SHORT STORY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16750, 3 June 1922, Page 3

SHORT STORY.

STUBBY PULLS THE STRINGS CALLS ON GRANDFATHER. (Written for the “ Stax ” by “ Mat Scully.’ 5 ) Mrs Wilson stood on the front, doorstep of her cottage., gasing in astonishment at a little boy who had just handed her a note, written, in the schoolboy handwriting of her son. Stubby. Tk® boy grinned frankly up into her puzzled face, and ventured an explanation about himself andi his presence there. “Pm Ted Smith, 0 he said. “Stubby's mate up in the lino—at the Tieraid ’ Office, you know.” “Oh. I see,” said Mrs Wilson, still looking stupidly at him. “ The note'll explain all the rest about wot Stubby's doin’,” he added, as he ran off. At the gate be stopped to call out.. “ Til be round to ’elp yer as soon as T can get away to-morrow. Good-bve. missus. 0 Then Mrs Wilson wiped the soapsuds from her hands and read the note, which eaid :—“ Dear Mother,—l know vou are nearly worried to death about how things is at home. So I’m P°i n £ up to see grandfather. Don’t you go and think that I won't let him know you never sent me. .I’ll make that partclear as daylight to him. I'll tell him plain that you wouldn’t never of don? that for anything. Besides. Til tell him that I will get a good hiding for going to him. But I hope you will not get wild with me, mother, ’cos I’m oniv doing the very best tiling I can for us. Don’t get scared about me getting took up for going all that long wav on the train without a ticket. Thor won’t catch me, ’cos I’ll get under the seats and dodge all the guards. I’ll pay them back again some day. I hope grand father will be pleased, to sec me, and I hope you will forgive me.—Tour loving 6on. Graham Wilson. ° “ P.S.—'Ted Smith will giT© this to you. He will take the washing bundles hack for you while I’m away. He i-> my mate, and he ’as got good honour.” Mrs Wilson’s lips tightened as she read, and a great anger filled her heart against Stubby. How could he hare dared to do such a thing! Get a hiding for doing it? Well, if she could only lav her hands qn him then—why.. she would almost have killed him ! Tears of

helpless vexation filled her eyes and chased each other down, her thin cheeks, and bitter thoughts came to her. “ After I've never let him know a thing about our poverty, and kept away from him all these years—kept up my side of the quarrel in the face of everything and now to have that young devil go up there pleading hard-up tales r o 'him. Ah! and I can see that pleased * I-told-you-so ’ look on father’s face ! If I oould only get Stubby for two minutes now I’d beat him to a pulp—l would. Putting shame on his mother and father like that! But so sure as lie lands homo here with any helpmoney—l’ll teach him a lesson in proper pride, and father, too! Back it will go, every penny of it—even though it is sorely needed just now.” For more than an hour Mrs "Wilson continued to wash, clothes, and fume away to herself about Stubby. But at the end of that time she began to come round into a better mood over the affair. Stubby wasn’t a little devil, and the was sorry she had said such a thing

-—even in anger! Stubby was the best little fellow' under the sun, and children acted very billy at times; but he ought to have l nown better than go to his grandfather. However, he was on his way there now, and she was powerless to stop him Poor little Stubby! Whatever would 'he have done without him >ince they had taken his father to the hospital three months ago? How seriously Stubby had taken their misfortune to heart, and how ho had w'orkod ! He knew how much they owed the baker, the grocer and the milkman. Ho knew just how many shillings more were needed ere the rent-man could be paid ; and he gave her every penny he eamod on his paper round. That very morning be had surprised her weeping over the ironing-board, and he had been so hurt about it, holding her hand hard against his little cheek, in silent sympathy. Xo, Stubby wasn’t a little devil. He was more like a little r age!. But why did he think of going to his grandfather with his troubles? He had never seen him within his memory; and surely he knew that he rould not have displeased heq* more than by doing so. A few bitter tears still dropped into the tub—and the weary hours crept on. .

