A MERRY MIX-UP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20324, 3 August 1929, Page 4 (Supplement)

A MERRY MIX-UP.

By ROGERS NAYLOR. Nelson (age 1C)

" Hey! Stingo, come here, you scamp!" called Max Peters to his dog. Little heed did Stingo take of his young master, as. with a rush, ho mado straight for the basket our short-sighted friend, Miss Agatha I'im, was carrying. At this moment Gwonuoline Jinks, the fishmonger's daughter camo into view, carrying her pet cat Dorrisdaffodil. This was too much for Stingo, who straightaway transferred his attention to the cat.

, " Spit-spat!" hissed indignant pussy, lumping to tho ground, quito ready to seek revenge on the dog. Hearing S'-ich a deafening noiso Pa Jinks appeared on tho scene, puffing and perspiring, while in his hand ho carried a large sclmapper ho had grabbed unconsciously, for was not his wcll-belovcd daughter and her pet being annoyed ? "Come away, you beast, come away!" he yelled, making an unsuccessful grab at Stingo, which only seemed to add fuel to the fire, for Stingo, thinking it a new kind of game, rushed again at Dorrisdaffodil, and, in doing 50, upset poor Miss Agatha Pim, and sent her sprawling on the ground. All this time naughty little Max and Peter were enjoying the melee, but on seeing thsir father running down the street with a cano in his hand they thought discretion the better part of valour, and promptly siipped out of sight. " What is this all about ?" roared Pa Pickles, " and where are those two young limbs of mine?" Hearing no replv, and Stingo quietening down, while Dorrisdaffodil was once moro cuddling in Gwendoline's arms, the safest plan seemed to help Miss Agatha to her feet and soothe her ruffled feelings. This was soon done, for, although she hated dogs, Agatha was good -hearted, and remembered that boys will bo boys. Peace soon reigned again, and all laughed' long and merrily at the sight of tho schnapper Pa Jinks, tho fishmonger, still held in his hand

" Come along, my dear, let us contmuo our walk," sa:d Miss Agatha Pim to Gwendoline, an<,l soon the couple were wending their way down tho street, while the latter confided to her friend her firm belief that somo ten years ago, while a baby, she was kidnapped from the ancestral homo of her mother, the Duchess of Ditclnvater, and, in consequence, she could not tolerate such plebian children as Max and Peter Pickles, tho grocer's children. So, we leave our friends, happy in the thought that " All's well that ends well."