The Topeka state journal., 1921-03-04
The Woman
He Married
JUNIOR AS A STORY TELLER.
CHA DTEp 90
BY JANE PHELPS

d yAIVE lf1ELf y
JUNIOR AS A STORY TELLER.
CHAPTER SO.
"Oh, where was he?" 1 gasped lay
ing my hand on Dicks arm, and hur-
rying along beside him into the house,
mother preceding us.
Never mind now, Nan. He is here,
and 1 think all right-but better see."
He laid Junior on the couch in the
living room, and I knelt down beside
him and unfastened the soiled little
jumper, the same one he had worn
when he went to play in the sand pile.
Hes asleep" mother whispered,
just before he opened his eyes.
Mother. daddie!" he said, then
looking dazedly around, "I's come
home"
'Yes, dear, you are at home with
daddie and mother and granny. Now
go to sleep again, and tomorrow you
can tell us all about your nice ride
with the man in the car"
"All right" He closed his eyes. In
Ia moment he opened them. Use hun,,
cry" he whimpered, tears falling down
upon his cheeks, althou he tried to
hold them back. "I want my supper"
''Of course he does, the lamb"
mother exclaimed, and she hurried to
the kitchen, motioning me to remain
with him.
Mother will undress you and put
you to bed and you can have your sup
per in bed, just like big folks do when
they are tired told him.
"Oh, goodyi goodyi"
But he was almost too sleepy to eat
when mother came in with his supper,
altho she had fixed him the things he
Il liked best We were all three terribly
e1seited, very anxious to hear where he
had been, all that had happened. But
there would have been nothing gained
Nv h n
fell asleep with his teaspoon to his
mouth.
After he was sleeping soundly, we
talked over his return.
He was laid under that big bush all
curled up SO that at first 1 scarcely
noticed him." Dick explained to u.s.
He must have been asleep when he
was placed there. We can't do any
thing tonight, and as he is all right
will walk up and tell the police we
have him, and that they haa oe.ees
watch out for any strange characters
they see around. I'll call Mr.. Peabody
and tell him, and then some of the
other fellows. They have all been so
kind, have seemed almost to share our
distress
TT is so in small communities"
mother returned, people become very
close. More human than in big cities
where all is hurry and hustle"
"I guess you are right, mother" he
said, then hurried out, while mother
and sat aNd specuiated as to what
could have been the reason of Juniors s
abduction, and also of his return.
Now. dear, tell daddie all about
your nice ride in the autobile,' Dick
| said after breakfast, giving the car
Juniors name for motor.
"a mans asked me to go, and said
| he'd take my pail and shovel rtdin'
| too. I asked him to take muther, and
| he wouldn't. Said she'd go next time"
What else? Tell daddie all he
said" Dick urged gently, motioning
| for mother and me to let him attend
| to getting the story.
| HE said little boys could go first,
then mothers" Junior took up the
thread Of his story. ''Then, ,daddie,
| the autobile went awful fast, awful.
| L was most scared. Then 1 dropped
my shovel and 1 cried so he made
| the autobile stop and he went back
and got it for me and stopped cryin'."
"And then?" Dick said softly.
"Thcn he went awful fast again. and
| I was scared some more. And 1 said
| wanted to come home. Then he
| stopped at big house and give me
some supper, and put me to bed. 1
| didn't have no nightie, and he made
me sleep in my shirt" his little lip
| quivered at the insult.
| go on, tell daddie what you did
| when you woke up.
/
ridin' some more, awful fast too, but
| I didn't lose my shovel again, so he
didn't stop. Then We coined to a house
| and we had dinner wifi a woman and
a man and little boy, and they had
| cows and chickies and dogs, and then
we rided some more, and that's all
cause then I was here wifi you and
| mother and granny"
1t was evident he could tell US moth
ing more, so Dick put him down and
| hurried out We were no nearer solv-
| ing the riddle of Juniors disappear
ance than before. But we had him
| back which was comfort enough for
| the present.
/ But We must find out why he was
| taken or~we never will feel safe about
| him again." mother said after We had
| talked over what Junior had told us
I'VE not only must, but we will,''
| replied, as I hugged my boy closely,
'I never could let him out Of the house
| unless we did"
(Tomorrow-A Man With a Con-
Science.)