Just at this time Stubby’s father was sitting on the lawn of the public hospital. in a big easy “ bed- oh air”, and he good old doctor had been giving mm n lecture against his had habit of weti’ug. H© S aid finally, “ Now, Mr. ilson, if you want to get home again to that wife of yours, you must stop on this worrying business.” And Stubby’s father had promised to try and keep his mind easy in the future. But as toon as the doctor left him lie began to think again, as he was always <ionig, of a certain little woman with tired-looking blue eyes, who was putting up such a brave fight at home to keep their five small children and herself. He thought of the cheerful smile she invariably wore when she came to see him, a smile, however, which hid nothing from him ; and those new lines around her dear mouth told him everything just as plainly as if she had come to him and said, “Oh. Ben. we are having a fearful struggle to live. Wo need money.” And Wilson—who could not get better if he worried too muchpushed his head into the cushions of the hospital chair and groaned. Meanwhile Stubby had got through safely to his journey’s end. With the aid of a few kindly passengers who had discoverer! his crampod-up little person, after they liad gone about fifty miles from Perth. These good people had given him biscuits and fruit, and had greatly enjoyed smuggling him away out of sight whenever the guard went through the carriage. Stubby ever afterwards remembered that train ride ■with a thrill of excitement. But when he finally found himself m the main street of the busy town, in which his grandfather kept a large store, he began to have more serions thoughts about his adventure. He dimly thought his mother’s romance'—the outline of which was that she had married Stubby’s father because she loved him, that the marriage had l»ecn much against her father’s wish, and that he bad never forgiven her for it. Stubby had often heard his mother say she would do the same thing again, hard v :rrles net withstanding, and that she -would rather s:arv© than ask her father lor sixpence.

Stubby very timidly entered the I great store, which bad bis grandI father's written o J ' tlie big. briek • waSs outside, nbo over the door —“ AA’. Hoklgate.” Often bad -Stubby written it down on bis slate, at school; but somehow it bid not seem half as familiar to bi-n here. Stubby was ten last birthday; yet he suddenly felt as though he were only two. But he had come all that long wa\ to see his grandfather, and, awe-struck or not, ho fully intended to do so. Indeed, thi« mission of his. and its outcome. Stubby considered to be his t'armlv*> last hope. He crept up to the fiist salesman, behind (he first counter just inside the shoo, and asked ineckH “ Please, sir. can T see Mr Tloldgate?” The' man looked clown at Stubbv and answered pleasantly enough, “Why. of course you may. sonny—bo i* in ’hisoffice now. uM walk straight through.” Stubbv went down the long ■shop to a .mall room with a glass door, apd knocked, a t-imid little knock, on the woodwork between the panels’ A voice called out. “ Como in." and the next instant Stubbv was standing with his cap in his hand, Iveforp an old man with a bald head and white whisker*, nho wore spectacles through which he seemed to glare f t tou. Stubbv felt a big Jump come into his throat, but hoi fought it back manfulfv and bluYtrd out “Please, sir, are yon Mr. Hold- ! gate?” The old man looked keenlv at Stubhr- and answered, briefly. “Yes ” 7^°^ — Pr —” stammered Stubby. ‘Tm your grandson. Stub— T mean Orah am AVi Ison-” The old man whirled round at once and fairly shouted out, “What!” T m Graham AA ilson from .Perth—and you're mv grandfather,” Stubbv further submitted Mr. Hold gate looked limp from the Midden shock he had received, hut as Stubby continued to gaze calmly at him. ho gradually began to recover himself again. “ 1 55 Tnup mother with *vou—is she outside?” There‘was eagerness in his tones, which Stubbv viid not fail to notice with satisfaction. ”Xo. grandfather.” said bo “Mother didn’t know that T was coming to see von ” —and loyalty to her made him add quickly. “ ‘•die •wouldn't have let me come—not for anything-—she ■jvM he verv with me about it T'll get a good hiding for coming. *' Put instinct sepmed to tell the hov that th’>: p#>r old man did not need to have c aH rubbed into the old sore. A wistful look crept into his faded blue eyes, as he gassed at Stubby. “ T fear you have beep a naughtv boy. Graham—-your mother will be nearly out of her mind if she does not know where you are.” lie said, sternly. “ Oh. but she does know by this.” Stubbv ex-plained : “ ’co» T wrote a note to tell her T was going, and ' T gave it* to my mate to give it to her as soon as I got safely away.” “ But vou should not. have disobeyed your mother.” Aeb there was something not ungentle in the rebuke. -Stubbv looked squarely at the old man. “ I know,” be answered do murelv. “ Then whv did vop do so?” gravely. “ ’Cos something had to be done ” tc What do you mean Stubby squared himself up. “ T mean that mother and me can’t earn enough for everything. She’s dead tired every day. "Last night T beard her crying. That’s wot made me come to you, grandfather.” “ AA’liy, boy, doesn’t your father work ? ’ ’ Stubby tired up at once. “Of course he does.” be answered indignantly, but he can’t if he s sick, can he?” “ Oil, T see. You've got a quick temper like your—er—er. Ts your father laid up. then?” “ He’s in the hospital,” returned the boy shortly. A big lump came into liis throat again, but he mastered it as before. “ Pull up your stocking, Graham.” were his grandfather’s next words. Stubby obeyed, with a flush on bis face. The old man. looked at him critically for a few seconds, then lie said, “ T fancy you look a good deal like T did at your age; but T was certainly much moro tidv about my person than you appear to be.” Once again Stubby was forced to defend. “I’ve been in the train all day—under the seats qu the dirty floor most of the' time.” he added, grimly. “ AA’by? AA'hatever were you doing under the scats? ” “ Dodg'ng the guard, ’cos I didn’t haYe a ticket.”

