The Tomahawk., 1916-12-07
COPYRIGHT q eOoo5 MERRILL COMPAl


Stockford'll get along without you
Come on"
"Certainly," said Stockford; "gt
ahead. And you can take him ducking
too, if he wants to CO."
''But he doesn't want to go-ant
won't co." replied the Major with q
commiserative glance at me: "Says
: he doesn't know a duck from a poll.
parrot-nor how to load shotgun
and couldn't hit house If he were in
side of it and the door shut. Admits
that he nearly killed his uncle once,
on the other side Of tree, with a
squirrel runnin' down it. Don't want
him alOng!"
When I reached the street with the
genial Major, he gave me this advice
'Now, when you meet Tommy, you
mustn't take all he says for dead ear
nest, and you mustn't believe, because
he talks loud, and in italics every 9TH
err word, that he wants to do all the
talking and won't be interfered with.
That's the way he's apt to strike folks
at first-but it's their mistake, not his.
Talk back to him.cOntrovert him
whenever he's aggressive in the utter
ance Of his opinions, and If you're only
honest in the announcement of your
own ideas and beliefs, he'll like you
all the better for standing by them.
He's quick-tempered, and perhaps a
trifle sensitive, so share your greater
patience with him, and he'll pay you
| back by fighting for you at the drop
| Of the hat. In short, he's as nearly
| typical Of his gallant country's brave,
impetuous, fun-loving race as one man
can be-"
"But is he quarrelsome I asked
"Not at all. There's the trouble If
he'd only quarrel there'd be no harm.
Quarreling's cheap, and Tommy's ex-
travagant. A big blacksmith here, the
other day, kicked some boy out Of his
shop, and Tommy, on his cart, hap
pened to be passing at the time; and
he just jumped off without a word, and
went in and worked on that fellow for
about three minutes, with such disas-
trOus results that they couldn't tell his
shop from slaughter house; paid an
assault and battery fine, and gave the
boy dollar besides, and the whole
thing was a positive luxury to him.
But guess we'd better drop the sub
ject, for here's his cart, and here's
Tommy. Hi! there, you :Fardown'
Irish Mick!' called the Major, in af-
fected antipathy, "been out raiding the
honest farmers hen roosts again, have
your
We had halted at corner grocery |
and produce store, as took it, and the
wooden shirt, short vest, and suspen-
derless trousers so boisterously adj |
dressed by the Major, was just lifting
from the back Of his cart coop of |
cackling chickens.
'Arrah! We blasted Kerryonian! !" re-
piled the handsome fellow, depositing
the coop on the curb and Strengthening
his tall, slender figure; II were jist
thinkin' Of yez and the ducks, and here
We come quackin' into the presence of
r'yalty, wild yer canvas-back suit upon
We and the schwim- skins bechuxt yer
toes! How air yez, anyhow-and air
we startin' for the Kankakee by the
mkt post?"
"We're to start just as soon as we
get the boys together" said the Major,
hands. "The crowds to be at
Andrews by four, and it's fully that
now; so come on at once. Well go
round by Munson's and have Hi send
Il boy to look after your horse. Come
want to introduce my friend here to
you, and Well all want to smoke and
jabber Il little in appropriate seclu-
sion. Come on" And the impatient
Major had linked arms with his hest
tating ally and myself, and was turn
ng the corner Of the street.
"It's an hours work have yet wild
he squawkers," mildly protested Tom
ny, still hanging back and stepping n
rifle high; "but as one Irishman would
Jay till another, 'Ye're wrong, but I'm
vid YEP"
And five minutes later the three of
is had joined very jolly party in a {
mug back room, with
The chamber walls depicted all around
With portraitures of huntsman. hawk, {
and hound, | f
And the hurt deer:
nd where, as we'll, drifted over the .
lfactory intelligence a certain subtle, -
aroma, that genially ;,
ombatted the chill and darkness of u
he day without, and, resurrecting
ong-dead Christmases, brimmed the c
rateful memory with all comfortable Y
heer. 4
A dozen hearty voices greeted the >,
ppearance Of Tommy and the Major, =
he latter adroitly pushing the jovial I
to the front, with mock
e"oic introduction to the general COM
any, at the conclusion of which Tom tC
~. with his hat tucked ucder his left v
lbow, stood bowling with a grace Of tt
ose and presence Lord Chesterfield =,
hight have applauded. A
"Gintlemen" said Tommy settling F