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Show ? TOMMIE I I SHOT 'EM I STRAIGHT ((c) by D. J W;ilb. TUB occasion of Mr. .Amos Aber-iiiilliy's Aber-iiiilliy's visil to tlie Dunkirk I'rot-estant I'rot-estant orphan asylum was a mo inuiiloUK one. l! li;id been announced an-nounced by Miss Smilhers to the group or tniiill people silling iu u semicircle llboUt lllT. "It means, children, that one ot you will have a home for life! Sir. Aber nuiliy is very wealthy . . and no cr 1 1 j i J i : 'ii. They ure going to adopt one 1 do not know whether It will he boy or girl but I rather anticipate," and she looked down at the yellow curls ot small Josie, the pet of the Institution. "I anticipate it will be a girl. You see they have such beautiful beauti-ful tilings In their house, hoys would ruin them ! Now we are going to be dressed in our Sunday clothes and we are going to sit real pleasant and when Mr. Abernathy speaks we must nay "yes. sir,' very politely. Anil one of you will be chosen to live in Ins beautiful home " "I ain't. I'm going in the thircus." lisped freckle-laced, toothless Tomiuie. "I don't want to live in his old houlli. . . ." "Not much danger, Tominie. Sii down anil keep still ! And tomorrow. 1'oinniie. when Mr. Abernathy is here. II you are naughty if you tease me girls or pinch the cat as you did when I he minister was here or' if you steai liny cake or your face is dirty or you don't say 'yes sir,' you will he pun Ished. I have stood all from you I can stand. You are a naughty, naughty child and I tremble for your fin ure. Now Jo.--ie, dear, can you remember re-member your sweet little piece about ' the dowers! Maybe we can lind time for you to recite it tomorrow when Mr. Abernathy is here. Stand up and begin" .losie endeavored to obey, but found she was fastened to her little chair with a tack through her dress and Tommie freckle-faced, toothless Tominie Tom-inie was once more in disgrace. All l he small inmates of the Dunkirk Dun-kirk orphan asylum were duly dressed in their Sunday clothes the uext afternoon. aft-ernoon. Toinmie's hair was slicked back with water, some of which trickled trick-led over his forehead. On account of the missing front teeth he lisped badly. "Thay Alitli Smitherth if that old bird tliinklh he wuntb a boy in his boulh, tell him to blow away. None of nth fellerth want to be 'dopted. We're going to join the tbircuth " Mr. Abermithy proved to be a small, thin-faced, bald-headed man, who carried a cane and wore spats. He eyed I lie children over the top of his glasses as he too his seat on the plat form beside Miss Smithers. "fine specimens of youth fine, indeedand in-deedand eighteen of them from which to chose a happy little ray of sunshine to brighten our home 1 do believe, madam, that boy in the second row is making faces at me or do my eyes deceive me? Tommie's hands were folded and his face composed when Miss Smithers Investigated. In-vestigated. Peace again reigned. "Would you like to hear them sing. Mr. Abernathy?" "Ah, yes, indeed the sound of child Ish voices. And the children dutifully rendered "America," Tommie's voice above all others and sadly off-key. Mr. Abernathy Aber-nathy glared in his direction. "And now, Mr. Abernathy, we would like to have our little Josie speak piece for you." and, in an undertone, "she is so beautiful." Josie's piece over, she was called to the guest's knee and given a coin: was conversed with, her curls smoothed and finally she was enthroned on Mr Abernathy's knee. "I have little doubt but that she will be our choice our little ray of happiness, happi-ness, Miss Smithers," said the guest when leaving. "But I am not able to say definitely until Mrs. Abernathy sees her. We shall return on Monday Mon-day and er er 1 might suggest the freckle-faced boy be eliminated such behavior might annoy my wife ex tromely " Mrs. Abernathy was as large a? her husband was small. He jumped when she said "Amos" and responded quick ly with "my dear." -Miss Smithers, may I request that li:ile Josephine recite her piece for Mrs. Abermithy a remarkably bright child, Maria" Josie was brought forward and M.irted her sing-song version of "i lowers that Bloom . . . Bloom but to Fade " but suddenly clapped In r hand to her cheek and emitted -i howl. "Something slung me. Il did, it did." Mr. Abernathy placed her gently gent-ly on his knee, wiped away her tears rnd she resumed the story of the I ov.ers that bloomed to fade. Then ;iop" and Mr. Abernathy al si I .iped from his chair. Miss Smithers was panic-stricken. She searched Unlaces Un-laces all about her. Again .loHe re cited. Mrs. Abernathy waited serenly. her fat hands folded over her slomuoli. "Very nice a pretly child, Isn't she? But rather lacking in animallon, I ihould say. May I suggest you call In that red-haired, freckle faced Imp who just shot my husband through that window yonder Willi a pea shooter? shoot-er? I'd like lo talk to him." Tommie was brought In, dlny ragged, his shoes' muddy from his hurried hur-ried Might over freshly plowed gar dens, the pen-shooter protruding from his rear pocket. Tommie was very much frightened. Lie HI nod before Miss Siuilliers, head hanging, swallowing frequently. Silence Si-lence reigned for a moment. Then Mrs. Abernathy spoke; "Hello, there. Straight shot, aren't you? Did it take much practice?" Tommie looked up and grinned. "Not much yes'nr, a lot " he stammered. stam-mered. "I'm prackthiu' to go Into the thireuth " "Good! That's what I always wanted want-ed to do. Come over and sit down with me, Tommie. I think we are going go-ing to be good friends " Miss Smithers alternately conversed with Mr. Amos Abernathy, who sat on a bench on one side of the platform with small Josie, sweet and dainty, on his knee and with Mrs. Amos Aber- , nathy on the opposite side of the room, witli Tommie, dirty, ragged but happy, beside her. The atternoon lengthened. Husband and wife fctill retained their respective respec-tive charges. The other children were dismissed and were reluctant to leave the room. Small Josie yawned and nodded. Tommie went to get his' new friend a drink and as he passed he gave one of Josie's curls a violent yank. She cried and he dodged behind be-hind Mrs. Abernathy's huge bulk as Miss Smithers bore down upon him. "I do not often hold out against you, Maria, my dear I never have but in this- particular case I choose sweet little Josvphine as the ray of sunshine to brighten the home of our age. Josephine Maria Abernathy our little daughter " Mrs. Abernathy likewise rose to her feet. "And I choose Tommie as the well, J can hardly say ray of sunshine," sun-shine," and chuckled behind her fat bediamond band. "I'll say bolt of lightning or crash of thunder that is always needed to offset too much sunshine. sun-shine. Thomas Amos Abernathy. our little son " At -seven o'clock the Abernathy limousine rolled away from the portals por-tals of the Dunkirk orphan asylum. Tommie, clean faced, was on the front sent wil'h the chauffeur. Josie was clasped in the arms of her foster father. fa-ther. Mrs. Abernathy reached over and patted Tommie maternally. "You shot straight, sou right into my heart." |