The Washington herald., 1914-03-22

The Tango Lady gave Billie Boy q
perfunctory little good-by kiss as he
lifted his round chubby face to hers, and
when he was all ready for his outing
she repeated her stereotyped instructions
for his, afternoon to The Nurse and
straightway took up the Tango tune
which she had been humming before he
interrupted and thought no more about
him.
Had some one told her that Billie
Boys face was study in wistfui APP
peal as his sturdy little legs hesitated
on the threshold, evidencing plainly that
something was wrong, the Tango Lady
would have said they were perfectly alb
surd, for has not Billie Boy nurse
maid who has nothing on earth to do
but look out for him and thus relieve
the Tango Lady of all care? She would
tell them, too, that The Nurse is very
good to him because she knows enough
about the buttered side of her bread to
keep Billie Boy out of sight as much
as possible so that the Tango Lady
may have plenty of time to plan Tango
frocks, and revel in Tango teas, and
Tango dinners, and Tango evenings, as
indeed she does almost every day in the
week.
And all the while Billie Boy spends
his hours wherever The Nurse pleases
to take him with never a question asked.
An Oft-traveled Route.
The Springtime was in the air and it
made Billie Boy quite forget that he
didn't want to go for walk until his
brave little feet had trudged along at
the side Of The Nurse trying to keep
pace with her too rapid feet for so
many blocks that he tugged pleadingly
at her skirt, whereupon she took his
hand with an angry jerk and dragged
him along at a little faster gait, prom
ising that soon he might sit down.
On, and on, and on trudged the small,
weary feet as their owner fought the
tears which came unbidden to his eyes,
for experience had taught him the pen
atty of protest or sobs, and fear of his
companion spurred him to do his level
best.
1t was the same old route to a squalid
quarter OF the city where lived the sis
ter of The Nurse that Billie Boy had
travelled many a time before, but she
had always brought his go-cart and
wheeled him part of the way until the
last time when she had declared him to
be quite too big a boy to be carted
through the streets" and had entered
her decree that henceforth he should
walk
And so it was that the small legs
achcd despite their sturdiness, when at
last The Nurse brought them up at the
house she sought, and Billie Boy was
glad enough to be plunked down in a
chair, not even minding that it sat in
the darkest corner of the untidy room,
so very tired was he.
After little need that was greater
than that of rest made the small figure
climb down from the chair and hesi-
tatingly approach The Nurse who was
visiting with her sister.
Il want dink." lisped Billie Boy.
The Nurse went on with her conversa-
ton as though she had not heard.
Il want a dink." pleaded the small
boys voice again. but there was no rec
ognition given that it had been even
heard, whereupon Billie Boy strolled
over to the window and amused HIM
self for ten minutes watching the dirty
children playing in an alley, returning
when his thirst grew well-nigh intoler-
able with the request for water. meeting
with the same result as before, and
finally when the boys voice became so
very insistent that The Nurse could not