SHORT STORY

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 409, 10 March 1904, Page 7

SHORT STORY

(Continued from last week ) At night his mother came and eat fox a moment on the side of the bed. 'Paps doesn't want yon to feel too sad, dear,* she said. 'He knows that you never meant to frighten Cecelia so. You know that little girls are vary different from little boys in some ways. Things that seem— ex —amusing to you, seem very cruel to them. To-morrow would you like to send her some flowers and write her a little note, aad tell her how sorry you are ?' He could not speak, but he eeized hia mother's head and kissed it up to her lace nffia. The cold, grey stone melted away from his stomach; again the future stretched rosily vague before him. la the morning he applied himself to his note of apology; his sister ruled the lines on a beautiful sheet of paper with a curly gold 'P" at the top, and ha bent to his task with extended tongue and lines between bis eyes. Hitherto he had only "written to his mother. He carried her the note with a sense of justifiable pride. 'lt's spelled all right,' he said, 'because every word I didn't know I asked Bess, and she told me.* My" dear Cecelia: lam going to send you some flown. I am aory they bite them of but they do. I hope you did not hafto lite the gas; we are are all well and haveing a good time, with much love I am your loving son, Eichaxd Cabs Pehdcktoh.

* Baas did the periods, but I remembered the large Pi myself;* ne added comfortably. «la it all right f' Hia mother left the room, and he, supposing it to be one .of hex many suddenly-remembered errands, was mercifally unconscious of any connection between himself and the roars of laughter that cams from his father's study. 'Just as it is, mind yon, Liirie, just as it ia 1* his father called after her as she came out again; and though she insisted that it was too absurd, and that something was the matter with the child, she was sure, nevertheless she kiseed him when no particular occasion, and held her peace nobly when he selected a hideous purple blossom with spotty leaves, assisted by the interested florist Hlb offering waa acceptable; their acquaintance was renewed. Sox two long months the Little God Cupid led him along the primrose way. The poor fellow thought it was the main road; he had yet to learn it was but a by-path. Her brother, an uninteresting fellow at first, had improved on acquaintance, and though he scoffed at Dicky's devotion to hia sister—thinking her a great baby—he had come to consider him a friend; One day, latent April, he led Dicky out to a deserted coiner of the grounds, and for the sum of a small red top and a blue glass aye that had bean a doll's most winning feature, consented to impart to him a song of such delicious badness that it had to be sung in secret. He had just learned it himself, and the knowledge of it admitted one to a sort of club, whose members were bound together by the vicious syllables. Dicky was pleasantly uncertain of its meaning, but it contained words that custom had banished from the family circle. They crooned it fearfully, with faces averted from the house, and an exhilarating sense of dissipation. Yellow belly, yellow belly, come an' take aswiml Yes, by golly, where the tide comes inl • As he slipped back to the house alone, practising it furtively and foretasting the joya of imparting it to Peter, the stableman, Cecelia appeared suddenly from behind a large tree. She was all smilesshe waa not afraid of him any more. . Dancing tightly on one foot, she waved her bonnet, and began to sing, bubbling with laughter. Horror I What did he hear* Yelly belly, yelly belly, comic* take a thwimt Viih, by ■'■ •Oh, atop I Cissy, stop itt You mustn't ping that 1' he cried wildly: She looked elfish. * Why not.l* Freddy thingth it,' she arid with a happy smile. ' But girls mustn't ring it, he warned her sternly. * Don't you dare to—it's a a cret»* She danced farther- away. - And as he scowled she pursed her lips again. Yeßj belly, yelly belly * 'lwot't sing it! I won't 1' he cried desperately. ' 111 forget it if you will!' She stopped, amused at his emotion. All ignorant of bis sacrifice, all careless of hia. heroic defence of her, she only knew that it waa possible to tease him in an entirely new way. And the Little God, knowing that Dioiy would keep hia word, and that Peter would never get the chance for the scandalised ad'TOi**™" once in store for hint, stiutted proudly away and polished up tis chains. His victim was secure. Her brother, on learning the facta, suggested slapping her well and having nothing more to do with her, for a mean, saeakißg tattle-tale. Here was an opportunity to break his bonds. But to those who have served the Little God it will be no surpnse to learn that it was on that very evening that he made his famous proposal to the assembled family, namely, ttant he and Cecelia should be really engaged like her Uncle Harry and Miss Merriam, and in a littly while marry and setup housekeeping in the guest ehamber, "leafs what Hiss Mtirriam is going to do/ he explained, ' and Cissy's grandma is sorry, too; it doesn't leave her any place at all for company except the hall bedroom. But they've got to have the ■ room, ane s'poses.* J ■V ' That will do, Biohaid 1 You are not to repeat quite everything you hear. And 1 am afraid I need the guest chamber. Whatever should we do when Aunt Nannie comes f -. •Oh, Cissy could have her crib in the loom, too. She wouldn't mind Aunt Nannie,'heEnuledsuperbly. 'Shealways Bleeps in a cub, and she always will. A bed seems to scare hex—she's afraid she'll fall out. I could sleep on the couch, liko Christmas' time I' But in the manner of age the wide world over, they merely urged upon him the necessity of waiting. There was plenty of time they said. Wait I When his heart was bursting for her I I, He. came down to breakfast rapt and

The Little God and Dicky.

quiet. He salted his oatmeal by mistake and never knew the difference. - His sister laughed derisively, and explained his folly to him as he swallowed the last spoonful, but he only smiled kindly at her. After his egg he spoke. *I dreamed that I was at dancing, school. And I was the only fellow there. And what Jo you think P AU the little girls were Oeceliasi' They gasped. • You don't suppose he'll be a poet, do you, Bitch P Cr a genias, or anything ?' his mother enquired anxiously. 'Gracious, no!' his father returned. * I should say he was more likely to be a Mormon I' Dick knew nothing of either class. But the Little God knew very well what he was, and was at that moment making out his diploma.