The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1915-02-19
Spartans
Two
like Father Like Son"
by JOHN BARTON OXFORD
by Frank A. Munsey Co.

think a minute. dearie. Sure, I've had
me eyes on ut somewheres lately. Take
a look in the cellar stairway. I've a
mind yell find ut hangin' on wan av
the pegs there
"Yep; here it is, covered up be three
aprons and a bag av clothespins," said
he, turning back to the spotless kitch-
en- while he drew the sweater over his
big shoulders.
l. Mary Mooney ran an appraising eye
up and down her sons stalwart fig
ure. She did it not without a certain
quiet pride.
I'VE sure do be Iookin' very fit, Ed
die said she.
And fit l ar, NUNS" he returned
lightly. Never was l filter in my
life"
Doubling his right fist, he slowly
bent his right arm until the biceps
made a great curving swelling beneath
the sleeve of the green sweater.
"The things I'll be dom to that Do
heeny guy at the South armory a cou-
pla hours from now!' he threatened,
laughing.
That's the way to talk said his
mother approvingly. "'Tis yer first
real bona fide fight. Yer must make
good, Eddie. Don't forget that yer ia
Their was Cal Mooney, the best fighter
of his weight that ever lived, so the
papers was always tellin' time and
time ag'in.'
Again Eddie laughed. He stopped
to run his fingers caressingly through
her sparse gray hair, a trick he had
had since childhood.
Here's Flicker Shea now in the
taxi they've sent for me. So it's off
wit me right away. Goodby, NUNS.
Think Of how me namell be spread
headed in the mornin' papers like the
old mans used to be often"
He kissed her again.
"Hello, Flicker" Young Mooney ad-
dressed the stoop shouldered man wait
ing on the steps outside. The taxi's
all ready. Then Fave us be of"
They went down the steps to the
waiting taxi and climbed In.
The South armory," Flicker in
structed the chauffeur, and the cab
lurched away from the curb.
Eddie leaned across the portly figure
Of Flicker Shea to wave q hand to his
mother.
"Old lady's strong for yer, son, amt
she?'' he observed to the younger mar
beside him.
"Uh-huh" he grunted shortly with
out turning his eyes to his companion.
Fact is. Flicker. II she want quite so
strong
He paused.
"Well, what?" Flicker prompted after
a patient period of silence.
IF she want quite so strong for me,
if she want quite 80 set on me dom
! this and upholdin' the fame that the
old man brought to the name yer
wouldn't never catch M foolin' wit no
crooked game like this"
"Woty" he gurgled in bewilderment,
as If he could not credit his ears.
'If it want for her l wouldn't have
HOtuIu " uo VIII IuAS SdAAcs CuuAc
repeated.
Shame on yer" Kissed Flicker
dramatically. "A man wit yer build
and yer speed and the blood of Cal
Mooney in yer veins too! Fie"
"'Tis true" said Eddie doggedly.
I'D ruther work in a foundry or dig in
a ditch or do anything useful. But
she thinks it's the finest game in the
world. She has always been eggin'
me on to it eve since l was a kid. l
car see it now. She wants me to folly
in the old mans footsteps and get ia
nous and wrote about in the papers
and all that.
"And 80. because she's lookin' for
it and because it would be s0rter sling
in mud at the old mans memory II
didn't, I'm goin' to make goodw
MI. Shea, being neither of facile nor
analytical mind. puckered his bushy
brows as he pondered those words.
He was still p%uckering them when
their equipage drew up before the
South armory.
AS the taxi came to a sputtering stop
he placed n pudgy hand on Moneys
shoulder.
"Say, Eddie" he said thickly, "ye're
in wrong. Yer won't never be maxim
no Roadway wit nothin' like that on
yer mind. I yet see q felly make
good at anything that his whole heart
want in. and If yer whole heart amt
in this
"Can It." said Eddie very crisply.
Even II me heart amt in this thing
I've got a blamed good substitute for
It. It's what she's lookin' for and ex-
pectin' me to do. And yer'd better
forget what I've just said to yer
sect"
"All right, I amt never heard 1t.
Eddie" Flicker declared magnani-
mously. "Come on in! We amt none
too early. Better hustle into yer ring
buds. No use keepin' a bunch waitin'."
1t was after II that evening when
the taxi again came purring into the
little street Of the wooden tenements