The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1920-10-01

/, Eyes, believe there is brother, =
says /.
"Cute little fellow, isn't he?" asks
Ham.
shakes my head Possibly" says
IL. Sometimes they are and then
again. Haven't heard much about
him. In fact, I've barely seen Miss
Candy herself. What's the idea,
though? Why SO interested in little
brother?"
Edith talked as though she was
awfuIly fond of him." says Ham.
"Bub' she calls him; sometimes Baby
Brother, and l was wondering tiff
I couldn't be nice to him in some way"
Strikes me as a good hunch," says
II. Go to it.
But just how insists Ham. s'In
what way can one be nice to baby
brother that one doesn't know?
thought I'd ask you, Torchy, because
you have a youngster of your own
and ought to know what he likes"
"Oh!" says T. Going to call, eh?"
Tomorrow night" says he. "Ano
If could only think OF something to
take with me that would please him
"Why that ought to be easy" says
/. Not candy, should say. Most
kiddies like it well enough, but few
are allowed to gorge themselves on
chocolates and gum drops and SO. on.
Nor cigarettes, nor gum, nor tickets
| to roof garden shows. You gotta be
choosey about what you take to young
sters, you know, Ham"
ooh, say!" he protests.
"Well, then" says l. drop into some
| toy department and load up with any
thing that comes handy. First off, a
drum. Kids like anything that'll make
noise, and believe me, if you show up
with drum for Bub you'll most likely
get in strong with him right away"
Thanks Torchy." says he. ''I'll
make note of the drum. What else.
though"
"Oh, tin battleship with clock
works engine" says I, land maybe a
painted wooden duck with q quack
concealed somewhere inside it, and
an imitation motor truck, and nice
red tin pail and shovel to use on the
sand pile. Any little trinkets like
THAT"
"I'n do It" says Ham. "I'll get 'em
ALL"
"How about the little Plummer girl
you were rushin' last week." says L.
"And that Miss Osgood from Atlanta.
Those two desperate affairs both in
the discard, are theyw
Absolutely" says Ham.
"And Edith is the best bet on the
card now, eh?" suggests.
"She's the only girl. Torchy." says
he. 'It's not only her looks, you know,
but she's such clever. keen-witted
young person. Talks the language.
and all that. Besides, she seems to
understand me. She has soul, if
you know what mean. Likes poetry
and
"Y-e-e-es," says l. draggy. 81 think
get the idea But you'n excuse me.
Ham. I've got to look UP chap in
the smoker. Just remembered.
| Honest. l believe he'd made me sea-
sick if I'd let him fill my ear full of
that stuff much longer. Say, how do
they get that way?"
i And as it happens had chance
to size up this wonderful young party
that evenin', for the Robert Ellinscs
drove over. bringin' Miss Candy along.
Nice young girl, too; good eyes. grace
full built and with line OF snappy
chat, but no such allurin' siren as
Ham. had described. In fact, she
strikes me as kind of sensible, level
headed young woman who would
probably fall hard for some male Of
the species when the right one came
along, but in the meantime would be
practicin' vamp tactics on everything
that wore. suspenders. Anyway. she
got in right with Wee and me by not
bein' afraid of Buddy, the Airdale pup
that insists on greetin' all guests
boisterous, and by not indulgin' in any
silly gush over the baby. So when
Mrs. Robert askes us over to dinner
for the followin' night we accept with
pleasure.
| And as it is generally the case at
1.-THE Ellinses, we had perfectly good
little dinner party, with no fancy frills
and nobody feelin, stir or uncomfort-
able. Mrs. Candy turns out to be
Iquite a live wire herself. with lot
of good yarns and some funny anec-