Glacier County chief., 1940-02-23
Jimmv and the Id MAJ" 49, Elizabeth jordan

phone Mrs. Jones right away. She said
she'd come"
SAY, Mrs. DiscoI"-young Jimmy's
voice was very serious, I've promised
all that over and over. Course won't
leave him alone"
"We-n, rye just got to trust you,
Jimmy: You've got an old head on
your shoulders for a boy Of 10, and
Michael loves you"
Hes great kid" Jimmy testified.
'C'n I carry him down to the porch
to see you off"
would only make me feel worse. Keep
him inside, Jimmy. Your cold lunch IS
down in the pantry iceboX. Well all
have a nice hot supper at g."
Him an me will watch you from
the window" Jimmy said. He carried
the baby over to a front window on
the second story farmhouse bedroom,
while Mrs. Driscoll ran down the front
staircase. 1t was raining hard-a regu-
lar April day, Jimmy unused
Reaching the fliver Mrs. Driscoll
turned and looked up at the window.
Jimmy seized one of the baby's hands
and waved it. The babys mother hesi-
tated, looking back over her shoulder,
one foot on the running board. Then,
at quick word from her husband she
nodded. waved a hand in return, and
stepped into the car The next min
ute 1t was whirling down the drive
way;
hours to get there, drivin' mighty fast
Well give 'em another hour for the
funeral, an two hours to get back.
Even if they don't stop to eat-and she
said they wouldnt-they can't be here
He carried the baby back to the
center of the big bedroom, set him
down on the floor and brought out
his blocks. For what seemed a long
time he built structures, which young
Michael demolished as fast as Jimmy
made them.
Blocks flew through the air. At
intervals they slid under the bed or
after them. Occasionally Jimmy and
the Old Man rolled over and over on
the floor together like two puppies. 1t
was the liveliest game the baby had
ever played. He shrieked with ecstacy.
Gee. he's pretty near as strong as
I ami" Jimmy told himself.
Feeling the need of less strenuous
closet and produced a teddy bear, a
mechanical top and a brilliantly
enameled wooden Easter egg. The baby
grabbed the top, set it on the floor,
gazed at it expectantly and then
turned to Jimmy with look of severe
disapproval.
Jimmy wound the top and it per-
formed, while the infants mouth
closed and his round eyes bulged. At
II Jimmy dropped rather YEARLY into
a rocking chair.
Hes just about wore me out in an
hour he unused. but he's goin' as
strong as when he begun. Some kid,
I'll tell the world"
Watching the infants determined
efforts to pull the ears off the teddy
bear he recalled his first glimpse of
the Old Man nine months ago. when
young Farmer Driscoll had taken him
into his wife's room to see his "a
arms.
Inwardly Jimmy had shuddered as
he looked. He had never seen SO young
one before. They hadn't had any
thing under 5 in his orphan asylum.
There must be something terrible the
matter with this one. No hair, no teeth,
no features-just a kind of mess.
She-Mrs. Driscoll was always she"
in Jimmys thought-Seemed to think
at first that it would break if anyone
but his parents handled that kid. jim
my's work at the farm was outside,
watering the stock, feeding the chick
ems, helping with the milking, that sort
of thing.
Mans work was what he had come
from the asylum to the Driscoll's farm
family and he heard an awful lot
about that baby-what 1t ate and when