Walter and the Wireless

o

e incongruity of the title. In fact perhaps no term could have been found that would have been less appropriate. For Walter King possessed

nd arms were freckled too, for when one lives in a bathing suit six months of the year and is either in the water or on it most of the time the skin fails to retain its pristine whiteness of hue

were right. Certainly when her son ambled home at dusk with every rebellious hair standing upended upon his head and a string of flounde

she would pipe indignantly. "I'v

en years. Say, Ma, what do you s'pose? Dave Corbett was out in the Nancy three hours and never got a bite. What do you think of that? The wind died down, his engine got stalled, and he and Hosey Talbot had to row home from the Bell Reef Shoals. Haw, haw! Maybe I didn't roar when

t to provoke

n extra stick on the fire when it's burning, anyhow. Besides, Dave is ne

terrible

from me. We understand each other, Dave and I. Say, Ma, these rubber boots leak. D

King

go through everything you have so quickly, Walte

make it a mo

mother sm

a month

't stretch

our weeks seems

her tone, howev

boots longer than that. It is amazing how attach

eparing to behead the unlucky flounders, His

? I hate to be costing you money all the time. Now if you'd onl

nks or any other Banks so long as I live. We've had this out hundreds of times before. You know you and

boats now as they used to. They carry wirele

eless aboard them," obs

bly they don't," His High

ss, you are not going on a fis

, Ma," grin

and if you're looking for it. Why must you a

pect it's because I see chores to do when I'm afloat

oor

At any rate I

do not try to he

rugged his

ve to hire out at the Crown

se s

des, they may not be snobs at all

goat." Again the knife he held was tragically upraised. "How would you like to be nursemaid to six or eight brainless little pups no bigger than rats? Not but

eld promised to

the kids in town ar

her shook her head gravely. "Have you ever consi

Ma?" The boy whee

nds; there seems to be something the matter with the company's affairs. As for your Uncle Mark Miller, I've heard nothing from him in months. His ship was to put in at Shanghai for cargo and I ought to have had a letter by now; but none has come and I am afraid s

d, Mother, and I'm sure Bob hadn't

," returned his mother, with the shadow of a

a secret, Mater dear," Walter replied. "I

at use

, Ma. I shall go ahead and take Mr.

you s

, I won't deny I'd rather they were Great Danes or police dogs; I'd even prefer Airedales or Cockers. Still I suppose these l

, you know," ventured his mother. "The Cro

alter, with a ludicrously wry twist of his mouth. "I hate to thin

ll pull through all right, I guess. How I came to speak of it I don't know. It was only that it seemed such a pity to toss the Crowninshield offer aside without

not take a f

lready to be asking you

e simply told Jerry Thomas, the caretaker, to find somebody for the job before the family arrived. He doesn't care a darn who it is so long as he has a pers

lte

ight

llars for a dog!"

kled at her

ur

she. "I had no idea there was a

them a

. You might as well attempt to be custodian of a lot of gold bonds. I shouldn't have a happy moment or sleep a wink thinking of it. Suppose

a responsible person

d his shoulders and

le person," burst out Mrs. K

the

you?" sh

figure s

ed frankly, "I'm

ind wanders off on all sorts of things instead of the thing you're doing. That is why you do not get on better in school. All your teachers say you are bri

mind does flop about like a kite. I think of eve

lmighty poor one to look after a lot

ould do it if

put your entire attention on those dogs so that other people co

romise. I cou

dare to have y

o prove to you that you are wrong. I'm going up to Crowninshields' t

re cr

and

king up their heels and racing off to Provincetown, and Mr. Crowninshield insist

you bel

l happen," was th

keen for me to

knew what the littl

was to race round and make it pleasant for a lot of ordinary

herself his

ot that sort of thing at all. It is a job for a trustwor

son must spend every day for three months sitting with his

other; I'd have to be

ha

to sleep on the place. Mr. Crowninshi

Mrs. King brok

station. Still, why should you mind? I have always been gone all day, anyhow; and at night I sleep so sou

gh, I am not a timid person. It is not that I am afraid to stay here alone. My chief

ome one to come and

hould lik

hought about it. Of course

han your Aunt Marcia. Of all the fault-finding, critical, sharp-tongued creatures in the world she is the worst. Why,

ch a temper. You're as bad as Dave

r head but he saw he

gular boarder," suggested the boy

disapproval than surprise

e town do take summer

's the garden. Strangers are always coming here in vacation time and asking if they may look at it or sketch it. It never seemed anything very remarkable to me for most of th

get a big price if yo

y. "It would help toward the mortgage and the oth

ean extra w

In fact, with both of you boys away I'd rat

ppose Bob

om at home nowadays.

egan the boy mischievously. B

King. "She'd hold up her hands in horror and announce that

oth la

his mother with finality. "I'll put an advertisement in the Boston paper to-morrow and

you

to me to do it before." Then she patted the lad's shoulder, adding playfully, "I guess if you have brains in one dir

or I shall be sorry I told y

t's one good thing. And as to the dogs, if you are resolved to accept that position all I can say is that you must keep a head on your shoulders. You cannot hire out for a job unless you are prepared to give a full retur

n blame," responded Wal

it is your affair and I have nothing more to say,"

ayed her on t

m to expect I'm going to get into a scrape.

mind. From a little child he was dependable like that. His teachers couldn't say enough about him. Wasn't he always at the head of his class? The way he's turned out is no surprise. Think of his picking up wireless enough outside school

er ceased for

ke Bob," sighed

catter-brain as you are, I'd want you no different. You're but a

mally from Walter. "I have

anyway, I do not want my children all alike. Variety is the spice of l

't?" the bo

ed sweaters for if you were like Bob, I'd like to know? Who'd be pesterin

am fritters, could he?" p

s I've almost wished he had if only to keep the rest of us in countenance. Ma

g because I was too good for this world, have y

garded him af

Bob has done it; but you'll make it nevertheless. Folks are g

her with a puz

you mea

. King started, the mistiness tha

ee such a child-always messing up everything! Come, clear out of here and take your fish with you. It does

bar of soap in the other, she e

pper, won't you, Ma?" called the l

ave to. It's wicked to ca

s twinkle and her grumbling