The Red Cloud chief., 1883-11-02

w W. ." - - ~
Perhaps that ~as sbou, the way ia.
PER himself thought. how tha, u ~s'
to late. A.. tirci and anxious. rxgg~t
and grimy. hs sKulkei along IN TIL
shadow toward home.
lie VA not very big DOR very old.
this boy Jasper. and i, was getting pr-i-
" dark. and Jasper himself va. ct.
ting unconmonl, hungry. But. some
way or other. he did no, hurry hume n
fast ~ YOU nigh; think lac would. un.
der thrsc circumstance.
Blu, then he had n good rason for
"a; hurrying.
Ordinarily. he would have rushed
HON. and into the house pell-mcll. AMI
,oci!erously announced Ia hi mother
that h. was hungry a. n bear. and
wanted >Omcth ng To eat But Nou
don like 10 run in IN. n : mouth
to get the ball.
And when Jasper got home tonight.
he was pretty sure Of getting something
else besides something 10 eat. The
truth is. he expected to catch Il when
he got home.
Pcrhap. YOU don't know what ''ca'ch-
ing it is. Jasper did. perfectly well.
He had had considerable experience In
catching it, but had never enjoyed 10.
This was the reason why he felt -
solemn this evening. and why he walked
50 slow. and why his feet f~l, - heavy
as he walked.
But ! must; hurry and tell you ~ha, il
vas that Jasper had done. and now
wished that he had not.
He hsd beer Ia the lire. fatty dis
obsyed his mother. and scamp-rrd of!
right before her very eyes.
II was dreadful in Jasper, for. besides
the disobcdience o! the thing. his mother
was n nervous woman. and he should
not have helped Ia make her more so.
She hal just been telling Mr.. Cole
man that IL would drive her Ia the verge
81 distraction la have hsr son running
around between iir"-eDginrs. and under
horses hoofs. and beneath blazing EN-
bcrs the WAY those Warren boys did.
And Jasper had heard her tell Mrs.
Coleman this. too-or. NJ least. he could
have heard il he had listened.
] am not sure. though. that he did
listen. for. ut the time, Mrs. Coleman
and Jaspcr's mother and Jasper himself
where ali standing on the sidewa ak. try
ing - make out where the fire was.
The firc-bells were ringing and the
firc-cngines were rushing by. and a
crowd of men and boys were tearing
along the road after the engine. So Won
csn see there was considerable Ia take
Jaspcr's attention away from what his
mother Wa saying Ia Mrs. Coleman.
Another thing that NAV have attracted
Jasper was his overwhelming desire To
become n part Of that moving mass Of
men and boys.
Cant ! go. mother ?" he demand
ed. vehemcnilv. clutching n; his moth
er's dress. I'll De sure and not &c,
killed"
"No!' sad his mother. with empha-
sis. Let me catch YOU going. sir.'
But the excitement 81 the scene be-
fore him was too much for Jasper. II
was perfectly maddening 10 have TO
stand there stock still. rs though he
hadn't any legs tn run with. when eve
rybody clsc-all the other boys. anyway
were running as fast rs their legs
would carry them.
just here. a squad Of little boys. about
Jaspcr's W age. came screcching and
yelling down the road In the rear Of a
tardy engine. and them really do not
think Jasper could have been personal
~ responsible for Whist he did he took
to his heels, joined the crowd Of boys.
and WAS lost TO sight. all in just about
one second.
And his mother vas screaming after
him:
Come back here, Oh. you'll catch
nr'
II il hadn't beer that she had the baby
in her arms, | believe she would have
run along with tho crowd herself in
pursuit Of this rebellious son 81 hers.
But all this had happened several hour.
ago.
Jasper was not excited now, and his
personal responsibility had all come
back TO him. i, weighed him down
there was s. much Of IT,
Aud the fire VA all out, too. II had
not been such a very great fire. anyway. |
There was so much smoke and so little
blaze. and the firemen had been in such |
8 hurry to put IL out.
And then . little short fellow Ike
Jasper did not have half q chance 10
see anything. with so many grown men
in front Of him.
II had not been ut all q satisfactory
fire. and then just think Of having 10
come home in the end and catching
it, Poor Jasper,
when he got into the yard he thought
he would just see how the land Law be
fore be ventured into the house. So he
peeped into the dining room window
and II there were not the folks tuss Sit !
ting down TO . piping hot" supper,
They had poached eggs and toast, and
ePentanf Jasper. hanging on the win
dow-sill. thought:
How good poached eggs and toast
do o when . fellows been and run !
away TO the FIRE. and don't dare 20 in
wnen he's just s-starvingr'
And then he devoutly wished again
that he hadn't gone TO tha, FIRE
Jasper was . great hoy for wishing. |
you zee; but II he had studied Mother
Goose as thoroughly as l have done.
he would know tha;
IF vtsAes ver horses.
Be6pan might ma
And that II only . poefical way Of
There's no use in wishinx.
Jasper looked on hunznly until be
had seen the last egg disappear from
the platter. and then be feif more
hungry than q He noticed TIA; his
moeber kept looking n he clock. a.d
aaae b saw Ass lips say:
wonder Why that boy sos's
Then sAe gos up and ven. 70 the
Dr to look Tor him. and Jasper hastily
(reased into the dog-ksanel. &c
eggied up against old Rover. CRED q
ie. and wished again be hsdn's gone
thas Old fire; and then be stopped
shing: and went sound asleep.
Bat Al this while Jasper's mother
rs suffering. - well - Jasper. AID