The Bad Lands cow boy. [volume] (Little Missouri, Dakota [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-1886, 1885-03-19

dropped q small, shining silver thing--a |
sixpencs, really q 6-penny piece. Now
slxpence is NOT q large sum, but when
attained Smiraculously at the moment
when one had ceased to hope for; any-1f
thing, it might seem rat Trot's age.
81 Some vague idea that fairies we're re-.
ally around actually thrilled the child.sfs|
Then theisubs tantial fact fixed itself
in her mind, IS ts4
"a present. OF some sort Lois should
have. She could give it to her.
Trot hid the treasure in the corner Of
her ket-handkerchief, took home the:
pie, and kept her secret as she ate the
pie with her coffee: 81
Then, when all was tidy, away she
vent, stealing out the house with great
Importance, and staring at the shops
and pricing things, and finding nothing
(for sixpence) that was worth buying.
x At last, in q small shop window, she
saw some little pin cushions two seal
;lop shells set over d bit Of colored satin,
with 8 loop Of: ribbon to fasten to ones
belt or nail. +
They might?d do, she thought. ~
Alas they were 10 pence apiece.
But the half-grown girl behind the
counter was good natured.
8 Look here, 3 she whispered to Trot,
81 know how hard it is to get things
when you're young and amt earning
yet. She charges 10 pence for these,
but She buys Fem Of AN old sailor, who
makes them himself, for sixpence. You
60 down the; street, along the wharf to
a little yellow house. There's toy boats
in the window, and parrots, and bananas,
and he's ian old man with q wooden leg;
and Jest ask him. He'll sell You one.
I'm sure. = y ri S{i AZ y (; Y &
It's very nice of you- to tell me-"
said Trot, and with q grateful look she
sped away; and though Lois would
have expected to see her killed outright,
did get sally through. the crowds of drays
and carriages ntg the wdterside of the
yellow house, jwhere the little old man
with his wooden leg kept his queer little
shop; and, as the sign at the door de-
clared, nboarders" also. ffGs,@: q
Lime sailors smoked on the steps.
One Whitfield at the end of the work
room. So 81 a.
4 As Trot stood modestly waiting. a tall
man, with a long beard who looked thin.
and ILL and very sad hurried past her
and went up STAIRS It. was then that
the old man asked her what she wanted.
One Of them cushings 2" he repeated.
ls'Well, my dear, yes. By the dozen is
my: rule, but I Sbreaks rules for pretty
little lassies like you. Will you have q
blue, a pink, ora yaller silk? Make up
your mind and I'll pitch down what you
choose. My darter fixes the silk, I gums
the shells on. and polishes 'em, and go
they're finished. Shes at work up
stairs now Sowhich r. 3:,5l; 8
:ss! Blue, please, +" said !Trot, and away
stumped the old man. When he came
down lie showed her the cushion. took
the silver, and went to hunt upa bit of
paper to wrapit in; and the whiting
sailor spoke to him. V: ~: sz
That poor chap looked blue" he
said. ~ 3sssi FSisi y: s. !. s -
He is blue; 2 said the old sailor. GAIL
that's come and gone il nothing to this, I"
! he said: He hoped agin hope until
now. But. you see,Fhe's looked for his
gal. q month now, and can't find her !;
and be says either she's dead or married
and he's talking Of putting q pistol to his
head I:neyer see chap SO mortal
/. down in the mouth afore. " "; IT.;
Folks has lived through it and mar
j ried other gals, !" said the sailor, whit.
! Ting hard and turning very red. EN-
4 ~ es, said the old man, "but don't
4 you see; ;he's mad three years on q des-
ert island, and seen two men along Of
him-die, one arter the other, and was
4 at staryation's door when Capt. Briggs
\ picked him mp, that weak he couldn't
stand !. And now this worry. Sartinty
Il can be borne better than unsarinty be
a it, ever so wofu1. Here. little lassie y
But Trot, with eyes and mouth wide
Il open, s did not even see the little package
.he held out to her. z.55 3l5
i #Amemory Of q pose and Of hair like
4 those of the tall man she had seen burst
upon her. ~: :'5s I, u 1
Jack had no beard, but oh--but oh
Ishe was strong in childish hope and that
childish expectation Of fine endings tx
real ife-stories which we losein aftel
life. ..s:;' tss; 81
Lois would have sighed and gone
saway, bnt Trot clutched the old mans
5lsiacke with her thin little hands.
Oh, please, sir, ns6e said, 4oh, I be.
Eieve It's Jack. I always knew he
WASH T.: drowned. Oh, please tell hin
4 that if he's Jack, Tn Trot, and Lois i
7 my sister. \. Oh, tell him! I think til
4 lack, and that it is Lois he is looking
4 for. We're Capt. Lees daughters tel
him- tell himl II t }5; 8.
n Good Lord !" shouted the whiting
Eitsai1or, dropping his knife. tits like {
4 play. The fellow is looking for Capper
1 Lees darter. ." EEL .ss I. 3. 81
Up he went, five stairs ct "a time
!, Down he came with the man with tn.
beard. IN. &,
aWhere Is she ? Where is she?" b,
gasped. aThis- this isn't Trot2 ?" Il
This isn't Jack. Oh, dear, dear?''
Il cried Trot. Only your nose tina
J looks like. Oh, is Il Jack Darrow ~ ~. 81 4
sssss. Nhereis Lois ~ was all he answered
And the whiting sailor wiped hi
! eyes with q big red hand erehief AM
4 the old man yelled .hnrrah J" B.
Then he crammed the pretty cushion
into the child's pocket and she wen
away with her hand in the thin brow
Ehand of Jack Darrow, and told him al
las they hastened along. b; .5:s
4 10 up and prepare her, Trot," sal,
n Jack. This IS sudden. II might hur
her. n, 4.
s So Trot5 climbed the stairs, thinkinl
what she might say, and abe came wher
Lois sat ct work and said
8 ~ Lois, want to give You a. sbirthda,
& tyIrnaayts and fhei fairina mt sirnarica II,