Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1919-03-05
PAUL'S ADVENTURE

BY HATTIE v. MoHR.
/, 1919, by the McC
paper Syndicate.)

Little Paul, age four, was much dis
gusted with the rules for the after
Noon. They were, "Not to dare go out
of the yard, or get all mussed up"
But he did go out of the yard, and
he also got terribly mussed, and some
one was provoked about it at the time.
For the first five minutes, which
is long time, considering his age,
Paul followed instructions.
Then, looking up to locate the source
of loud humming noise, he spied an
airplane circling above the arsenal,
two blocks down the boulevard. In less
time than it takes to tell it Paul was
violating a very old rule, 'Never go
on the boulevard" a new one, Don't
go out of the yard" and, if running
in the far and gravel as fast as his
short legs would carry him would muss
him up, he was in a fair way to vio-
late a third.
He had covered one block when the
noise became so loud that he looked
up. The plane that before had seemed
so small as 1t eircied, high lin the air,
was now headed directly at him, and
was a roaring, snorting monster.
With good sense. far in excess of his
years, he dropped down and rolled over
the dirty tarred road to the grassy
side, while the plane, passing over him,
landed. with many bumps 'ilp.'.l 50 feet be-
yond. ~.
The aviator, who a moment before
had been fighting for his life in a
crazy machine that, without any warn.
ing, had gone out of control, quickly
unstrapped himself and ran back. He
was white as the wings of his gas bird
as he picked up crying baby.
A terribly frightened young woman,
who a little later forced her way
through the crowd, found greasy lieu
tenant of aviation hugging mussy
boy, while in a trembling voice he re-
peated,, THANK goodness" Hardly
able to speak with excitement, he said,
addressing her, Il am sure he isn't
through the like again"
Let us hope not" she answered as
she took the chief cause of his nerv-
BUSINESS in her arms.
The crowd had by this time grown
so large, being augmented by a number
of soldiers from the arsenal, that she
started to go. ............
wait, please" he spoke. Cant ]
have the little chaps address? I'd
like to send him something" -.
oh" she answered. I'VE live in the
little red bungalow on the left. Paul
can tell you his own name" ...., ..
what is it, Paul?' asked the man.
Paul. answered Paul, and then he
was hurried away to be scrubbed,
dressed again and scolded, for IF you
had stayed In your own yard 1t wouldn't
haye happened ...,..
Pagls defense was Il guess he didn't
know how to run It very well, any
way,r
During the following week Paul con-
tinually entertained anyone that would
listen with tales Of what he expected
to receive from the aviator. He was
even heard On one occasion to contide
to his waally canine piayfellow, Ino,
thattmaybe ''we'll get one of those big
things, SO we can go way up as high
as the sky
But later q letter came from near
by government hospital telling Paul
that the birdman had had another acct
dent. 1t said that if he wanted the
present very soon either his papa or
mamma would have to bring him there
BECAUSE "a chap can't walk with a
broken leg"
93f The following Sunday tall man, q
5sirikingly pretty woman and talk
atiye boy, who tightly clutched bou.
quet Of flowers SO big that he had diff
Guilty in handling it, called on the In.
jured lieutenant. OF course, among
other things, the accident was dis.
cussed, at which time Paul assured
them that he wasn't scared at all,
"Well, l was scared" said the officer,
and looking at the lady, 81 guess your
another was scared" The man laughed
and the woman blushed as Paul blurt-
ed out, II guess my mother amt scared
yet, because she don't know about 1t,
cause she's away her own SELF"
I Il think" said Paul's father as he
looked from the man to the woman and
chuckled at their embarrassment, that
1t is time that you folks were properly
Introduced. Lieutenant H meet my
sister Miss c.. She is Pauls acting
mother just now. His own mamma
will soon, we hope, be home from a
stay in the country where she has been
convalescing after a terrible Illness"
The first journey of any length that
;She flying man made after he received
his clutches was over to Pauls home.
But it wasn't the last one. During the
months that followed he made many,
and each time he brought Paul some
thing, until the little chap had accu-
mulated wonderful collection of toys
that ranged all the way from O duck
that uuacked to a miniature airplane.
,.aJiofuJ that tho Eau.