Show Daily Short Fiction Story MR MUDGE TINKER By JANE OSBORN 1913 b by the McClure ws I ro paper I fr fudge Mudge at working over his dr draw w J C board with Ids his coat collar olla turned up rid tid his feet We the an j k keep P warm rm A lusty wind b blew e ou out out- Ide pod and drove 8 stray Lr slakes or of snow thin crO H or of luJe on For the firth h time radiator that morn morn- Og ng he went o over t to o radiator anil neeling down f felt J ea each h individual pipe In search of oC the thA welcome slow glow ot of heat hat I lat ul should have hn been be n there and the fth time he felt re-It only the co me OI ford tal a. a Then Ito ho made a 0 su to er e tint only half a radiator g the other her alf It was In the next studio an lib th partition par par- tIllon that made two small ro rooms ms out or of what 11 was was' one the radIator In two Unfortunately or M the Ir ho he did ld not Possess the thc end tha that t turned on lie He crouch crouche l 1 down clown and looked through the space where the partition did not not 1 tit t close to the pipes Hn and a 0 few Cew of oC ferns rug I tn 1 hangings n gs t that ron convinced d him that the tho next room was waa tenanted Mt rudge Mudge dl nt top stop to down straw Straw colored hair and he didn't stop Ita his bow tie tie- which had reversed re f J attitude In his interview with radiator He didn't stop to put on nor to t take ke off orr his working bat nor e even en n to take his odoriferous ppe pe out ot of his mouth A rather Come tn please ans answered ered his rapping at the door and ho entered a room as comfortably furnished and warm arm u as hIs own o was bare and cold The r owner eAt over mor her desk and nd took only quick look nt at the thA manY man Y t Itow Ho HoIs Is your our radiator working he ha asked girl without looking at t him Quite satisfactorily she assured him cOol coolly and nd then Mr Mudge who thou though h hnot not of a very sociable usually felt elt at on 8 wherever he happened to bp be went neat over to the radiator and examined t You needn't touch it it she told him It Is warm enough In hero Isn't it I 1 thou thought ht maybe the radiator wasn't turned on on You dont don't mind It if I let t a little more through to the other end du do ouT young youn woman was s engrossed In her reading Really It Is tot totT she Bald aM ease let Jet It alone Mr made a few remarks about the tho extreme cold arid and the workings s ot of but the tho young oung woman did not team Ham to 10 be Interested I 1 would ha hare 1 tent sent for the tho agent It I 1 had wanted to IlI shave ve It dickered with she said curtI curtly Mr Ir ru So blinked at her from his floor by the tho side or of the radia- radia I tat long enough to warm his Mn l. and then went out still unnoticed ck In his cheerless room he thought It over She looked a ho to himself M. M but but for tor coM cold es the welch for frost a that would COn COn- J. J the lasts ark ot of hope sh takes take e blue ribbon dove day Mr Mudge l went on working the cold 1 cheerless office Then he ht on an oil stove which he burned en he be a was as not too bUll busy Or too a ab absorbed or Of too lazy Jey to light It It never reed to him to complain to the tho agent about tho Inck ot of heat In room There Ther ThereL L t a tone or of finality Sn In the worn words or of hl his ban neighbor that put this Idea Ide-a out Gt ht LE met et ber again at the studio of oC A A. inti ial friend In the same build build- i bad asked Mr to como coma Un tn for tor scup cup ot of tea tea- Mr lIr MUdge who did not care much for tor sociability went only because It was alI a a. cold da day and the tea party suggested a way to g get t warm He found toun Ils that was the mime of his col cold hearted heute neighbor and and the wu was hurried over to her side Ide and Inv ed to her as a sort of oC specialty I People le always did for soma porno reason that t Mfr Mudge couldn't mt koout r regard gard him U as a a ct lJ lie d a homely way ot of telling the thc truth n nd a discerning for Cor other peo- peo eo- eo ea e points of oC view that that made people ek him out In a crowd Miss Milts la I. gave O him her atten- atten Ion and Mr Mr- Mudge told her to be begin n J. J Ith h that hat his adjoined hero ICI call mine an he old be usell is the place p ace where t 1 earn m my ally all bread making pictures for other to 0 laugh at but I jUc judge e from Crom what have seen or of you ou that you OU call yours ours a besides yours ours looks like a 11 studio nd ad mine doesn't have have iou ou seep mine she lh afke asked t You can t see much through the tho chinks Mudge did not answer her ques- ques question tion so 80 she went on to tell him that her little studio was a hobby She really do much panting or drawing it J was a J just t a headquarters for tor