The Washington times., 1937-09-15

She reached for Walter, Junior
hand. Come on, we get out here
Oh, I told you to tie your shoe
string! What makes you so oao?
81 amt bad" Walter Junior
muttered, his short legs wriggling
through the crowd. I'm firstly.
you're nuisance" Ethel
snapped. She lifted him from the
car step. Look out. look out!
Her warning was vain. Walter
Junior had tripped on the united
shoe7string, and was sitting in a
fresh round mud puddle. His bare,
fat legs were coated, and his little
shoes were soaked.
"Now look at you" Ethel scolded.
"A pretty mess to take in de-
partment store! Who'd give i've
cents for a dirty boy like you?"
She brushed him off, expecting
tears. But Walter Junior did not
let out a peep. Through the noisy
store, in a crowded elevator, all
the way to the fourth floor, Wal
ter Junior was silent.
Once he whispered, Are you
gonna sell me" But Ethel was
thinking of the bargains which
lay ahead.
SALE CROWD
The fourth floor was damned.
Apparently half-price sales were
sure bait. Ethel managed to find
a chair near an overladen circu-
lar rack, and there she deposited
her firSt-born.
"Sit here and watch the people"
she admoniShed. But don't move.
Put your muddy feet down;
they're still wet. I won't be long"
Walter Junior watcher her go.
He waited for her to come back.
Minutes dragged, and ladies hur.
ried back and forth, all carrying
dresses over their arms.
But none of them looked at him.
Nobody cared that he was getting
thirstier and thirstier by the Sec
ond; nobody even knew he was
there!
Then Walter Junior saw a man.
A real man, same as daddy. Only
he was little man; and daddy
was big. Daddies had to be big,
to drive buses between Washing
ton and New York.
The little man was not old, and
he was all dressed up. His shoes
were shiny and he carried a teeny
suitcase, and he didn't look at any
of the ladies.
Seemed like he was trying to
find a way out, but Walter Junior
could have told him that the ele-
vator was away back where he'd
just come from. Maybe he was
thirsty. Maybe he
ADVENTURE CALLS
But no. For the first time Wal.
ter Junior noticed a row of mar.
row doors, with walls that didn't
&C up to the ceiling.
His blue eyes widened, and he
gIggled Soundlessly when the little
man grabbed several dresses from
a rack and disappeared through
one of the doors.
Now, what was a man going to
do in there with a lot of ladies'
dresses thrown across his arm?
Forgotten was thirst. Forgotten
his mothers orders to remain
where she had left him.
Adventure beckoned, and Walter
Juniors small muddy shoes padded
across the department, straight to
the fitting-room door. through
which the man had disappeared.
His hand touched the knob,
turned.
Quietly, like a mouse, he peeked
through the crack. He didn't
mean to laugh out loud, but the
man looked so funny-not at all
like Notwithstanding there before
q mirror, yanking a lady'S dress
over his head.
The man swung around. who's
there?" And Walter Juniors
beart stopped beating.
TITS me-" he admitted. Tin
firstly"
And then, miraculously, the lit
tie mans face broke into a grin.
His eyes squinted, and his mouth
twitched like it was chewing gum,
only more so.
He leaned against the door, with
walter Junior on the inside.
You're thirsty. eh?" The beady
eyes glistened. How'd you like an
ice cream soda?"
LOVED SODAS
Now Walter Junior loved ice
cream Sodas. Even if they had to
be drunk with a gentleman who
vas so teeny that he could have
worn mummy's dresses. do YOU
Ike to wear ladies' dresses?" Wal.
ter Junior asked, politely.
The little man rubbed his
smooth jaw. He pulled off the
blue dress that looked so funny
over his trousers. and then he
lifted his coat from the chair and
slipped into it.
We'll, I'll tell you, buddy. I've
been known to wear 'em-just as
a joke; see? But now I got a
better idee. Suppose you and me
kinda slip outa here for a ice
cream soda; huh? Then I'll take
you home"
Walter Junior meant to say no.
He knew he should say no. But
he was so thirsty, and-"Can 1
have two straws," he asked, land
blow through them?"
The little man was dressed in
his own clothes now and slowly