The Wyandotte herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1879-1943, 1942-07-31
That Child
By JOHN C. HAYWOOD
Mcclure Syndicste-WNU SerNice.)


wound, to incite sympathy or 10
bring me to halt when some touch
Of humanity attracts my attention
II may be so. Sometimes limp
ing gait opens a door that would oth-
erwise be shut to me.
One day ! was taking a brisk walk
in the Park and had just rounded
corner fringed with hydrangea
bushes when I saw, a little further
on, an extremely pretty woman seat
ed on a bench. In front OF her'
digging in the soil where the
feet of many had killed the grass
roots was a little child. Instantly
the abominable catch came into my
knee I limped to the bench and
sat down. She was wel-dressed, In
good style, and as / glanced at her
face I thought I saw a look OF SYM
pathy in her eyes.
"You have an attractive child, "
ventured, hoping to be forgiven the
lie, for it was dirty and rather un-
wholesome looking.
1T is not NINE" she answered
CURLY.
"Oh, 1 beg your pardon. A nat
ural mistake, perhaps
She turned her face away. But
under some circumstances l have
found conversational bread cast
adroitly returned without waiting, so
/ continued
1T must give you much pleasure
to have charge of pretty child Ike
that"
1T doesn't. I" She stopped sud
denly and leaned toward the child.
A park policeman rounded the cor
ner. He eyed us both, steady, IN
elusive stare, and went on. AT the
next corner he stopped, turned,
looked at us again and went on. The
child, who had been watching him.
rose unsteadily to its feet. 1t tod
died to me, placed its dirty little
paws on my light trousers, and SAID
Dada"
"Oh, 1 am tremendously re-
ieved." The woman's face light
ened. She took up her book as
though to go. Your child, isn't it,"
my child, Good heavens, MOI
But she called you Dada!"
81 don't care what she called me!
/ never saw the kid before" l was
mystifed. What sort of a plan was
this? The child, having apparently
claimed me, went back to the soil.
BE careful" the woman said IN
low voice. Here comes that man
again; he's watching us!"
The policeman came briskly up
the path. was about to call to him,
leaning forward to do so when the
woman said Don't. Don't speak to
him. Talk as if you had known me
all your life"
And / did The policeman passed
on.
Now" 1 spoke sternly, please
explain. You must realize this is
er-rather a peculiar situation"
Peculiar! It's - it's horrible!"
She had a most attractive voice.
81 never saw that dirty little brat
until half an hour ago. / was sitting
here reading when shelf it is
she-came running round that cor
ner and settled in that dust.
II took no notice of it. Then that
park policeman came along and
and eyed me. ! knew after that
if I got up and went away he'd be
after me for deserving my child,
get me in court or something. 1t
would kill me. Whose is it, do
you suppose?"
How on earth should l know"
But she-it called you Dada as
soon as you sat down, and you came
from that direction" She looked at
me with suspicion clearly developed.
I told her why l sat down, about
my knee and was going on to de-
scribe the pain when the policeman
passed again. He was clearly watch
ing us, had no doubt had expert
ences of people leaving other things
than luncheon debris in the park.
When he had rounded the corner
the woman continued. IF you real
ly don't own the child-or won't-it
looks as though we were both in the
same boat. Being a gentleman you
cannot leave me in my distress and
I can't 60 and leave you because
that man will come along and if
you say it isn't yours, suspicion. of
course, will fall on me. He will
come after me. What shall we do?"
In the distance l saw the park
policeman coming toward us. In
stead, however, of passing, he
crossed the sward. Ifelt the woman
stiffen. But the policeman did not
hesitate. He went straight to the
child and picked it up in his arms
"Now, Buddy, it's time to 90 home "
and to the woman he said, Thank
We, ma'am, for keepin' an eye on
HIM"