The Washington herald., 1920-05-10

4
After church Danny fingered on
a corner whilc Katy waited. with
plQue In her siy-blue eyes.
Are you coming along TO the
house? 2" she asked. "But don't
mind me. I'll get there all right.
You seem to be studyin' q lot
about something. All right WIN
] see You at any time specially.
Mr.. MccreeT'
-ril be around wednesday
night as usual" said Danny. turn
ing and crossing the street.
Katy walked away with the
green roses dangling indignantly.
Danny stopped two blocks away.
He stood still with his hands in
bis pockets. at the curb on the
corner. His face was that of Q
craven image. Deep In his soul
something stirred so small. 50
fine, so keen and leavening that
his hard fibres did not recognize
IL. 1t was something more ten
der than the April day, moro sub
tie than the call OF the senses.
purer and deeper-rooted than the
love of woman-for had he not
turned away from green roses
and eyes that had kept him
chained for a year? And Danny
did not know what It was The
preacher, who was in a hurry to
go 10 his dinner. had told him.
but Danny had had no libretto
with which to follow the drowsy
information. But the preacher
spoke the truth
Suddenly Danny slapped his
leg and gave forth hoarse yell
of delight.
"Hippopotamusr" he shouted TO
an elevated road pillar. well.
how Is that for a bum guess?
why, blast my skylightsi I know
what he was driving at now.
''Hippopotamus! wouldn't that
send you to the Bronx! It's been
a year since he heard 1t: and he
didn't miss IL So very far. We
quit at 46s B. c., and this comes
next. Well, wooden man
wouldn't have guessed what he
was trying to get out. of him."
Danny caught a crosstown car
and went up to the rear fiat that
his labor supported.
Old man McCree was still sit
pipe lay on the sill.
win that be you, lad?" he ask
ed.
Danny fiared into the rage of
strong man who is surprised at
the outset Of committing a good
deed.
''whe pays, the rent and buys
the food that is eaten in this
house?" he snapped viciously.
Have no right to come in?"
-'Ye're a faithful lad" said old
man MaCree. with a sigh. 'Ts it
evening YETI"
. Danny reached up on a shelf
and took down a thick book Ia
beled in gilt letters, THE History
of Greece" Dust was on 1t half
an inch thick. He laid 1t on the
table and found a place in It
marked by a strip of paper. Ana
then he gave a short roar at the
top of his voice, and said:
WAS IL the hippopotamus you
wanted to be read to about them"
Did 1 hear we open the book?"
said old man McCree. Many and
weary be the months since my
lad has read IL to me. I dinno;
but I took a great Hiking to them
Greeks. Ye left of at a place.
tbs a fine day outside, lad. Be
out and take rest from your work.
I have gotten used to me chair
by the windy and me pipe"
Pel-Peloponnesus was the
place where we left of, and not
hippopotamus." said Danny. The
war began there. 1t kept some
thing doing for thirty years. The
headlines says that a guy named
Philip of Macedon, in 338 b. c.,
got to be boss of Greece by gett-
ing the decision at the battle of
Cher-Cheronoea- I'll read l."
With his hand to his ear. rapt in
the Peloponnesian War. old man
McCree sat for an hour. listening.
Then he got up and felt his
way to the door of the kitchen.
Mrs. McCree was slicing cold
meat. She loked up. Tears were
running from old man McCree's
eyes.
do We hear our lad readin' to
me?" he said. There is none
finer in the land. My two eyes
have come back to me again"
After supper he said to Danny:
"Tis a happy day, this Easter.
And now ye will be off to see
Katy in the evening. Well
enough"
who pays the rent and buys
the food that Is eaten in this
house" said Danny, angrlly.
Have I no right to stay in it?
After supper there is yet to come
the reading of the battle of Cor
NTH. 146 B. c.. when the kingdom,
as they say, became an infinite
grail portion Of the Roman EN-
pire. Am nothing in this house?"