The Red Cloud chief., 1881-01-13

Il out, ma'am." said Jem; and when
l was on my feet and not on my head
I could see how bright his face was.
..But, you see. !. the wheel" anil then
came a long discourse about wheels and
pinions and coys, which I don't believe
Miss Ellen understood. for all she list
ened so patiently. You know most
women hate machines; It is all they
can do &c keep the clock wound up-and
then some Of them UiH turn the hands
back whenever they pleasei But IL
didn't matter 10 Jem so long as he had a
listener; I've seen the same thing since
In that young engineer that u Miss
Jenny is going TO marry. And then.
too. between turns, | began 10 see that
she was looking at Jem in a queer sort
OF wa Y. At first she hal thought
about him, and not his looks; and now
the looks were foremost, and she pulled
out a little square, white thing and a
pencil and began making marks. signing
TO Jem 10 go on telling her about his
contrivance.
Now. IL the spring a make the
figure turn over that bar and back
again, why couldn't a stronger one give
the same m~o,iong' .Jem was saying.
when up came a gentleman and the
dearest little girl 1 cver saw; such 3
bright, sweet face. / fell in love with
her. and she lost her hear. to me.
"Oh-h, paps, Isn't he just ~elegant?'
and she jumped up and down, holding
her father haad. OF course | did nv
very best tumbling then, and she
laughed so that every one about laughed
too. and her father couldn't keepa very
straight face when he tried To quiet her.
Then the chestnut.boy gave a chuckle
and everybody laughed again, except
Miss Ellen, who was busy with her
paper, and looked rs if she didn have
time for fun just then; but she had TO
stop in n moment. for the gentleman
recognized her.
"Strect studies, Nelly?" he said.
looking over her shoulder. / found out
afterward they were old friends.
She laughed and blushcd, and showed
him her paper.
Capital said he. Capital! Little
Mans fine portrait hasn't rs much of
her real self; but the othcrs?"
She spoke quick and low and ! saw
him glance at the chestnut-boy and the
man in the doorway. who was looking
at me harder than ever.
well" he said at last, "when you
work up that sketch let me know. If
| like Il finished as well as ! do out
lined, I'll give you two prices for it
one for Mans likeness and one for the
whole picture. Is il a ~bargain?'
Miss Ellen laughed and shook her
head. "No, for | should always fear
that you would want TO run when you
saw Il, and that would make my fingers
all thumbs. But you shall have the first
chance, Mr.. Orton." with a funny way,
as If she was pretending to do him a
great favor. Little Nan had not grown
tired waiting; she admired metoo much
for that; and now she begged, "Oh.
papa, do buy the tumbling man; it will
be so nice for Dick"
mice for a boy who has broken his
leg to look at a patent jumping-jack!
Queer sort of consolation. Nan. But |
suppose 1t may as well be this toy as
anything else," and he took out his
pocket-book, and asked how much |
would cost. Then. just as my master
was stopping me, the gentleman gave a
little whistle, and asked Nan how they
were to get me home wouldn't it be
better to send for me next morning?
Nan didn't like that, and | think my
master vas afraid the gentleman might
change his mind. for he spoke up quick
and said, This boy here q take it
for YOU, SIR" Wasn't the chestnut
boy grinning then at having the luck
of carrying me home-fOr he was fond
of me. too-and perhaps ten cents at
the end of it. So Mr.. Orton and Nan
and the ehestnut-boy all started off
together, each carrying something; Mr..
orion had books. and Nan a paper
of candy, and the boy me Mr.. Orion
asked tho boy ever SO many questions
as they wentup street, and heard about
his home, and all manner of things.
and that his mother had only jacks
that was the chestnut boys name, Jack
Willis-work to live on, and he couldn't
get much. Mr.. Orion was the sort of a
man to get at a boy; l felt that, even if
l did not hear well, owing to wrapping
paper. When we got to the house Mr..
Orion didn't pay Jack, but told the
man who opened the door to take him
into the kitchen and tell cook to give
him some supper; and when Jack went
home he had a basket of eatables and a
bundle of Master Dicks clothes, and
was told to come to the factory next
morning, perhaps the foreman could
find him a job; and the foreman did,
and Jacks there still and doing well.
Well. l was agreat comfort to Master
Dick, and in that way to the whole
house for it is no tribe to a family
when q lively boy of thirteen breaks his
Jack, he was ashamed of his growing.
only l did not hear him tell Nan that
he thought chestnut roasting must be
real fun. But Nan thought it must be
awful tiresome to be doing the same
thing always. l could have told her
as to that it all depended on the spring
that set you going!
So l tumbled on to my own pleasure
and everybody else's, and w Christ
mas did not put my nose out of joint
very much. for a whole troop of little
cousins came to stay with our children,
and l was new to them. One day, be-
tween SnTlstuldS anu new lear y,
there was a grand jnbilee; all the
cousins were to spend the day here,
and were to come early and stay late,
because it was a holiday week. and be-
cause Dick was well again. They had
a grand time, and the new toys had
rough handling. l was just beginning
to think one might be wound up too
fast and too often, when Mr.. Orion
came in. carrying a great picture, and
behind him were Mrs. Orion and her
sisters, and the lady they called Miss
Ellen. Everything was dropped then,
and l hit myself a dreadful thump
when Dick let me fall; but fortunately
l landed right side up, so 1 could see
the picture getting hung. What do
you think it was? The old toy-stand.
nothing else, with Nan and Jack and
the strange man that seemed to be
taking pattern by me; and I was there,
too! Dick picked me up and showed
me my likeness, but l had often seen
myself in the looking-glass before; and
knew | wasn't handsome; but the other
portraits were famous. Every one
congratulated Miss Ellen. and Mrs.
Orion was delighted to hear how many
people had climbed up to her studio
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