FOR THE CHILDREN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16452, 31 January 1917, Page 10

FOR THE CHILDREN.

A SOLDIER'S-SON,

Tom and Harry knew Hugh Keighley only : .| by sight. They knew that he was the -M son of Major Keighley, and that he at- M tended Leadsall Grammar School, and ; ';| went down by the same train as they did * : M every morning, and because he was always ;| so spick and span in appearance \her ' 4 had dubbed him "The Prig." 'S '"The Prig' is going to miss it this .f { morning," remarked Harry as the signal | dropped. ■ Q " It looks like it." Say, don't you think ~m we might arrange something to take the '•! bounce out of him?" -* : " Good idea," said Harry, " what could Jj we do?" .-; "We might hire some kiddies to throw ;| mud balls at- him when he's coming to I the station some morning!' 1 "Or accidentally throw his tap with 1 its silver badge out of the window!" " Yes, or tread on his shiny boots." "Or borrow his handkerchief and then & calmly wipe our boots with it.' f'M "Or tell all our form tc shout 'Prig* T; after him wherever they see him in Lead- 4 sail."

"No, I'll tell you what," exclaimed yTom, with a sudden inspiration, " we'll # send him a picture postcard vith a fop J sitting in a hand-box. a.id we'll address it 1 to ' The Prize Sixth Form, Lead all Gram- s l; mar School.' I'll get Bobby Jiallam to J draw it." JM "Champion! Jolly glad he do isn't conn to our school," said .tlarry. ■ -« "Rather!" said Tom energetically. . :■ Just then the train steamed in. Th« boys made a dash for a car.'iago, and* *| were no sooner seated than they saw "The '% Prig" standing at the door read /to g4in.i ?J With a polite "Good moiling, ho <d quietly seated himself in the la at remain- g ing seat, bu% not before he hid flipped ■ the dust off lightly with h« spotless"! handkerchief. ; | Harry and Tom looked unutt rable dis- /i gust at this proceeding, and were not |.;i much better pleased to see High select '% a book from the contents of hi. Handbag'. M and proceed to read. 'ap "He's a beastly swatter/' whispered <■■£■ Tom. | , : ; "And his mammy's backed hii book for ■ him," added Harry. Certainly the book was very neatly covered with een linen. f| Hugh had placed his open handbag on M the floor of the carriage. It wis close to m Harry's foot. He could not restrain the- - impulse to kick it over—appan ntly acci- -gj dentally. :f; Hugh looked up from his book, and sf| disclosed a row of psrfectly 1 ept teeth ■ at tV right of his neatly-covered'booki : spread over the mud-streaked door. H» seemed to expect something in the wa? of an apology. But Harry's lips wera ," tightly shut, and his eyes" wore a far- .-.', away expression. Hugh put the books., back carefully into his bag, and closed it " : this time —with a remarkably sharp click * : His face had lost its genial expression as' \ he put the bag on to the rack. Tom's | arm nudged Harry's ever so slightly. . ;;|• The train was slowing up for its first stop. An old market-woman, laden with ■ two heavy baskets, appeared at the door. - Tom and Harry craned forward, anxious : ' : to give the old woman the impression ." that there was not even standing room is the carriage. Their' efforts were useless, -M however, for she opened the door, pushed -fl her baskets in. and got in hertolf. In a m moment, the guard had banged the door ; behind her. She had evidently been 38 hurrying, and was much out of breath. ;Xjj It had just been raining heavily, too, and the water was now dripping oft her bon-, % net and shawl. ' v§* Hugh looked up again from his book, ;| end immediately stood up. _ \|| "Please, sit down here," he said. quietly. ' .is| "Thank ye kindly, I will," said the old 'g woman, her dripping shawl flapping. Hugh's face as she passed him. Again that jolly erailo lit up his rather studiouslooking face. He took out h : s handkerchief and wiped his cheeks Then he;|| handed the handkerchief to the eld wo- »| man ''■'-

.Si "Wouldn't you like to jive your— V| bonnet a rub," he said, "it's vory wet?" . 1 "Much obliged to you, I'm sure. Firrt >;.:j time I've coom out without me hankeji' S explained the old woman. " Maybe, you 'Jj wouldn't mind givin' me bonnet a rub yef- ft self." she added. "It 'ud save tcaking m it off!" ;1

"With pleasure," said Hugh, politely, ;l quite awaro that Tom and Harry were . ! q enjoying the'' situation greatly. ..1 By tie time the bonnet was wiped, r £ Hugh's handkerchief was a mere rag, & streaked profusely with brownish-black % dye. The boys wonder; d what he would M do with it. It was quite obvious that £i it could not return to the pocket of that 1 carefully-brushed coat. Nor did it. Hugh <?: folded it up into a tight little ball, pushed s it into an old envelope produced from his '| pocket, and crammed it into a corner of ;| his bag. Then, leaning against the carriage & door, he proceeded to read again, and 4 things becarao dull for Tom a. J Harry- -k| However, the monotonous rumbl ; off the train was presently broken by a. sue- W cession of quick sneezes from Hugh. Tom ,| and Harry realised at once the possibili- <■> ties of the moment. Whatever would the "Prig" do without a pocket handker-ji chief at such a moment. ">.i

Hugh's hand sought his top left-hand "j pocket instinctively. But the pocket was, y§ of course, empty. Tom and Hurry trembled with suppressed satisfaction. Bat only for an instant. Huph ha<l brought m out a second and abominably clean hand- S kerchief from an inner pocket. The old' h; market woman regarded him with open yi admiration, while ono or two men coughed 'J behind their newspapers. The -doj? | ground their teeth, and kicked one an- 3 other covertly. The eld /oman thought || she ought to say uome : ;. v " Aw'm sure aw'm very sorry aw'w, 1 messed your hanky, mac'. r— a nice clean ,J hnnkv it were, to bo rare." -if ' 'h, it's all right," ssid Hugh plea-, , r.aiiy, "I always carry two with B*>,"i sometimes tl.ree.' '-1 "Well,_to re sore!" ejaculated the old .; ■woman. ""Well, to be rurel" Hugh burst xt laughing at her sur-.,gj prise, and the evident disgust a! ihe boys"'Dad's advice," he explained. "Dad'* ,| i -ioldjer, ( you see, and soldiers get •■s?& g| : : preparing for emergencies. Besides, »' ■■ i'aey turned up grubby, they'd soon hear jjj about it." "M "To be sure! To be sine!" muttered M the old woman, only balf understandin" & what Hugh meant. But Tcm and Barry, t-| rniderstoed, ami l"ieir eves met in quick j| glance of oompTehdn'aofl. That was tie secret of Hugh'* rpick-and-span ijdt-up. ■ He was the son of a soldier, end. p *rery self-respecting soldier, of coarse prides M himself on Ma neatness and oleaoliaess —and courtesy! '?M Again the train drew np, m' : the old • woman prepared to get out. J7a,jh helped , hei- down, and then handed is* baskets 1 out to h??. " "•■''M "Thank ye! jonng gentle otsa" t&s the old lady, gratefully, *'.\.v ..isV'-* here she Blared Rjp'Jjcaatiy as Tom and Harry—"all yoto| bop won to god; ' mannered, sai didn't 'try & «*<> m *& : woman from 'gettia*. a. -m» #*:e **'■.>$ well «a ghelrjidfc'! ./• ; ■:•; 'M