The Washington times., 1937-09-15

Christmas SCar, lay IN Tie SSlCIe-
mans palm. This is for you.
For you yourself"
Walter Junior studied the coin.
you mean you're buying me?"
And mummy had said nobody
would give a nickel for such a
dirty little boy!
The gentleman laughed.
Outside the fitting room the de-
partment was still abuzz with
ladies.
Pulling and carrying dresses,
but none OF the ladies was mummy.
Walter Juniors short legs walked
fast, because the gentleman was
holding his hand.
Come on. SON." the little man
said, suddenly loud, so that people
near could hear. Here's our ele'
vator."
"No, I can't" Walter Junior
shouted. There's my mummy"
But with the crowd he was
pushed into the waiting elevator.
The door changed shut =.
Things happened in Walter Jun
ior's 5-year-old head. And through
his stomach a breeze blew, the
way it always did when an eleva-
tor went down.
Mummy His own precious
beautiful mummy had seen him.
She had called above the crowd.
She had screamed, my baby.
My little boy! My baby'S
being"
CRY TOO LATE
But the rest of her cry had been
lost. And now it was too late!
Nobody spoke. Not even the
little man who was making be-
lieve he was your daddy. If only
the colored boy, the one who made
the elevator go, would turn
round
If only somebody else had heard
mummy calling! You'd been a
bad, disobedient boy, and now
Second floor" the little man
called out, pressing Walter Jun.
ior'S hand. LET us out at the
second"
But the car did not stop. Nor
did the colored operator turn his
head. Faster. Faster, down. =.
The silent, crowded elevator was
charged with tension.
stop this car" the little man
snarled, his voice cracking the
frightened silence. GO back to
the second floor or I'll break
your -"
Walter Junior saw the gun be.
fore any one else did. Certainly the
colored boy did not see it, or he
would not have continued his mad
descent.
There was a Shot-a shot that
whistled past the black boys head
A woman screamed and top.
pied over Everything hap
pened at once, just when Walter
Junior thought the end had some.
The doors opened-and there
was mummy! Wringing her hands,
crying and calling :. Catching a
bewildering boy to her, and Sob
bling that her baby had been kid
naped!
HOLD.UP MAN
Three husky men, house detec-
tiveS, rushed forward. "Kidnap-
ing'S only part Of it," one Of them
growled. "This is Little Giant, the
rat that held up the express Of
flee this morning.
He'd have shot up the whole
car in another minute, If John
here hadn't caught my signal on
the fourth floor"
Somebody turned to congratu.
late Joe. But $50 pounds Of dusky
operator had crumpled in a faint.
The Little Giants mou tn
twitched as handouts snapped
round his thin wrists. Walter
Junior thought he was going to
cry. A woman asked, But what
is he doing here-if he's a rob
ber?"
The detective grunted. THAT
birds got more gall than a turkey
sac. And headquarters know him.
They figured he might be dis
gu1sed as a woman and hiding in
our store, on account of the sale
crowds. So they called us up"
Ethel Marsh Shuddered.
GETS REWARD
The detective turned Impatient
ly. I'D have had him half an
hour ago but for your kids muddy
feet. We'd searched every other
fitting room, but, when we saw the
tracks leading to that one and
heard the child'S voice, we thought,
OF course, the kid had a mother"
Il has got muvver." Walter
Junior shouted. II got mummy"
The detective laughed. And
you got something else, sonny .
You got a reward coming. Five
thousand of real money to be di-
vided between you and Joe. If
Joe ever comes to-"
The crowd laughed Historically.
Some distorted wit yelled, 80
long, Giant" as Walter Juniors
little man was led away.
"Wait!" A small boys stocky
legs ran after the procession,
wait, mister. I gotta give you
your nickel back. My mummy
doesn't want to sell me. Waltz"
But the Little Giant was past re-
calling. And it was to be many,
many a day before Walter Junior
forgot the teeny little man who
could have worn mummy's dresses
if he'd wanted to.