The Adventures of Jimmy Brown

Copyright, 1885, by Harper & Brothers .
All rights reserved.

What if he is a great deal older than I am! that doesn't give him any right to rumple my hair, does it? I'm willing to respect old age, of course, but I want my hair respected too.
But rumpling hair isn't enough for Mr. Martin; he must call me Bub, and Sonny. I might stand Sonny, but I won't stand being called Bub by any living man—not if I can help it. I've told him three or four times My name isn't 'Bub,' Mr. Martin. My name's Jim, or Jimmy, but he would just grin in an exhausperating kind of way, and keep on calling me Bub.
My sister Sue doesn't like him any better than I do. He comes to see her about twice a week, and I've heard her say, Goodness me there's that tiresome old bachelor again. But she treats him just as polite as she does anybody; and when he brings her candy, she says, Oh Mr. Martin you are too good. There's a great deal of make-believe about girls, I think.
Now that I've mentioned candy, I will say that he might pass it around, but he never thinks of such a thing. Mr. Travers, who is the best of all Sue's young men, always brings candy with him, and gives me a lot. Then he generally gives me a quarter to go to the post-office for him, because he forgot to go, and expects something very important. It takes an hour to go to the post-office and back, but I'd do anything for such a nice man.
One night—it was Mr. Travers's regular night—Mr. Martin came, and wasn't Sue mad! She knew Mr. Travers would come in about half an hour, and she always made it a rule to keep her young men separate.
She sent down word that she was busy, and would be down-stairs after a while. Would Mr. Martin please sit down and wait. So he sat down on the front piazza and waited.
I was sitting on the grass, practising mumble-te-peg a little, and by-and-by Mr. Martin says, Well, Bub, what are you doing?
Playing a game, says I. Want to learn it?