Teddy.
by J. C. Hutcheson.
CHAPTER ONE.
AN INDEPENDENT YOUNG GENTLEMAN.
"I want do d"an"ma!"
This sudden and unexpected exclamation, uttered as it was in a shrill little voice like that of a piping bullfinch, and coming from nowhere in particular, as far as he could make out, for he had fancied himself all alone on the platform, made the tall railway porter almost jump out of his skin, as he expressed it, startling him out of his seven senses.
He was a stalwart, good-natured, black-bearded giant of a man, clad in a suit of dunduckety-mud-coloured velveteens, rather the worse for wear, and smeary with oil and engine-grease, which gave them a sort of highly- burnished appearance resembling that of a newly-polished black-leaded stove.
Doing nothing, and thinking of nothing specially, for the three-forty up-train had gone through the station, and it was a good hour yet before the five-ten down express was due, he had been lazily leaning in a half- dreamy and almost dozing state against the side of the booking-office.
From this coign of vantage, he was, as well as his blinking eyes would allow, gazing out over the rails at the fast-falling flakes of feathery snow that were quickly covering up the metals and permanent way with a mantle of white; when, all at once, without a "by your leave," or seeing or hearing anyone approach, his attention was summarily brought back to the present by the strange announcement of the shrill little voice, while, at the same time, he felt the clutch of tiny fingers twitching at one of the legs of his shiny velveteen trousers, evidently as a further means of attracting his notice.
The touch made the porter look downwards, when, perceiving that his unknown interlocutor was a small mite barely reaching up to his knees, he became more rea.s.sured; and, bending his big body so as to bring his face somewhat on a level with the young person, he proceeded to interrogate him in familiar fashion.
"Well, my little man," he said, desiring to learn how he might be of service, for he was a genial willing fellow, and always anxious to oblige people when he knew how--"what"s the matter?"
"I want do d"an"ma!" repeated the small mite in the same piping tones as before, speaking with the utmost a.s.surance and in the most matter-of- fact way.
It seemed as if, having now explicitly notified his wants and wishes, he confidently looked forward, in all the innocent trust of childhood, to their being instantly acted upon and carried out without any demur or hesitation.
Jupp, the porter, was quite flabbergasted by the little chap"s sang- froid; so, in order the better to collect his ideas and enable him to judge what was best to be done under the circ.u.mstances, he took off his flat-peaked uniform cap with one hand and scratched his head reflectively with the fingers of the other, as is frequently the wont of those possessed of thick skulls and wits that are apt to go wool- gathering.
The operation appeared to have the effect desired; for, after indulging in this species of mental and physical cogitation for a moment or two, Jupp ventured upon asking the mite another question which had brilliantly suggested itself to him as opportune.
"Where is your grandma, sir?" he inquired with more deference than he had used before.
"Don-don," replied the small person nonchalantly, as if the point was quite immaterial, looking the porter calmly and straight in the eyes unflinchingly, without turning a hair as the saying goes.
Jupp had never come across such a self-possessed young mannikin in his life before. Why, he might have been the station-master or traffic- manager, he appeared so much at his ease!
But, he was a little gentleman all the same, Jupp could readily see, in spite of the fact that his costume was not quite suited for travelling, the mite being attired in a very prominent and dirty pinafore, while his chubby face was tear-stained, and he had the look of having come out in a hurry and being perhaps unprepared for the journey he contemplated; although, mind you, he had his luggage with him all right--a small bundle tied up in a large pocket-handkerchief of a bright-red colour, which he held tightly clasped to his little stomach as if afraid of its being taken from him.
Jupp hardly knew off-hand how to deal with the case, it being of a more perplexing nature than had previously come within range of his own personal experience; still, he had his suspicions, and thought it best to entertain the young person in conversation for a bit, until he should be able to find out something about his belongings and where he came from.
"London"s a large place, sir," he therefore observed tentatively, by way of drawing the mite out and getting some clue towards his ident.i.ty.
The little chap, however, was quite equal to the occasion.
"Don"t tare," he said defiantly, checking the porter"s artful attempt at cross-examination. "I want do d"an"ma!"
Certainly, he was a most independent young gentleman.
