Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-01-10
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normal appearance, but q wondering
family discovered him covered with
wounds and strangely silent.
"Why, Bob, where have you5 been?
his mother demanded. ''Why, Il never
saw so many scratchesw
"Pve been hunting" he replied
briefly. "They don't hurt, anyhow"
Then he relapsed into absorbed sill
ence. His mother, putting cream on
his cereal, placed an experienced hand
on his forehead. "Are you tsure yOC
feel well, dear?" she asked. Il think
your head is little hot"
"I'n all right, mother"
She was wisely silent, but she rar
over in her mind the spring treatment
for children at home. The blood she
felt, should be thinned after a winter
Of sausages and rich cocoa. She men
tally searched her medicine case.
A strange thing happened that day
A broken plate disappeared from the
upper shelf of a closet, where Pepy
had hidden it; also q cup with mich
in it, similarly concealed; also the heel
of loaf of bread. Nor was that the
end. For three days a sort Of magic
reigned in Pepy's kitchen. Ten pota
toes, laid out to peel, became eight
Matches and two ends of candle
walked out, as it were, on their own
feet. A tin pan with hole in it left
the kitchen table and was discovered
hiding in Bobby's bureau, when the
Fraulein put away the washing.
The governess protested that he
heard nothing she told him, and was
absent-minded at his lessons. But as
she was always protesting about some
thing, no one paid any attention
Bobby drew ahead on his pocket allow,
ance without question, and as his
birthday was not far Off, asked fo1
"the dollar to grow on" in advance,
He always received a dollar for each
year, which went into the bank, and
dollar to grow on, which was his own
to spend.
With the dollar he made q number
of purchases-candles and candlestick,
a toy pistol and caps, one Of the masks
for the carnival, now displayed in all
The windows, Kitchen knife, wooden
plates, and a piece Of bacon.
Now and then he appeared at the
scenic railway, distracted and viewing
with O calculating eye the furnishings
of the engine room and workshop.
From there disappeared q broken
chair, a piece of old carpet, discarded
from a car, and large paddock, but
the latter he asked for and obtained.
His occasional visits to the railway,
however, found him in cid a. lbert's
shack. He filled his pockets wi char
coal from the pail beside thu stove,
and made cautious inquiries as to
methods Of cooking potatoes. But the
pail of old Adelbert's gloom penetrated
at last even through the boys abstrac-
ton.
81 hope your daughter is not worse"
be said politely, during one of his
visits to the ticket booth.
"She is well. She RECEIVERS strength
rapidly"
"And the new uniform-does it fit
your"
II do not know" said old Adelbert
grlm!y. 81 have not seen it recently"
"On the day Of the procession we are
all going to watch for you. I'll tell you
where we will be, SO you can look for
u.s."
There will be no procession"
Then to the boy old Adelbert poured
out the bitterness of his soul. He
showed where he had torn down the
kings picture, and replaced it with one
of dying stag. He reviewed his days
in the hospital, and the hardshiDs
through which he had passed, to come
to this. The king had forgotten his
brave men.
During the rest of the day Bobby
considered. No less q matter than the
sharing of a certain secret occupied
his mind. Now, half the pleasure of
a secret is sharing it, naturally, but
it should be with the right person. And
his old playfellow was changed.
Bobby, rejecting, wondered whether
old Adelbert would really care to join
his pirate crew, consisting of Tucker
and himself. On the next day, how
ever he put the matter to the test
having resolved that old Adelbert
needed distraction and cheering.
"fOu know" he said, talking through
the window Of the booth, 81 think
when grow up I'll be pirate"
There be worse trades" said old
Adelbert, whose hand was now against
every man.
"And hide treasure" Bobby went on
"In Ain cave, you know" Bobby
edged closer 70 the window. 'Tve got
the cave already"
$50 z,
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