OCR Text |
Show U THE TJiMK CAME. H "Oli It Diclc totiU only do nointv s H thfnpf Bljhctl )Ulttccnt very noftly to m 3H hcnclf. MIilolfllevoie It were nothing K IH more thnn Rotthirf run otrbyncnr R jH rhao with nobody In it to ho wuuM not fc H really bo hurt very much, that puju jH tnouM bo no plrtul ho would Kt us KlAB innrrycAcli other nftrr nil. Hut Dick HjjlJH on't. I'm afruld hall never tltiany-jMH tltiany-jMH thing. Ho norr han.' And thrnrho Ml H lookod over ut Dick, . ho at very mock f ! H lyon tho other tido of tlio room twirl-B twirl-B ( H ln his gloTMi lUtlcsly, und iho ioutcd m t H X iiupiioso you nro touUiitf at iw.7 fl H A)d Dick. l H "Vci," ho nnivrorcd, u R "I in iwrry," ho continued. "I enp I H Too lt'i becftuw I duu't amount to any- I H thinar' E MHl "Of cournolti, Dick, honni cud. S H "Well, vhat lu tlm world tnu I iHH nmouut to? ukfd Dick dejectedly. "1 BH cannot go and make u fortnrtc, fur Tin hM rlih already. 1 can't found a eri'it fatn UB . lly bocauo ours hm been as kooI a ouo KH for centuries at n fallow can wihf niul uHB beildes that uould tako too long. I OlH hnn't tho talent to bo im nrtUt. 1 IH haren't brains euoiujh to bo a jirofcs DflH aloual man. Every ono arrets on that Rafl I aiu too small to bo a soldier, and If 1 jWIB wtut into builneu it would only bo i ndB uoBtiou of thno Uforo I'd low my SH nouey Instead of making any. The IfUH all agreo on that too. All I tan to is u HH i gentle man, and no onn aoenis to earn nHKi anything about n eentlemau any mart Ifflfl I Ik11bvo your father wutild lik inu bet EnjH tr it I woro un mlvrritun r." IW "Oh, no, ho wouldn't," Intcrmptpd ImjM MUIIcittt. "Bat tho colonel would lik.t iiD to vce you onco in awliilo without sucli DjHB awfully good clutht un. I'ana hat had BB ahanl struijlo lu this vorld, mil hi HaHj dotsn'tceoDi to liavu any conllilenco in QBTj any ono who Ltt not. IIo is olwo s talk HU ins about tho duty muau owls to th H worl 1 to do something for lt,H I UH "I would bowillliiR to do anything for I mMM tho world I could, Milltcuit, but 1 don't 1 gH know what to do, and don't bcllovo 1 1 MaB rmil. I An It if I rlhl triinw.1' HH "Iliellevo if youhnd gut nngryand MB coital him nanus wlx n ho n f iweU to lot H iuo inirry jou ho ouldhao turnol HH right around nnd said m. Hat nil you IH did was to Ick up our hit and blo-i, BH lw very polltuly, and ray good c cninri IB and walk out. 1 Iiat'a no w ay to haudto , HH pnim, he mtnltim iron baud, and hogiM i B It occoiloiially from hi only daughter IB too." Hero ililllccnt shook her hiad B ouiphatlcally. H "Hut I respect j our father too much, giflB Jltlly, tosuj uutthlugnu-nn tohtm,nud MB if I hid, thru lw wouldn't hao let mo fl come to co )ou uuy more, and that B would haobxumorothauI tuuldhao BB st(KHl," fjH "You'ro not llko other men, DlclT' S9B "No, I'm afruld not. I stipptMo that's HH why they call mo n dudo. Unt, I'm not B h dudej I'm no illy. 1 can't K-t my i HH clothts sollvil, nu matter how I try, und H as I uuer ceeui to wear tlitm out, 1 K haviu'tgotnuy tint look llko old ones. The fact is I tan't help looking what I BH nui-ik boy who M hvtn brnught up in B u kid gloc. If 1 woro bluo Jeans nud n BBM llauuel shirt they'd nlwa)iloolc now " BBi "Why couldn't ou gU into n lltfbt ILQF with somo one" suggested lllUUentile- HB: jterutily. nB "I'm nfrald no ono would fight with H tne, I'm no eiiiall," ho nusv. i red. HH! "i'aiiaw us n fully dtllghttil with tho BHBj butcher's boy and tho grocery boy tho H othtrday uluii they gut into n fight in B our fiackjurd. It frightened ine, but flB the colonol cnt out and ga o them ( nch lEH a dollar, nud laushoil all tho rtst of tho HH afternoun about It," HUB " iulght Kit tho boxing mister nt tho HH club to gtvo wo n black e ej I don't sup HHf joho It would hurt ry much. Uut It I Hf did tho colonel would find out that 1 liH didn't git it in a fght.nnd ho would IHHfl think that I hadUcu