Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1926-03-27
The
Dink-a-Doo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By MARTHA M. WILLIAMS
(Copyright.l

and only three legs, small flag SO
weathered 1t was impossible to say
when stripes begun or stars ended,
q lapful of broken china, a pair Of
ragged red morocco slippers, a deep
blue bottle, slim and very tall, a green
plaster parrot, and hassock founded
upon empty tin cans, with its saving
excelsior struggling through worn
places In the cover. All these things
Teeny had salved valiantly from the
cleanup mans wagon, halted momen-
tarily outside the backyard gate. To
Teeny, aged six, the blissfullest after
noon of his young life had passed
while he set and reset his treasures
In the shadow Of the biggest oak tree.
Once Lola had come for a heavenly
month, in course Of which he had
been rocked to sleep, sung to, and
made to feel how p'cious one itsy-
bitsy BADLY bad little boy could be.
He had called her Lola. Rich, gener-
GUS, charming. and very, very happy,
she had made him know experimental
ly all about fairy godmothers, to say
nothing Of real fairies. She had re-
christened him Teeny. He had chung
obstinately. He kept rainbow men,
Org of her, colored like roses and sun
shine and new green leaves. But
clearest Of all was her singing-non=
sense lullabys mostly, appropriations.
His favorite ended in wild burst,
rising to climax of "dinkea-dink-a-
doo." That was at least what his
young ears made it in recalling it.,
hence his palace was the Dink-a-Doo
The palace had at least weeks
lease Of life, In spite of nurse and
Mrs. Don't That was Teeny's name
for the dour-faced person who looked
after him in the absence of his natural
guardians.
Teeny stood bordering weighty
change-hadn't the parrot-king better
be kneeling before his beautiful bottle
queen than sitting bolt upright beside
her? The Dink-a-Doo nestled cozily in
a jog of the tall iron fence-one made
specially to inclOse and protect the
towering oak. Thus 1t was in plain
view of the highway. A runabout had
stopped there; the man beside the
chauffeur leaned far out to get a
clearer view, smiling the while rather
wistfully at the lonely little lad. May
be his gaze was magnetic. Teeny
caught 1t, and smiled back, saying
eagerly: want to come see my Dink-
a-Doo? made 1t just now, all my
own self"
'Now, wish / could" the stranger
answered: "but-I wouldn't At. My
stiff leg is too long to get inside. and
my crutch might knock the flag down" ,
"Oh. can stand 1t up again-fI made
the horse stop rolling over" Teeny
said proudly. "Go to the gate. and
then drive down here"
"Over such grass? What will your
mother say?" the stranger bubbled.
He seemed a fellow of pranky
humor-naturally Tehny was loath to
lose him. "She can't say nothing at
all-Tm all the body at home" be
crowed. "Come in and play with me
I'll be very. very gentle. Lola taught
me-"
Lola, Who is she" the stranger
asked, dropping his eyes.
"She is Miss Lola Keith, and love
her two wOrldsful. And I'm making
haste to grow big so can make for
tune for her. She had one-and q
wicked man ran away with it--Mrs.
Don't told me-but mamma don't
know know" Teeny confided. II
think she was going to marry me a
good big uncle, but things went smash
like that" hurting the parrot against
the oak tree, regardless of the bottle
queens feelings.
"That was pity" the stranger
said, but his face was pale and his
eyes shone like fire. "Know where
she is now? I'd somehow like to see
her. Maybe might help her find that
runaway fortune"
"She's In the biggest town there is
do you know which one" Teeny
said eagerly. do help her all you
can. I know she'll buy you new
leg-and everything"
Sonny, I'll run along and see about
it." the stranger answered. N"But If it
happens you see her first, show her
this" tossing a heavy signet ring
Teeny-ward, land tell her to stay still
until I come to find her."
Teeny retrieved the ring, his small
heart beating like a trip-hammer, and
sat down ON the hassock regardless
Of it's rightful occupant.
He awoke the next morning to find
the Dink-a-Doo dismantled-gone back
to the cleanup cart. Mrs. Don't had
wisely chosen an attack in flank. But
he didn't mind at all. He had the
ring for company.
Snow where'd that boy get ring
worth fortune?" thus Mrs. Don't to
her gossips. You can imagine the
rest Of it-how the seed sprang up
and grew tall in tale Of pilfering-
sly and cunning. Teeny must have
slipped in somewhere and stole. Hor-