The Snyder Signal. (Snyder, Tex.), Vol. TWENTY-EIGHTH YEAR, No. FIFTY-ONE, Ed. 1 Friday, June 4, 1915 Page: 14 of 20
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THE BOY WHO HAD NO FATHER
U UrtV liail ma father ant
m curled np in the window seat a neg-
hia side staring down down into
the snowv street with iniserablo eye.
The Bountiful Person who was his mother
hud just driven away with the Man who wore
a Window-pane in his Eye.
Tho Hoy who had no Father hnted the
Window-pane Man in spite of the fact that
he pave him ohooolates when his mother was
looking he always smelt of brandy tool
at least nurse said it was brandy and nurse
knew everything.
Robin thought nnrae was quite the clev-
erest person he had ever met! She always
earned to know when his mother wanted
him. and when it waa wise to keep him np
in the nursery which was the topmost room
in the flat where the Beautiful Person who
was his mother spent a few hours of each
Th Beautiful Person was an actress i
Eobln did not exactly know what an actress
was) but nurse said It was somebody very-
body raved about-especially window pane
Ben.
"Is (here more'n one window pan mant"
Bobln asked.
Nure laughed. "Of oouree there Is!"
Robin thought it over oarefully.
"I wish they was all with Mr. Jonah in-
side the whale!" he said then.
Nurse bad pretended to be shocked. Robin
knew she wasn't really shocked because she.
put her hand over her month to aide a smile.
"Ton musnt say that Master Eobln you
might have a Window-pane Man for a father
some day"
"I haven't got a fathert" Bohln asaerted
loudly. "I heard yon tell Ellen that I hadn't
tot a father." For the first time in hia life
h had felt glad that in this respect he was
different to all the other bovi he knew. "If I
haven't got a father now" he proceeded to
argue "I can't ever have one!"
But nurse thought differently aha said
that mere unlikely things had happened ev-
ery day of the week.
That was this morning the first day Robin
lad been to school lie had rather looked
forward to going to ahooL because nurse had
told him there would he lota of other little
hoys to play with. It had been rather a dis-
illusionment therefore to discover that the
other little boys showed a distinct disinclina-
tion to play with him. They had spoken
certainly Johnny whose father had made a
fortune through going bankrupt had shown
himself most interested in Robin's parent-
age. "Arenl yon the Boy who hasn't got a
Fathert"
Kobin had pleaded guilty with alacrity
he mistook the question for an overture of
friendship; hut Johnny turned on his heel:
'Uul well my motner says i n not to
with youl"
By RUBY M. AYRES
pl7ob
ohnnv Glen was the buirest bov in the
school therefore discretion being the bet-
ter psrt of valor everybody sided with him
and Renin's first morning at school had
been a disaster.
He oame homo his little heart bursting
with grief to tell his mother. The Beautiful
Person hsd been dressing when her small
son bundled uninvited into her room. Hhe
was sitting at the looking glass and Ellen
her maid was waving her hair.
She turned sharply as he stumped across
the velvet carpet:
"Oo away Knbint I'm busy! who told
nurse to send vou downt"
"I told mj-selfl" said Robin. "I told my.
self to come and toll yon that I'm not never
goiii' to school again;"
The Beautiful Person looked at him her
face momentarily softened.
"Whv nott" she asked.
Two big tears bubbled over Robin's eyes
tnd splashed down on to bis small woollen
jersev.
"The boys won't play with me one boy
said his muwer told him not to play with
me 'oanse I haven't got any father!"
There was a silence the eyes of the Beau-
tiful Person fell then she jerked her head
free of Ellen's careful hands.
"That will do yon can go for the pres-
ent I"
The door closed decorously.
"C'omo here Rubin" said the Beautiful
Ferson.
She lifted the little fat body to her lap-
her fairy princess hair fell about them both
as she leaned her head to his.
"Ihm't cry Robbyl you shan't go to
school if yon don't want to little son."
Her arms clasped him passionately her
voice sounded all orinkly as if she wanted
to cry.
Robin could not remember her like that be-
foreat least only onoe before at night
when Le was so sleepy he could not properly
remember it all the next morning but he had
a faint reoollection of tears on his fsce that
were not hie own of the Beautiful Person
sobbing beside him.
Everything had been funny that night-
she seemed to have even forgotten his name
for shs had called him "Geoffry!"