trjlug tudectlve iHlfl hlin " IHll "Dick," raid Milllcont cerlolisly, "1 HHfl Vondcr if i on aro afraid?" HHjU "I don't know whi.t jou mean." HHB "Afraid of tho dark, or of d tngcr, or HRjjfl an j tiling like that for iiutaiuu, I'm Hnjll afraid of tho dark." H9tI "Ko," ausw en d Dick. "I don't think HHHj I am afraid of tho ibrk. I don't know Hfl about an thiug elee, for I don't Iwllo o 1 BH e er ha 1 anything to bo afraid or." HH Milliuut stghid ugiiiiMiry F-oftly to Hn htrRcIf. It wan rathir ahurdhtatouf HHH alTalrs, Hero was thoipanbho wantfl HHRI toinarrjj jnstUiokliulofn man bhu with HDi )icr imperious wajs tonl 1 get along with HHifl biautlfullyi uboy w hum Hho had known Bn all her life; whomi father had Ikkii her Hfi fathtrs friendt whoso mothir hail been Hlf her dead mother's frluulj und u man, HS too, whom shu loedand alwujs had HBRnj feluco aho was ft little girl in short driMi WBK nil and he a boy in kueo troukers, and they EHI BU could not get marriM ltecauso in the fM rU yt's of her father ho didn't umount to E ' i" cn thing Would ho over umount to mj auything? What did aim cart? asho h bravo nud manl)? What did sho en it? yt . Wta lio bruv nud uiaulj ? T Bf' bbbHbHbHHHbbSb1 Tho imt(ion (favo her nn In-plrnllon. It wouldn't 11 much of n trial, but It wouM at hMl to a llttlo lit of fun, nml nil they linl Jono lu nil their courUlitp wa to lt rm oj.posilo ride, of tho parlor nu.l talk to cnclt bthir Bho rate nud went out Into tli. hall. I'lik cyoil hoi M alio went out. bnt he noi or iiuttloM-d mi) thin tho illil, no ho Mihl Ji'itlilnc Hlio walknl hack V) thn atalra Iniillnit to tl fl lia'c inetit nmt 1 lolteil down. Ierjr thins ttaa lalUflctorily d irk. Tlio light in tho lower hall hail briii turnnl mil, nml from this alio knew tint tho rv-anta rv-anta had gone to lie. It wai nonrl mliliilalit iho nutkctl by tho "lining room clocV. With n aalufleil ainllo rw wnllail on tlloo nnil Willi n Knnt ire-tcnio ire-tcnio of fright back to Iho jutlor. "Dick," alio t&hl In a v1iIiht that reiuuit iulto tcrrir.ttl, "I litaril um ono down T.blr, nnil I'm afraid It'a a burKlar. Would oti jutt ni lief no nud "With iileMitrv,'' ho raid, lit that calmly ixilltewny ho neer forjrot. bho nillcd fit alio notlceil that ho car-rltd car-rltd hit (loe. In hU hand 114 hovtoull on tho itret, und felt unconnltmaly of hUiiKktlo toaeo If It wero n IJuatcU correctly, lck Vralked to tho heail of Iho back atalri vrhllo sho roinalne.1 In tho arlor erlug out, half hidden by tho portion). H. leanod far ottr nud llitonnl Intently. "Do jou heir anything!" alio nkkod In n whliiwr. "Ye.," ho anawcrcil. Bho tmllixl. "What dor. It round like?" alio contlnmd. "Liho a uian sawing, ho onawerod, hlio had hanl work to prevint heraelf f nun Inu ihlnic outright, liho had been fn tho Identical spot whero Uli k now titooil .but a moment btforc, nnl rho know that tlio bailment rai m ttlll na tlmKravo. It aa lit. frightened liu ninatlon. that wua nil. bho uonldaeo tho thing out. Pcrhai Dick vraaafrald after ull. Hlio whl iereil nirnln. "Do you w ant 11 rorolvcrl" tho asked. "No," ho nnauerid. 'l wouldn t know hat to do with It If I had otic" Then alio vf him illinjppaf down tho ttaln. bho went back lut'i tho pntlor nnd plckeil u hla hat. Bho amlliil na lio notlce.1 how now It looked, Juat liko oierythlng do ho had. Then alio tried it on nnd atoud Woro tho glaaa won derln If It wonldnt rnnko ii pretty riding hat. Win rumeinlicrcd that If uny other man wero to como back Into tho parlor nud find her with hU I at on her liciul ho wonld prumptly do-inaud do-inaud n Mm, nfur tho r(KMl old i Uktum Hut Dick no, Dick Wonld norer think of audi n thin;, or daru to do it If ho did. l'reiently alio wondired why ho waa gono a.) long. Ho wnan t nfrald of I thodarknfler nil. Ho must hao do. I cided onnery thorough March. Bho wlOieil her father would como down I stnlrsnudilltcoxrlhat Dick liuddonn ntleaat that