There was a long pause after this. Stubby's grandfather gazed at him with a queer mixture oi> expressions on his dry old face. At length he cleared his throat and said: “ Graham. I believe you have the native ability of a good business man in your composition. You seem to be ab'e to plan out a course of action, overcome all difficulties in the way of success, and have much resource at your command. I ara pleased to see that you are a true Holdgate ; and I would very much like to have doings with you in the future.” Stubby about half understood the trend of all this talk, but he did understand that his mission was likely to prove more successfu than liis jnost sanguine expectation. Mr rose. “ I shall be going home now.” lie said. 1 ‘ You may come with me. There is no train back to-night; and I find T have a- lot to say to you’.” Stubby had often heard his mother talk about tier old home, and it was with a feeling of great awe that lie entered its portals that evening. He very soon felt at home though, as the housekeeper fussed over him. and finally brought him a lot of good things to eat. Over the mantelshelf in the big dining-room, there was actually a large framed photograph of himself at the age of three. The picture Stubby looked at was very different to the present-day one. however. The little boy in the picture had long fair curls, and was dressed up like a girl in a velvet suit,with lace collar and cuffs. Poor Stubby wasn’t dressed in velvet now, and. alas! for lhose by-gone curls Stubby had gained his nickname on account of his straight, stubby tufts of hair with which bis head was now adorned. A thousand memories, always tender, thronged into Air Holdgate’s mind as be watched the bov pause now and then to gaze around the room Stubby smiled at him, and Mr Hold gate felt that it w as good to have one of his own kin under bis roof once more. Pride, stubbornness and prejudice wero all very well in their way, but “one touch of Nature makes 'the ” He was just trying to think out a good way to make things right once more with his girl and himself when he very suddenly astonished Stubby by hiding his face on the arm of his chair and bursting into sobs—sobs, dry, hard sobs, which take the place of tears in the aged. Stubby was not unused 10 the part of comforter in his small life, 60 be knew just what to do now. Me

slid out of his chair at the table, and the next second was at tlie old man's side, clasping lhs thin, wrinkled neck. After a, while the sobs ceased. Then for a time there was silence. At last Stubby said : “We’ll all be glad cos you want us as much, as we want you, grandfather.” I Male in the following afternoon a cab 1 drew iip in front of*the Wilson’s place, arid a boy’s shrill voice was heard calling out excitedly: “Mother! Mother! Come out here. I’ve brought grandfather back with me!” Mrs Wilson could lhardly believe her own eyes when she saw Stubby and her father coming up tlie garden path towards her. The-old. man stopped Avhen he saw her, then he held out both his arms -open and wide. And Mrs Wilson, blinded with tears, ran gladly down the. path to those yearning arms, and laid her tired head on her father's trembling shoulder. Reconciliation is , sweet, and both father and daughter drank long and deep from the sweet cup before Airs Wilson thought again about her dear little man, who was standing there beaming with satisfaction on tlio happy scene he had brought about. “ Mr little Stubby,” she said, as she crushed him to her heart.