her when she arc LV u v CHr-a CHr a QUiet spot apu where her ner brothe and slaters l couldn't disturb her t She begged Mr Mudge Iud e toO so insistently and Mudge found her entreaties entre Ues so slice slice- thc that he told her though It hI he hadn't intended to where he hall had met her bo- bo Cor fore Why h gasped aped the girl I thought that was a plumber You certainly look looked lI like a mechanic n and nr they are arc so nl the thea a way they 1 keep ep coming In l to tinker r th the pipes a and nd roll we-r we were certainly eert cry kind hoe r r J 1 wn wai said slur t ge Mr Ir Mudge Mude ant and hy hr tu 1 mu- mu tacit consent conent ta saw much ot of each other after that and I not by I turned her radiator ra take Hill blast but I Invited Mr tr Iud sludge e to come to her I studio whenever cr ho chose choso and share her tea and cheerful decorations AnYhow Miss II 8 Mr Mudge ludge told her ono one cia day after he had explained with characteristic honesty that ho he found her fascinating and nt at the tha same time a distraction anti and it Il comfort anyhow l I ft ni- ni nm er going oln to ask you rou to malT marry ate me even It I 1 Drought there was the thc slightest chance hance that you ou would eVer sa say yes because be- be cause I 1 know that sonic time lime when you ou had got used to m ant and I turned up with Tn my tie on crooked and m m hair ruffled pd you roll would treat me the tho wa vay yOU dill did when you thought I 1 was the plumber You would find out that I was only a tinker tin tin- ker after all and you rou would hand mo me another fro frost t and I couldn't stand ats- ats other That t first ono one kept me freezing for No you ou are In iii spite or of your our pre present kindness ness a snob and nn an aristo- aristo emt crat Miss prot protested t 1 yet Mr Ir Mudge was firm f nm am no more or of a mob than you rou are sho salt I 1 1 know now you would do the same Suppose e your our scrub woman carne came In stoma nl night hL when you OU were busy bus and In insisted on setting getting In your our wa way l' l isn't a 3 IlU question of oC democratic principle at nIl all it H Is a I. I matter or of being bothered was aM and the thc argument went on for Cor several days dars Then Thon one evening when Miss had gone home site she was as expecting to meet him for tor the theatre In tho c evening Mudge sat Mt absorbed In work Lucre ivaa aR a at his nis ll and and ti he Jook looked d up to see flee the cleaning woman slopping In with her pall pail ot of water ater With Uh out waiting for his PermissIon aho began n to sop Jop around the floor said nothing but drew his feet under his chair chait and changed his position several c times to make mako room for her Sometimes he would look down clown at her bent shabby are anxious to tee see the lace Cace of oC the woman w who aroused his hils pity J I como canto In earl early tonight she said Id causo cau o r I rant ant wanted 1 to set get home to take talo care of the baby Its It's sick pick and aUlI toy III old man comes omes home drunk and might go o for Cor It Mudge said ald nothing ant and the woman went on with her tale of oC woe JU Just t as AM site lad had turned to len leave ve Mudge who had been debating bet I between en the theatre with MN's IJ I and the pet 11 oct act set charity eha rHy caught a her b by the arm and a nil stopped hor bor See Seo burp hort ho he raid slipping tit Into her r soapy han hand It J Is roUgh hick lul and you ou are arc putting up a good tight i 1 know the tho money dOC doesn't nt go 0 tar Where do you OU live Perhaps If J 1 come over and talk to your our old man 1 could un 1 n. n straighten him UI 01 tOlliS once Or twice before J I lad hind an enga engagement or 1 should halve Mv Donner Hurry along with the seat of your work and when hell you ou are arc ruady corns buck back hod I 1 will go o home with you OU anti see what I do You ha hae e a a. can an dont don't do you yos 1 have pretty rough time of oC It The Tho scrub woman turn turned l her lIel bent H jig jig- tire ure awa away from him for or a and then faced him for Cor the time the thc little shawl that sho aho had dropped ed Worn over O tier her heart head and stood up In het shabby clothes Mudge ho said ald limp limply look 1001 at mC me I Ivas vas as JUt doing It to prove prO that were a snob nob I thought you OU you would hand mo me a 0 few tew dollars dollar with a m my good woman air and tell me to go on just os as I or any anyone one elSo would stave e done You are arc n a dear and I ant ani n not t worthy ot of j you ou She stopped quickly and took h het 1 two soaP panda In his You dont don't mean yell couldn't over o mean that you would he willing to tile me Mudge gasped marty I I think that must be m au I I tho though oman h I never It tin till I played b II |