luuch in tho world Uut ( no) alio coul 1 hear lu r father walking , up nud down tho room Immediately t nbovo her, thinking of nil eorta of thlnga I that ho called Important, but whUh did not Interest hr at nil. Bho was J lit beginning to feellonely nud to wiU tliat Dick would get through and como back I when alio heard a dull bound, ns though . aomcthlng heavy had fallen In tho kitchen, Them was alleneo for n moment mo-ment after that. nnl then rho heard n great trashing of glass nnd alio hoard Dick call lustily for tho pollrv. Hir heart leaped up into her throat. Hl.o wanted to call liini' to roino luuk to her us ho loved hor, but alio could not utter nwurd. Bho ran to tho front window in her fear and throw it oja n. A atixktly built fellow who looked gl,tantlo In tho half light of tho street lampi wm just ranking hla cscutio throuirhthe cruto nud down thoatreit. wlillo right underneath hor, lxirthende.1, but atill with hU iuimaiulato gloveain his hind, Dh k mi nfur him, still mil-Ing mil-Ing nt tho top of Ida voico for n ;olico-man. ;olico-man. Bho aaw tlieut go, forty feet apart, down tho atruct ut tho host aiteitl they could mike, bhosawthem dlsap pear from tho light of onuNatroot lump nnd como out Into thn light of nnotlur twite, nnd thin aho saw tho stockily built fellow wheel ipilckly nriiundgaho aaw n llttlo sharp lino of llame, aho hoard a loud report; anl then aim faluUd. It win but half nn hour later that a cab druvo up to tho coluiul'a door, and Dick alUhhd not tho liumaculntily clad Dick that ho usually v na, but Dh k with a bloody hundlcerchlif tliil around his head, nnd with much dirt on his trousers, and his nnktiu nil nw ry, and with no glotcs at ull. Ho did not haiu to ring at tho door, iur It was opened iroho was half wa) up tho front atii by tho colonel himself, who come out w ill) his great grizzled hand ouUtrotihed toward hi in. "I caino back to 6t my hat nnd orcr-coit," orcr-coit," Dick begun U niailogizo, 'No, ou didn't,1 Kald tho rolonel, ehuking hla ban I heartily, "You camo hick to sou Milllcont. Did ou get thn fellowl" "Yis, rlrj a jiollcouian caught him ountually, uud lio'ti lu tlio station houso now." " UV11 nttend to him tomorrow, rat 1 tho colonel, "In tho ineuutiuio como in nnd sco junr aueotluart. bhe fainted, nnd 111 till jou right hero that if oii expect to weir n hat uway from this houso tonight it will hao totiooneof mine, for sho his hugrcd tbnt uuo of jouraoer slnco tho nlnmiwaa gitiu, nud it's rntlur out of ahniai " lllllli int, still Mry mlo.was reclining reclin-ing In an uuy chair when Dick iiitircd, tud a maldwoa rubbing hir tunplea. bho looked icry much us though alio wanted to try, Uudoubttdly alio had bn u crjing. Hoo.1 emilng, Jlllly," nld Dick. "Oh, Dkl. I did ho hurt your" the asked. "IIo hit mooter tho head with tome-thlug tome-thlug down In tin) kltihcu just as I ills-con ills-con red him. Uut don't worry! tho doitor said It wouldn't umount to un. thing." An 1 then of course Mllllccnt did cry, and Die): atooil ttarlngiit li r nml looking look-ing my foollsH uul iry much as though, ns usual, ho did not know what to do, nnd probably ho would still lw standing tin ro If tho loloml, in his gruff oke, hadn't ra'd to hlmt ' do oer and Mm lit r, in) hoy, Dui't ou no that's wh it sho wants!" "Bat 1 in all blood nnd dirt," apologized apolo-gized Dick "B'ood nnd dlrtl" roared tho colonel "Ulead und dlrtl im oujJit to lu proud of It, Why, J oti'ro the first tut m I r of our lino w ho has had mi) I j.1 and dirt on Uiui slnco ) our gnat uraud father was Wounded at Hunker Hill. Oo nn I kiss her." And Dick did, nnd it aecmed to hlin that fortuno had anddinly concluded to shower on him nil her blewlngs w lien ho bard the colontl saying oa b went out of the room "I II giro you two jaat half an hour to decide when yon ro going to got married, mar-ried, and then yon mustaay good night." T. W. Hall in Harper's Weekly. |