Short stories; United States -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction
"I'd 'a' come home earlier t'night, Dad, on'y that fly foreman, he kep'
me in th' shop 'til half-past six. What a fool! He came t' me, yeh
know, an' he ses, 'Nell, I wanta give yeh some brotherly advice.' Oh, I
know him an' his brotherly advice. 'I wanta give yeh some brotherly
advice. Yer too purty, Nell,' he ses, 't' be workin' in this shop an'
paradin' through the streets alone, without somebody t' give yeh good
brotherly advice, an' I wanta warn yeh, Nell. I'm a bad man, but I
ain't as bad as some, an' I wanta warn yeh.' 'Oh, g'long 'bout yer
business,' I ses. I know 'im. He's like all of 'em, on'y he's a little
slyer. I know 'im. 'You g'long 'bout yer business,' I ses. Well, he ses
after a while that he guessed some evenin' he'd come up an' see me.
'Oh, yeh will,' I ses, 'yeh will? Well, you jest let my ol' man ketch
yeh comin' foolin' 'round our place. Yeh'll wish yeh went t' some other
girl t' give brotherly advice.' 'What th' 'ell do I care fer yer
father?' he ses. 'What's he t' me?' 'If he throws yeh downstairs,
yeh'll care for 'im,' I ses. 'Well,' he ses, 'I'll come when 'e ain't
in, b' Gawd, I'll come when 'e ain't in.' 'Oh, he's allus in when it
means takin' care 'o me,' I ses. 'Don't yeh fergit it, either. When it
comes t' takin' care o' his dorter, he's right on deck every single
possible time.'"
After a time, she turned and addressed cheery words to the old man.
"Hurry up th' fire, Daddie! We'll have supper pretty soon."
But still her father was silent, and his form in its sullen posture was
motionless.
At this, the girl seemed to see the need of the inauguration of a
feminine war against a man out of temper. She approached him breathing
soft, coaxing syllables.
"Daddie! Oh, Daddie! O--o--oh, Daddie!"
It was apparent from a subtle quality of valor in her tones that this
manner of onslaught upon his moods had usually been successful, but
to-night it had no quick effect. The words, coming from her lips, were
like the refrain of an old ballad, but the man remained stolid.
"Daddie! My Daddie! Oh, Daddie, are yeh mad at me, really--truly mad at
me!"
She touched him lightly upon the arm. Should he have turned then he
would have seen the fresh, laughing face, with dew-sparkling eyes,
close to his own.
"Oh, Daddie! My Daddie! Pretty Daddie!"
She stole her arm about his neck, and then slowly bended her face
toward his. It was the action of a queen who knows that she reigns
notwithstanding irritations, trials, tempests.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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