The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1884-12-18

heard was faint moan that sounded
like "Oh, mother, if you had not diedV
There was little supper for Humpy
that night, but he did not seem to
notice it. He went over TO the sofa
and lay down with his long bony arms
crossed under him. After the dishes
were washed, and the last evenings
work done, Mary took the lamp and
started for her room, and as the lamp
light fell on the misshapen wretch she
stopped and looked at him. The boy
opened his eyes andt they looked at each
other. N
"llumpy, if any one should ever say
anything again me, tell 'em did tlS
best a motherless girl could do ~
Humpy looked at her-ah, so loving
ly, and yet so shrewdly, too.
m''l do that" he growled, and shut
his eyes again, while Mary went up
Stairs.
Mary loved Humpy as only a woman
can love monstrosity, and yet she
would give him no other hint of what
was to happen.
When Mary had gone up stairs,
Humpy opened his eyes very wide,
drew from his pocket bunch of keys,
ratified them, and chucGled.
"I'm thinkin' Mr.. Stern will have,
TO go away by himself" Then he
crept up stairs very softly.
About ten o'clock buggy drew up
in front of the door. Mr.. Stern jumped
out and rushed Up the dark stair to
Mary's room. When Mary heard him,
she came to open her door.
They were both surprised, very much
surprised. The door uas locked, and
Humpy was chuckling to himself in
dark corner downstairs. But Humpy
chuckled too soon for, with few
athletic shoves of the shoulder Mr..
Stern sent the weak pine door tumbling
off its hinges, and sprang inside to
meet the girl. Humpy heard the dull
crack of the door, sprang to his feet,
and rushed to the foot of the stairs.
A niche in the wall barely gave the
stair door room enough to swing to and
fro. Humpy shut the door and put
his broad back against it, while he
braced himself against the wall with
his pipestem legs. He heard Mary and
Stern coming down stairs. He felt
another and another, and then a hot
stinging pain rushed through him. He
shut his teeth and held on. Another
wrench and he sank shapeless mass
on the floor. while the awful burning,
shooting pain wrung q cry of agony
from him, that shook the girls heart
Throwing aside the bundle she carried
she knelt on the floor and took him in
her arms. As she bent over him to
sooth him her hair tumbled down over
her shoulder and streamed over her
eyes, but she paid attention to nothing
but the boy.
Mr.. Stern bent over and felt the
cripple's arms and legs, and when he
touched the shoulder the boy shook
and gave weak, shuddering moan.
"lt's nothing serious, Mary Mr..
Stern said; "only a wrenched shoulder.
He'll be all right in day or two. Put
him down and come along"
The girl only held the boy the tight
er. Mr.. Stern felt out of place. He
waited for while in the dimly lighted
room, but the girl kept the boy in her
arms, soothing, kissing, and crying
over him, but he felt so brutal and so
cowardly that he sneaked out like a
whipped hound and drove away.
When Tom Ryan came home Mary
told him everything, and Tom only
said:
"Well, well. Mary, let it end there.
You have been foolish, but Humpy has
kept you from being wicked"
And in about month the street cat
passing by saw Humpy in his old place
as well and happy as ever before
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