He darted to.
ward the back door of the grocery and
swcrved just as that door filled with
the bulk Of young Simms himself.
Young Simms being Sade's devoted
worshiper. Tommy recognized that
here was no safe haven. Indeed. after
a breathless word from Sadie. Simms
also Joined the chase down the alley.
As he rushed past one of the delivery
wagons he caught his foot in the
trailing lines and pitched headlong in
the dust.
pickles and prunes!" young Slmms
exploded as he staggered up.
"Oh, did you hurt YOURSELF" Sadie
cried, looking around in horror Right
in her course was the water hydrant
and. hitting It, she. too, ornamented
the alley pavement.
Don't you know anything worse
than that" she gaspcd ont furiously
as Simms picked her up. roaring.
Coffee cakes and buns! Let me get
my hands on him."
Tommy. who had paused interested
~ to view the unexpected gymnastics.
was doubled up in mirth. He began
to run again when his furious pur.
suors darted toward him. Spying an
open door into the basement under
Lcigh's furniture store, he dashed in
and his pursucrs followed. Sadie was
in the lead Rounding some crates of
drcsscrs. she saw a human object
shrunk up close to the last crate She
grabbed II with shrek of triumph,
! to which the object responded with a
howl Young Simms. arriving, also
grabbed.
'Gotcllu." the object yelled in terri
Bile glce. Twill play tag in my base
mcnt and carve initials all over the
mahogany. will yero I'll teach YOU
kids lesson. I've been alayin for
ych and now I've got ych."
Leigh. the furniture man. as he
spoke Was shaking Sadie and young
Simms. occasionally knocking their
heads together for emphasis Suddcn-
" the size of Simms seemed to con-
fuse him and he icrkcd his captiNcs
into the light of a gas jet.
Good land" Leigh gurslcd. rcleas-
Ing his hold He stared At his neigh.
bors whom he had been shaking.
why" stammcred Leigh.
and sat down meekly. Then he gave
a sort of groan and scrambled TO his
feet He had sat down in a bucket of
yarnish.
"Ohh-hh." Sadie wept Historically.
clinging to Young Simms. He put his
arm around her protcctincly and lam
med il against nail poini that was
projecting through ono Of the upriehts
in The wall
"Woo-o-of." roarcd Simms. claspiug
his wound.
Somewhere in the distance Of tho
basement there was a strangled hut
dcmoniac laugh that sounded as
though emanating from redhradcd
boy with wide mouth.
Let him co." said young Simms as
he put his arm around Sadie again
Somehow | don't seem to mind him
now-do you, Sadie?'
Lets help Mr.. Leigh get that var.
nish of him." said Sadie with very
pink cheeks. She did not move away
from the arm. anyhow, mas taken
the clothes In by now'"-Chieago