The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-09-08

gone mad whripg before i. dust and
snow and every movable thing j, could
!ay its cutching hand upon. 3 poor Cd
battered kite that some time las. autumn
had lodged ii: - 10 the tallest tree in
tie neighborhoo, ll had there rested
pcacecilly ever since, believing is Ia.
bor, AZ nn end, was dragged from il, nest
and driven unpiiyingiv before ihc blast.
Some feeble effort. il had made to dodge
into corners, lurking behind steps and
driving into arca- but not bi, Of il
Down would swoop the wind and of il
would so again.
Atla,t. driven around one Of the long
row OF barrel- tia, stood like wretched
,en.incl- along the edge of .he side walk,
il flew into the very arms o. q small boy,
who. seated on the curb stone, crouched
down in the barrel. somewhat question
able shelter. SuclI - very small boy
He looked like nothing III the world but
2 little heap Of rags: and the rags were
y,-y thin, aud the small boy WAS very
cold His nn-e, his ears. his hands aud
his poor bare feet were blue. lie vas
almo-, too cold 10 notice thc unfortunate
Kite which, a, IL enemy, the wind, ap
preached with Il roar, seemed 10 cover
close to him, q. If Begging his protection.
Round bOtl. s.do- Of the barre! At once
came the wind, .o0k hands right
through poor Tom and, liowling with
delight rushed o.i with il. miserable vie
tim.
tom tha, was all the name lie had
Who he WAS or where he came from, no
one knew, except, perhaps, the wrctched
Old woman with whom lie lived, which
mean! tina, she let him sleep upon 4 pile
Of rags on the floor Of her miserable
room, and sometimes gave him rust
bu, o!lcrcr q blow. When she was
drunk ana hat WAS the greater par, Of
the time Tom took TO the streets and
hy ng!it She W, very drunk. The boy
Was, Perhaps. some six :car- old but az
he covered down on the cold hag,iones
wiki lis worn. pinchel face and droop-
ire head he NIGH, have been han
dred.
y carriage came ra,,ling through the
street and STOPPED close by him. The
door WAS pushed open and two children
half tuinbcd ont aud leaving the door
swinging rushed up the s;eps Tom
watched them stupidity, heard Tie quick
sharp ring Of the bell, caught 4 glimpse
OF something tina, looked very bright
and warm, and then it was dark again
He turned MS eyes toward the carriage,
expecting il to drive of again but it
Sill stood there. The coachman sat
upon The box like Il furry monument.
One Of the horses struck the stones
sharply with his ron hooi. md cast an
inquring look around but the nonumci
sat unmovcd
Toms heavy eyes looked through the
'per door into the carriage. Dark az it
was he could see that it was lined with
something thick and warm. He raised
his head and glanced about him. If he
were inside there the wind could not
touch him. OH, if he could only get
away from il one minute He would
slipout again the moment the house door
would open. tnbcndng his still little
body he crcpt nearer, hcsitating Il mo-
ment, and as the wind came round tho
corner with roar, slipped swiftly and
noselcssly into the carriage In the
lirther corner of the seat he cl:ricd him
self into II little round heap and lay
with beating heart, listening to the vino
rs it swept by
1t WAS very quiet in his nest, and the
soft velvet WAS much warmer than tho
cold ilah hstoncs, and he was very tirec
and very cold, and in half minute he
was fast asleep. lie did not know whcr
at last the house door opened and lady
gathering her cloak close around her
came down the stcps-did not know even
when the suddenlyanimatcd monument
descended from its pedestal and stoo
solcmnly by the open door until the lady
had stepped inside. But when it shu,
with slam, and the coachman, return
ing to his post drove rapidly away, hi.
eyes opened aud fixed their frightened
gaze upon the lady's face. Ireoccupied
with her own thoughts she had not motto,
ed the queer bundle i'll the dark corner
But now, her attention attracted by some
slight movement on his part, she turned
her eyes slowly toward him, and then
with n suppressed cry of alarm and sur
prise, laid ler hand upon the door. The
rattle of wheels aud the roar of the wind
prevented it reaching the ears of the
coachman; and Tom rapidly unwind
ing himself and covering down in The
bottom of the carriage, said in fright
ened sob:
IL didn't mean no harm. was awful
IN jump out. You needn't stop the
kcrridgc''
The lady, with her hand still on the
door, demanded:
How did you get here,'
The door was open and | clum" he
answered at was awful cold"
The lady took her hand from the door.
Come nearer" she said, "let me see your
face"
Tom drew his ragged sleeve across his
eyes and looked up at her over his
shoulder. They had turned into a bril-,
iiontly- ljuhta1 strait on,j v,,a ,o,,il -
that the tangled yellow hair was soft and
fih;, and that the big frightened eyes
that raised themselves to hers were not
pulse she laid her gloved hand on the
yellow head.
"Where do you live" she asked.
Something in the voice and touch gave
him courage.
with Nanny sol,,' he answered
Strengthening up-"me and some other
fellows. Sometimes we becs, sometimes
we take the barrels. When we get q
haul it amt so bad, but when we don't
VIC ketch il. She's drunk tonight and
drove us OUT
She pushed the heavy hair back from
MS forehead as Nanny Sal YOUR
mother ~ she asked.
Mop cried the boy, almost fierc4lv.
and then added, snllenly, II amt got
none"
Slowly the gloved hand passed back
lady's eyes were looking fer away; the
boys face was like, so strangely like.
another face.
Are you hungry?" she asked sud
denly.
Tho wide. .onon orov o,os o,1