Red-Robin

ose of school until nine o'clock, he worked in the store, snatching a dinner of bananas, or bread and cheese, between customers. Because "Mom" had whispered that ther

rty straw stacked about the fountain, dry leaves and papers cluttering the brown earth and whipping against the iron palings of the fenc

e matter?" For the face that turned to his was red and swollen with weeping. "Y'lost?" T

t-my C

r-wh

stest doll. I forgot her." Th

a nice game of running 'round and 'round and counting the "things," waiting for Mr. Tony; Cynthia did not like to run because it shook her eyes, so she had put her down on

's Cynthia now, kid. Things don't

at the tiny girl listened to his verdict

ed Dale. "Why, you're just

uncertainly to one of t

y she had come. The streets all looked so much alike. She had run along the curb, so as to b

not cry. After Cynthia's fate, jus

re you live? What's the s

Place," lisp

you forget 'bout your Cynthia. You've got another doll, haven't you? If you haven't, you just ask Santa

d, quite indifferent to the shocked note in the b

s your

he made it sound l

't it? And what's your Ma and Pa g

d skipped along at his side. "Oh, nothing," she answered, lost i

ou know what y

ghter. "Oh a mother! I had a lovely, lovely mother onc

ad never met suc

call him Parent sometimes an

"kidding." He glanced sidewise and suspiciously at her but all he saw was a cherub f

to try to find Cynthia." Robin smot

l alone? You a

d. They're not my really truly aunt's and grandfather's-I just call them that. And Jimmie leave

small face, felt very big and very manly. He ret

ig fellow,"

t like one of my make-believe Princes. I wish you li

," argued Dale, finding it a very pleasant and unusual sensation to act the

always make b'lieve you are a Prince and I'll find

stopped to study the house numbers. Suddenly a door flew open wide an

ous! I thought you

m, clasped him

ig boy brought me home. He's a Princ

man turned from

idan Square. She was hunting

ony this afternoon I played in

t way off there all by yo

e, Robin overlooked

epeated, "but I came

his fingers through his thick hair, red like the child's, with a gesture of throwing off some ho

d you must promise not to do it again. Why,

doubtful protection her Jimmie offered. "I'm no end grateful to you, my boy. If t

urtly and stepped back. "It wasn't an

ie had pulled his hand from his pocket and was extending it to the boy. He was not even inviting him to come in an

Dale, she reached out two small arms and by holding on to Dale's, drew h

l hunt for me, won't you?

d his chin with the sleeve of his coat. Then he stuck his hands deep in his pockets and whistled loudly. But after a moment, at a recollection of sky-blue ey

But tonight everything was different; scarcely had he stopped at their landing before the littl

own adventure

the superintendent he'll be in no time

Boy Scouts? And go to camp next summe

ind each note of her voice rippled a laugh. "Yes

's Pop

xtra shift," the wi

plings?"

night for I dressed your sister in the beads. It's worn out she is, God love her, with the exciteme

e morrow, his mother was busying herself with the "biggest" dumpling, when a peremptory knock came at the

a white duck suit. Where had she seen such a suit before? With a catch at her heart she

had a disagreeable task and must dispose of it without any delay.

of the room-her hand clutching her throat

st go to him. My Dan. No, no, you stay with Beryl. Oh, hurry!" she implo

whelming fear of something, he did not know what. Pop, his big, strong Pop-hurt! Pop, who could swing him even now, that he measured five feet three himself, to his sho

hed to quiet his little sister. He bade her, brokenly, to "never mind and go to sleep," and he pulled the old blank

dropped his head upon the table and

need me. I'm big now!" he muttered, finding

elt very young and helpless bef

perintendent or even foreman; the rest of his days must be spent in the wheeled chair sent up by the sympathetic Miss Le

aken from her life, for mother never sat by the lamp, now, or crocheted. She worked

rappings. Somehow, young as she was, she kn

go to the store. A tightening about the lips, an older seriousness in the lad's eyes alone to

the sky-blue eyes