He had remembered that name in the morn-
ingand had asked nurse why the Beautiful
Person had made auoh a mistake.
Nurse said he had dreamed it but he had
heard her telling Ellen about it later on
and Ellen had shrugged her shoulders.
"There are so many!" she said laconically
Robin was thinking about all that now
as he sat cuddled into hie mother's arms with
her hair all like a waterfall over him. He sat
np with sudden determination!
"Why haven't I got a fathert" be asked.
Fhe shook her head she set him down on
the velvet carpet beside ber.
"I can't tell you Robin! von wouldn't
understand if I told youl" She leaned her
head on her hands staring before her she
seemed to have forgotten the small boy at
( . ..... r -
"I s'pose I can't have Gef'ry for a father
can It 1 think I'd like him much botter'n
the Window-pano Mnnl"
The Beautiful Person gave a start
"You don't know what you're talking
about run away Bt once to nurse and don t
let nie have any more nonsense like this "
Her voice was not crinkly and beautiful
any more it wns hard and angry just as
she spoke to Ellon when Ellen pulled her
hair. Kobin fled to the door his little fat
hands blundered with the handle sometimes
he was afraid of the Beautiful Person.
But before he could open it she oalled to
him she oame swiftly across the room and
fell on her knees besiue him.
and the Beautiful Person side by side in iU
cosy interior. .
Nurse had tried to cheer him up by remind-
ing him that it only wanted four days to
Christmas Bho had promised to take him the
next day to see the toys in the shops but
Robin (lid not uare particularly for Christ-
mas. The Beautiful Person always went
away then and nurse always went to sleep
directly after they had had the turkey and
the Christmas pudding-and it was very very
dull! t
He looked aoross the road at the window
opposite where the Man who had made Musio
lived he had only moved Into the flat a
week ago and already Robin looked upon him
"I Didn't Mean to Be Cross Little Son! Kisa Mel-Klsa Me Robby
and I'D Tell Ym a Secret."
"I din't mean to be cross little son I Kiss
me! Kiss me Robby and 111 tell yon a seoret
a lovely real seoret that yon must sot tall
to anybody! not even nurse "
"I won't tell no nobody " said Bobln.
He clasped his fat hands about her throat
breathless with excitement he hsd never had
a real lovely secret with the Beautiful Per-
son before.
Hhe kissed his faoe. and his soft chubby
neck then she counted olose to his cart
"One two three! now are you ready Rob-
byl" He nodded he could not apeak for
excitement but he missed no smallest word of
her whisper:
"Darling! your father's name was Qeof-
fryl you did have a father a dear dear
father iust like all the other little boys!"
And then Ellen had oome back to aay that
the Window-pane Man had arrived and waa
waiting downstairs and that the ear was at
the door. That had spoiled everything and
Kobin felt very lonelv and miserable again
n he sHt in the window seat and watched
.L. L : . . l.:..
as a friend and when the windows were open
the boy could hear the sounds of the lovely
musio be made.
He could see him now for the room was
firelit oould see him with the warm glow on
his faoe. and the movement of his arm as he
played his beloved violin.
A sudden idea struck Robin nurse hsd
gone out of the room and the downstairs
where she had gone waa a long way off.
He slipped down from the window seat
Stuffed the despised bag of add drops in his
pocket and tiptoed from the room and down
the stairs.
Chanos or a careless servant had left the
door on the latch and in another moment
Robin stood in the snowy street
He stood quite still with excitement for a
moment hia heart pounding madly beneath
the bag of sticky acid drops then he ran
aoross the road as fast as his fat legs could
carry him to the block of houses opposite.
He knew quite well which was the door
that belonged to the Man who mede Music
tnr tin tmd en him come ont of it menv
treme tips of his small booty he reached np
and pressed his fat thumb hard on the bell
PUt was opened almost immediately and
Robin marched in on to the mat
"I want to see the Man who makes Musio
please I'm the little boy what lives over
there." He nodded in the direotion from
which lie had oome.
Uul in spito of his brave front he felt very
smnll and frightened when Drcsently the tall
servant opened the door of the firelit room
and announced in a loud voice:
"The young gentleman what lives opposite
sir!" . . ..
The beautiful mnslc stopped abruptly the
Man who played roue to his feot:
"Well my little friendf " he said.
"I've oome to see you" said RoMn. "I
should like to hear how yon make the musid
please." .
