Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-08-06

| viii Ills TdgSCG straw nat on one size,
totally unconscious that his face was
dirty and his hair in his eyes; in fact, he
felt perfectly satisfied with himself.
By and by it occurred to him that he
was pretty hungry, and it was queer that
he did not find the High School. MY
dacious" he thought to himself, {" I won
der if Wosie doesn't get awful tired
going to school" He thought little
rest would do him no harm, so he found
a nice, shady doorstep, and sat down.
When he put Mr.. Affords letter into
his pocket he had felt some ching hard in
1t, and now, being reduced 20 great ne
| ceSsity, he much wondered if that some
| thing hard wasn't something to eat
Perhaps" thought Digglybones to
himself, lit is five cents. l dess it is;
ard | dess Wosie would just as lieve dive
it to me as not"
He could not imagine tenderer mark
of affection on Mr.. Affords part than his
| inClosing five cents to Wosie
| He opened the letter as carefully as
his clumsy little fingers could do it, and
| out slipped-not something to eat, and
not five cents, but round, firm curl
clipped from Mr.. Affords black, curly
! head
40 dear!" said Digglybones, dis
gusted.
He tried to slip it back again, but his
small fingers were g all thumbs" and it
| slipped down to the sidewalk beside him;
ne thought, however that he had got it
IN again all safe, and he stuffed the let
Ter PACK into his pocket feeling rather
DUBIOUS about what WoSie would say
Wnen she found that he had opened it.
Not being in the habit of borrowing
trouble, however, Digglybones dismissed
the subject from his mind and started oft
again on his journey.
The farther he walked the more forci
! bly, 1T occurred to him that it was queer
that he did not find the High School: and
the more certain he was that he felt de-
cidedly hungry.
| These two circumstances together
caused Digglybones' spirits to descend to
zero, and putting his fingers in his mouth
and rubbing his eyes with his dirty fist
he began to cry bitterly.
For some time he walked along, crying
harder and harder every minute, and no.
body noticed him, but at last a brown
eyed gentleman, who, perhaps, had a
halfdozen little brown-eyed children at
home, stopped Digglybones and said:
What's the matter, little MANI"
DigglybOnes took his fist away from
his eye to see who it was that had spoken
to him; and being won at once by the
kindly light of the brown eyes he took
his finger out of his mouth and an
swered:
"Pease, sir / want to find the High
School; and | hain't had no lunch, and
I'm HUNGRYr"
The last words came out with a below
that would have made grandmothers
heart ache for her pet if she could have
heard it.
"Hungryr' said the gentleman, who
could not suppress a grin at the nature
Of Diggly bones complaint "Well, well,
my boy, We'll soon cure that. Now tell
me which High School you wish to find,
the boys or the girls'?"
This was a poser for Digglybones, who
instantly clapped his finger in his mouth
again to consider the subject; and he
came out bravely
q want to find Wosie," he said.
"Ah, hal" said the gentleman els
Rosie your sister,"
DigglybOnes nodded
"Take my hand" said his new friend,
" and we will find something to eat first,
and Rosie afterward."
They walked along together very con-
tidentially indeed; for the indiscreet
DigglybOnes told the gentleman all about
WOsies letter, and what grandmother
had said, and what his naughty eye saw
at the parlOr keyhOle, and the curl of
black hair that had dropped out of the
letter; all of which made the gentleman
laugh so uprOariously that Digglybones
was profoundly astonished He filled his
little companions pockets with cakes,
candy and nuts, however, so that the lit
tie boy could not feel hurt at his laugh
ter, and took him to the very steps Of the
High School.
"Where is your letter, my little MANI"
he said. Let me see the curl"
DigglybOnes took out the letter and
shook it, but no curl fell out; then the
gentleman took the letter and shook; and
all in vain.
"Why, my boy" he said, "what will
Rosie say to you? You've lost the curl
of hair"
Digglybones looked a little puzzled
and worried for moment, but his face
soon cleared, and he replied, very calmly:
ooh! Wosie can Diet another; his head
is all covered with 'em."
WhereupOn the gentleman took out his
handkerchief and wiped his eyes, and
shookvery hard; Digglybones looking on
wonderingly.
Just then a young girl came down the
steps, and the young gentleman said:
"Can you tell me if Miss Rose Sitting
fleet attends school here?"
" Yes, sir, she does" said the young
girl.
:" VIII you take this little boy so that
he can find herr"
Certainly" she answered.
"Good-by, then, my boy" said the
brown-eyed gentleman, patting Diggly-
bones head, and then walking away
Perhaps he told his brown-eyed chill
dren that night about the funny, dirty
faced little boy whom he met, out hunt
ing for "Wosie"
The young girl led the way upstairs
and, opening the door, ushered poor,
shocking looking little Digglybones into
a room full of neat, pretty young ladies.
"This little boy wants to see Miss
Stillingheet," said the young girl to the
teacher.
Rose stood up her face scarlet and her
eyes swapping. half in anger, half in fun;
she did not know whether to laugh or to
cry.
The dirt on Digglybones' face was now
so mixed with crumbs of cake and bits
of candy that it was hard to tell what
the color of his round cheeks might be;
his tangled hair struggled down from
under his ragged straw hat, and he held
Mr. Affords poor, illused letter extended
in his dirty hand.
Here, Wosie," he said, in his clear,
sweet voice, with smile which would
have done honor to a seraph, "here's Mr..
Affords letter. There was a curl of his
1,aI - hut II Loot hot