Jupp was at a nonplus again; however, he tried to temporise with the mite, the more especially from his noticing that his little legs were quite mottled and his tiny fingers blue with cold.
"Well, come in here, sir, at all events, and warm yourself, and then we can talk the matter over comfortably together," he said, throwing open the door of the waiting-room as he spoke, and politely motioning the little chap to enter.
The mite made no reply to the invitation, but he tacitly accepted it by following the porter into the apartment he had indicated, and the two were presently seated before a glowing fire, on which Jupp immediately emptied the scuttleful of coals, there being no stint of the fuel by reason of the company standing all expense.
Thawed by the genial warmth, rendered all the more enjoyable by the wintry scene outside, where the snow was now swirling down faster and faster as the afternoon advanced, the little chap began to get more communicative, egged on by Jupp in a series of apparently innocent questions.
"Nussy bad ooman," he blurted out after a long silence, looking up at Jupp and putting his hand on his knee confidingly.
"Indeed, sir?" said the other cautiously, leading him on.
"Ess, man," continued the mite. "See want take way my kitty."
"You don"t mean that, sir!" exclaimed Jupp with well-feigned horror at such unprincipled behaviour on the part of the accused nurse.
"Ess, man, see did," replied the little chap, nodding his small curly head with great importance; but the next instant his little roguish blue eyes twinkled with suppressed intelligence, and his red rosebud of a mouth expanded into a happy smile as he added, with much satisfaction in his tones, "but I dot kitty all wite now!"
"Have you really, sir?" said Jupp, pretending to be much surprised at the information, the little chap evidently expecting him to be so.
"Ess, man," cried the mite with a triumphant shout; "I"se dot po" "ittle kitty here!"
"Never, sir!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Jupp with trembling eagerness, as if his life depended on the solution of the doubt.
The little chap became completely overcome with merriment at having so successfully concealed his treasured secret, as he thought, that the porter had not even guessed it.
"Kitty"s in dundle!" he exclaimed gleefully, hugging his handkerchief parcel tighter to his little stomach as he spoke. "I dot kitty here, all wite!"
"You don"t mean that, sir--not in that bundle o" yours surely, sir?"
repeated Jupp with deep fict.i.tious interest, appearing still not quite convinced on the point and as if wishing to have the difficulty cleared up.
This diplomatic course of procedure on the part of the porter removed any lingering scruples the mite had in respect of his good faith.
"Ess, man. I dot kitty here in dundle all wite," he repeated earnestly in his very impressive little way. "Oo musn"t tell n.o.body and I"ll so her to "oo!"
"I won"t breathe a word of it to a soul, sir," protested Jupp as solemnly and gravely as if he were making his last dying deposition; whereupon the mite, quite convinced of the porter"s trustworthiness and abandoning all further attempt at concealment, deposited his little bundle tenderly on the floor in front of the fireplace, and began to open it with much deliberation.
The little fellow appeared so very serious about the matter, that Jupp could not help trying to be serious too; but it required the exercise of all the self-command he possessed to refrain from laughing when the motley contents of the red handkerchief were disclosed.
Before the last knot of the bundle was untied by the mite"s busy fingers there crawled out a tiny tortoise-sh.e.l.l kitten, with its diminutive little tail erect like a young bottle-brush, which gave vent to a "phiz- phit," as if indignant at its long confinement, and then proceeded to rub itself against Jupp"s leg, with a purring mew on recognising a friend.
"So that"s kitty," said Jupp, holding the little thing up on his knee and stroking it affectionately, the animal signifying its satisfaction by licking the back of his hand with its furry little red tongue, and straightening its tiny tail again as stiff as a small poker.
"Ess, man. Dat"s kitty," murmured the mite, too much occupied undoing the last knots of the bundle to waste time in further speech for the moment, struggling as he was at the job with might and main.
In another second, however, he had accomplished his task; and, lifting up the corners of the red handkerchief, he rolled out the whole stock of his valued possessions on to the floor.
"Dere!" he exclaimed with much complacency, looking up into Jupp"s face in expectation of his admiring surprise.
The porter was again forced to act a part, and pretend that he could not guess anything.