The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1914-10-13
TYKE AND SMITH
BY GEORGE RANDOLPH CHESTER.

BY GEORGE RANDOLPH CHESTER.
Robert Walsingham Smith paused
thoughtfully just inside the gate Half
dozen important things called ur-
gently upon him for attention; the
funny gray bugs underneath the fiat
stone at lie 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 it offered of getting
another scar on his chin.
But outside the Brainerd gate a
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 a two
ann-N-hQ lfUno k,.w rH~
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 a few steps with It.
then lay it down. When you went to
pick 1t up, he would grab 1t 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 it 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
It.
e@S p" 90 q AAAO 6nlAO, anu IL tOOhs
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 quiet automobile. and a
man wearing leather cap and a very
black face was doing something or
other with delightfully."- dirty-looking
tools.
A little way off, up near the foun-
tain, another man sat on bench He,
too. had on leather cap, bat his face
was clean and his clothes were clean,
and. what was more fascinating than
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 and
shifted, but it was only a perfunctory
sniff. He. too. possessed the clatrvoy-
ance that could see through clothes
and countenances and fair speech to
the hearts OF men.
The young man promptly proceeded
to I'LL both chubby hands. Peanuts
stuck out from them In every direc-
ton, and one fell upon the ground In
trying to pick it up he dropped six
What is your manner" asked the big
man in one Of the intervals Of shelling
and feeding.
Robert Walsingham Smith waited
until he had swallowed what was In
his mouth. as he had been carefully
taught to do, and then he replied
clearly and concisely:
Name, Wobbawassinmiss."
Exactly" agreed the man. 81
thought 1t must be something like
that. If you don't mind, however, I'll
just call you Tyke. 1t comes handler"
Il tired
why, bless my soul, so you must
UOs ACRAACQ LILO u1ts&As UCCOlAAnk bo4-
denly aware that the small morsel
of humanity had been standing all
this time on two amazingly small feet.
He glanced down at the dust-grimed
little shoes and gathered the young
ster oompassionately In his big arms
Tyke rested his head oontentedly
back in the comfortable angle he
found waiting for 1t.
The big man started to talk about
the birds and the squirrels and the
other things that he Judged might In
terest tykes In general, glancing down
every now and then and watching for
the monosyllabled replies that came
more and more slowly In one of
these glances he observed that the
blue eyes were glazing and that the
lids were dropping.
Here, Tyke," said he hastily, this
won't do! Somebody will be looking
for you"
But the sleep of Likelihood knows
no logic. 1t comes when 1t Wills as
irresistible as doom itself, and the man
suddenly found himself the possessor
of a strange baby that was sound
asleep.
Here's nice muddle," he specu-
lated Nov what am l going to do
with thisf"
1t was a puzzling question. and
quite naturally he looked down at
the cause of the puzzle, as II to seek
an answer there. In all his life the
man had never before held sleep
ing baby in his arms. He gazed In
awe upon the thin eyelids with their
delicate blue veinings. How large the
eyes beneath them we're! What won
derful curving lashes were those that
spread down their delicate arcs!
What a marvellous complexion was
this upon the rounded checklist How
like fine-spun gold was that waving
hairi What a beautiful thing, more
wondrously beautiful than any other
created object, was the curve of those
little lips! What a warm. chubby,
sturdy body was this that lay in his
arms and against his breast!
The Precipitation OF summer sleep
began to bead out upon the chiid's
forehead, and, moving as gently as If
he feared even breath might disturb
the harmony Of this exquisite picture,
the man drew his handkerchief from
his pocket and gently wiped away
the moisture.
The moment was q revelation TO
this man who had fought all his life.
Really, there seemed. after all. some
thing in the world besides business