The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1924-08-15


fell silent, while Grant looked down
upon him with whimsical admixture
Of humor and tenderness. Suddenly,
without word, the boy dashed as fast
as his legs could carry him to the end
OF the field, and plunged into clump
of bushes. In moment he emerged
with something brown and chubby In
his arms.
Hes my teddy" he said to Grant
He was watching In the bushes to see
If you were nice man."
"And am II" Grant was tempted to
ask.
Yes" There was no evasion about
Wilson. He approved of his new ac-
quaintance, and said so.
Let us give teddy ride on Princer
"Let's!"
Grant carefully arranged teddy On
the horses names. and the boy clapped
his hands with delight.
Now let US all go for ride. You
will sit on my knee. and teddy will
drive Prince"
He took the boy carefully on his
knee. driving with one hand and hold
ing him in place with the other. The
little body resting confidently against
his side was new experience for
Grant.
I'VE must drive carefully he re-
marked. Here and there are big
stones hidden insthe grass If we We're
to hit one it might dump us of"
The little chap chuckled. Nothing
could dump you off," he said.
Grant reflected that such implicit and
unwarranted confidence implied great
responsibility, and he drove with cor
responding care. A mishap now might
nip this very delightful little bud Of
hero-worShip.
They turned the end of the furrow
with fine jingle of loose trace-chains,
and Prince trotted a little on account
of being on the outer edge of the semi
circle. The boy clapped his hands again
as teddy bounced up and down on the
great shoulders.
"Have you a little boy?" he asked,
when they were started again.
"Why, no." Grant confessed, laughing
at the question.
"Why?'
There was no evading this childish
inquisitor. He had way of pursuing
subject to bedrock.
well. you see, I've no wife,"
"No mother?"
Mono wife. You see"
"But 1 have mother"
.Of course, and she is your daddy's
wife. You see they have to have that
Grant found himself getting into
deep water, but the sharp little intel
lect had cut q corner and was now
ahead OF him.
Then I'll be your little boy" he said,
and, clambering up to Grants shoulder,
pressed kiss on his cheek. In sud-
den burst of emotion Grant brought his
team to stop and clasped the little
fellow in bothrhis arms. For moment
everything seemed misty.
"And l have lived to be thirty-two
years old and have never known what
this meant" he said to himself.
"Daddy's hardly ever home. any,
way" the boy added, naively.
where is your homer
Down beside the river. We live
there in sammer."
And so the conversation continued
and the mountaineering grew as man
and boy piled back and forth on their
mile-long furrow. At length 1t occurred
to Grant that he should send Wilson
home; the boys long absence might be
occasioning some uneasiness. They
stopped at the end of the field and care
fully removed teddy from his place of
prestige, but just at that moment a
horsef1y buzzlng about caused Prince
to stamp impatiently, and the big hoof
came down on the boys foot. Wilson
sent up cry proportionate to the pos
sibilities of the occasion, and Grant In
alarm tore Off the boot and stocking
Fortunately the soil had been soft, and
the only damage done was slight
bruise across the upper part Of the
foot.
"There, there" said Grant, soothing
II y, caressing the injury with his fin
gers. at will be all right il minute.
Prince didn't, mean to do it, and besides,
I've seen much worse than that at the
war;"
Al the mention of the war the boy
suspended cry half-uttered
Were you at the WARP" he de
manded.
Eyes"
did you kill 'em in the tummy?"
"We'H talk about that tomorrow.
Now you hop up on my shoulders, and
I'll tie the horses and then carry you
home"
He followed the boys directions I'M
til they led him to path running
among pleasant trees down by the river.
Presently he caught glimpse of a cot
tage in little open space, its brown
shingled walls almost smothered in a
riot of sweet peas.
"That's our house. Don't you like
itY' said the boy, who had already for
gotten his injury.
81 think 1t is splendid" And Grant,
taking his young charge from his
shoulder, stepped up on to the porch
and knocked at the screen door.
| In a moment it was opened by Zen
Transley.
lTo BE coNTINUED.)