OLD GRUMPY.

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 18034, 31 May 1930, Page 16 (Supplement)

OLD GRUMPY.

p ODfREY LEIGHTON awoke, with a' ' jr start. Half-past eight! Why, he should have been up over half an hour ago. Although-he was on holiday he had to help his mother. After breakfast he would dry the dishes, chop wood, bring in enough coal to last all day, go errands, and do ,any other little job his mother required of him. Grossing over to the window he gave a who dp of joy. More than two inches of snow lay on the ground. “Gee," he thought, “we ought to have some fun to-day 7 .” •> He hurried down to breakfast. “Well, Godfrey; you will be pleased now,'! his mother said, with a smile. “Not half,” he responded enthusiastically. , . - „„ He got through his work quicker that day than he had ever done before. “Well, cheerio; mother, I am off to see the boys,” said Godfrey, some time He was hurrying along the road when bang! a huge snowball struck him on the ear. Turning round, he saw his chum, Jack Lauder, doubled up with laughter. “I, will pay you out for that! Godfrey shouted; and soon a fierce battle was in progress. When other boy came up they were still hShtino merrily, and snowballs were flym 0 1 thick and fast. ; t “I say," they shouted; cant you stop for\ minute?” 7 ... , . . “Come on, now; we will pick sides, and have a fight till we come to the park,” said one, after peace was reSt The fun waxed fast and furious until a snowball which. Godfrey had meant for Jack went sailing o\er ® ... wall. Crash! The sound of fallin & "lass reached their ears. 6 “Now vou have done it!” exclaimed Ben Falconer, another chum. Anc. my hat! it is ‘Old Grumpy’s’ placm That makes it worse than ever. We d better make a bolt for it.”

“Old Grumpy" was a newcomer to the village, and he had earned his name because he would not speak to any of the villagers, and beggars were always turned .away from the door. Because of this the villagers thought he was a mean old miser. Godfrey was going to run away with the others, but, being the soul of honour, he stopped. * ‘You go on,” he said to the others; “I am going to apologise.” “You are a fool!" -they said. “I don’t care," answered Godfrey, stubbornly. “I am going to stay.” As no one came out he knocked timidly on the, door. It was opened by “Old Grumpy” himself. “Please, sir,” said Godfrey, “a snowball which I meant to throw at a boy came into your garden, and I think a pane of glass is broken.” “Old Grumpy” had a large, round, red face, big,’ white, shaggy eyebrows, and a grey, drooping moustache. He did present a somewhat terrifying appearance. “What I” he bellowed. "You dare to stand there and tell me you have broken a pane of glass! What do you mean by it, eh?” 7 “It was an accident, sir, Godfrey answered. “Accident be blowed! Of course it would be —everything is when it comes to damaging other people’s property,” “Old Grumpy” roared. “What is your name and address, young sir? I will come and see your .mother, and make her pay for the damage.” Godfrey’s heart sank; he knew his mother could ill afford to pay. A suspicious twinkle lurked at the back of “Old Grumpy’s” eyes; but Godfrey failed to see it. “Be- off with you before I set my dog after you!” “Old Grumpy” said, and Godfrey was glad to escape. His friends awaited him at the corner.

“What did he say?” they asked eagerly. Godfrey, his hands thrust in his pockets, answered gloomily—“He is going, to make mother pay for it.” " “The cadi” they exclaimed. He. pan well' afford to. lose a pane of “I am going home,” said Godfrey. “I am fed up." The others knew it would be useless to attempt to persuade him .to stay. When Godfrey told his mother she _ said—- “ Never mind, dear; we shall have to pay for it; and, in a way, the old man w r as quite right, although I must say he might have let you off when you said you were sorry.” , A fortnight passed, and Godfrey, thinking “Old'Grumpy” had forgotten, was beginning to recover his spirits. One day he and his mother had just sat down to tea, when a loud, imperative. knock came to the door; and when Godfrey opened it, to his dismay there stood “Old Grumpy.”. “Is your mother in, boy?” he asked. , “Y-yes, sir; c-come into the p-par-lour,” stammered Godfrey. “Mother!” he exclaimed when he re-entered the kitchen, “it is Mr Brown, of The LoiurGls ** “Oh, dear!” she sighed. “I suppose you had better come, too." Very nervously Godfrey followed his mother. She entered the room, and then — “John!" she gasped. “Mary!" exclaimed Mr Brown; and in a moment they were kissing each other, , „ Godfrey looked bewildered from one to the other. What did it mean? he wondered. He was soon to know, however. „„ . , “Godfrey,” said his mother, this is your long-lost Uncle John, whom you have often heard me speak of.” “But,” Godfrey gasped, “I thought he came to see you about the broken glass.” “So I did, my boy; but I never expected your mother to be my favourite

sister,” said “Old Grumpy.” “Here you are. I, meant to give you this,” he added. _ “This" proved to be a magnificent gold watch with the following inscription inside—“To Godfrey Leighton, the boy who owned up.” Uncle John stayed to tea, and a merry meal it was. Godfrey and his mother went to stay with Uncle John at the Laurels, and great doings went on. Uncle John gave a party, and invited all the villagers to celebrate the reunion of brother and sister. The boys no longer call him “Old Grumpy,” but the biggest sport in the world.