The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-05-15
.TYKE AND SMITH
BY GEORGE RANDOLPH CHESTER.

gently upon him for attention; the
funny gray bugs underneath the fiat
stone at the side of the front steps;
the nice little puddle where the gar
den hydrant dripped; the hydrant IT.
self, with the possibilities it offered of
getting yourself nice and wet and cool
all over; the broken outside cellar
door, with its webbing springiness
and the chance 1t offered of getting
another scar on his chin.
But outside the Brainerd gate
new and wonderful diversion offered
itself. A white dog, young enough to
be playful and old enough to be a
confirmed tramp, bounced up and
poked his cold muzzle into young Mr..
Smiths hand. Young Mr.. Smith
jerked his hand away and stumbled
back two steps, where he stood at
rigid attention, his stomach drawn
back as far from danger as possible.
He was fine dog, that fellow. He
was better than a doll, because you
didn't have to move his legs and arms
for him, or pinch him to make him
squeak. He was better than two
acknowledgements human playmate,
because he did not always want to
shrek for the identical thing that you
wanted.
For instance, he would grab up a
stick and run few steps with It,
then lay it down. When you went to
pick it up, he would grab it and run
a bit farther and lay it down again;
but maybe that time he would let you
get it and let you run on ahead and
would try to grab 1t out Of your hands,
and by and by you would let him
have 1t, because it was only stick,
anyhow, and you didn't want it-that
Is, till the dog got It,; then you wanted
1t.
That was a fine game, and it took
them several blocks away from the
house where Mrs Smith sat calmly
content in her work, secure in the
knowledge that the Brainerd girls
were petting and coddling the young
ster and spelling him, and getting his
stomach out of whack, and teaching
him bits of choice new slang for them
to laugh at when he repeated 1t, and
loving him half to death.
In one Of the smooth, wide drive
ways stood a quiet automobile, and a
man wearing leather cap and very
black face was doing something or
other with delightfully."- drty-looking
TOOLS
A little way off, up near the foun
tain, another man sat on bench. He
too, had on leather cap, but his face
was clean and his clothes were clean
and, what was more fascinating thar
ALL he was feeding peanuts to the
squirrels.
He walked right up and held out his
right hand. The white dog, at the
same time, walked up to the man ant
= shifted, but 1t was only perfunctory
sniff. He, too, possessed the clairvoy
II |
and countenances and fair speech II
the hearts of men.
| The young man promptly proceeded
to fill both chubby hands. Peanut
stuck out from them in every direc
ton, and one fell upon the ground, Ii
trying to pick it UP he dropped six.
III What is your name?" asked the BIZ
man in one of the intervals Of Smelling
and feeding.
! Robert Walsingham Smith waite
until he had swallowed what was Il
his mouth, as he had been CAREFUL
taught to do, and then he replie
clearly and concisely:
Name, Wobbawassinmiss,'
Exactly" agreed the man.
thought it must be something lik
that. If you don't mind, however, L
Just call you Tyke 1t comes handler.
II tired"
- why, bless my soul, so you mus
BEL" replied the man, becoming SUI
denly aware that the small morse
s's of humanity had been standing a
( this time on two amazingly small fee
) He glanced down at the dust-grime
= little shoes and gathered the youn
! ster compassionately In his big arm
: Tyke rested his head contentedl
i back in the comfortable angle b
I, found waiting for 1t.
i The big man started to talk abo,
= the birds and the squirrels and ii
other things that he judged might i
! terest tykes in general. glancing dow
z every now and then and watching Il
s the monosylfabled replies that can
more and more slowly. In one
g these glances he observed that II
Z blue eyes were glazing and that Il
9 lids were dropping.
/ Here, Tyke," said he hastily, tn
tsas won't do! Somebody will be lookiI
. for you"
But the sleep OF Likelihood know
no logic. 1t comes when 1t wills
irresistible as doom itself, and the m,
- suddenly found himself the possess
of a strange baby that was sour
asleep,
Here's a nice muddle," he spec
, lated. Now what am | going to