He climbed Into a deep armchair without
being asked.
The Man who made the Musio hesitated
there was an amused smile about his shaera
fips then he turned and took up his violin.
"Will you have an acid dropl" said Rob-
in politely. "They're rather sticky but
they're very nice!"
He offered the orumpled hag.
"I think I'd better play first and ant the
sweets afterwards" said the Man who made
the Music gravely. "Especially if they're
sticky" he added.
He drew the how aoross the strings of the
violin. The little dreamy sound reminded
Robin of the swallows he could hear twit-
tering to each other from their nest under
the eaves above his bedroom on summor even-
ings. Ho held his breath it was wonderful I
simply wonderful! And now it waa like
running water: and now it was like someone
crying like the Beautiful Person crying as
she had cried that night when she had called
him "Geoffry" by mistake and now Robin
eat up very straight.
"My muwer sings that." he cried excited-
ly as the Man who made the Musio broke off
Into a low sweet lullaby tune.
Many a night lying in bed half awake Rob-
In had heard his mother down in the draw-
ing room singing that song In her beautiful
voice; he knew the words too though ho
could not understand them nurse said it
was a "love song" when he asked her what it
meant.
Robin did not know what a love song was
hut he thought it was something very beau-
tiful. He scrambled out of the deep ohatr and
stood looking exoitedly up at the violinist
"Mv muwer sings that" he repeated
eagerly "She sings that when the Window-
pane Man oomes."
The Man who made the Mnslo had stopped
playing; he waa looking down at Robin with
searching eyes.
"Who is your mother) little mant" ha
asked.
"My muvver'a an actress" said Robin
proudly. "Nurse says she gets a mil loo dol-
lurs every week."
'Hie man laid down his viollnt he camo
quite close to Robin; his hands trembled as
thev rested on the boy's shoulders.
''And who is yonr fathert "he asked.
Robin felt resentful; it was wonderful the
interest everybody took in his father. Then
he remembered the real lovely seoret his
nicther had told him; he lifted his head with
sudden pride.
".My father's name is Gen fry" he said.
"I've never seen him myself but I'm sum
he's a very nice father he added anxiously.
Then he gave a big gasp for the Man who
made the musio bad oaught him np in his
amis and waa looking eagerly hungrily into
hie face.
"And vour mother!" he asked. i
"What do thev call yonr mother1M 1 '
Robin hesitated.
"I call her mother" he said donbtfnltyi
and then with a sudden inspiration. "But
when Mrs. Merry comes she calls her 'Evie.'
Oh you hurt inel"
lie wriggled free of the man's arms and
stood looking up at him half frightened.
"Hoy" said the Man who made the Mu-
sic "do vou think you would like to have me
for a fathert"
Robin hesitated. Then:
"I'd rather have you than the "Window-
pane Man" he said. "But my father's name
is Geof'ry."
"My nnme is Oeoffry too" said the Man
who made the Music
Robin made up his mind he would not go
to sleep that night. He lay awake counting
the stars be oould see through the chinks of
the blind and the shadows on the oeiling; he
pinched himself when ever he felt his eyes
pinched himself whenever he felt his eyes
side should wake him np again because be
was quite determined to stay awake till the
Beautiful Person who was his mother oame
home. The clock out on the ttairwav had
struck twelve times and then onoe again be-
fore bs heard the white painted car drive np
to the house. Then he stole softly out of bed
on to the landing.
Robin went down the stairs; his h'ara feet
made no sound on the thick carpet Tbey had
not shu the door: it was open so that b
could see the light inside so that he could
hear hia mother's voioe. She was speaking i
ijmtiaij umiaimij:
"No it's quite useless! I don't care for
yon not in that way. And even if I did
Let me got let me gol"
And now her voice sounded frightened.
Then the Window-pane Man spoke almost
roughly.
"1 will not gtve yon up. And he Is dead
er eourse be is dead. I thought yon had for-
gotten him."
"Forgotten himl Could I ever forget him'
Robin's fathert And even if he is dead-
Robin pushed open the door; be stood cO
the threshold a small blinking fieiire in hi'
t 4-
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The Snyder Signal. (Snyder, Tex.), Vol. TWENTY-EIGHTH YEAR, No. FIFTY-ONE, Ed. 1 Friday, June 4, 1915, newspaper, June 4, 1915; Snyder, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth288102/m1/14/: accessed June 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; .