, 1886-12-19

hpNIS NJ all, Dut as IL pcIsiSteu III us
mute demands of some sort. old Sandy
cas- about him furtively for something
to wrap it up in. Nothing satisfac-
tory presented itself to his view. The
only shawl that was visible was the one
pinned up against the window, and it
was so exceedingly dirty and moth eaten
that even if he had felt at liberty to in
terfere with the arrangements of the
tenant of the in her absence he
would not nave used it. The Nudge,
growing tired of his unexplained %inactiv-
ity, emitteda low wall from its small,
parched throat which seemed to throw
old Sandy completely IN his beam ends.
Don't cry. Nudge. Bless my soul,
don't cry. You shall have n walk
With sudden decision he jerked off
his old tweed coat, which, though cruel
ly inadequate out there on the wind
swept streets even when he had been
weather boarded with his wooden adver-
tiscments. would doubtless present u
luxurious contrast for the Nudge to the
wrinkled and GRUMPY quilt that he was
then enveloped in.
He did it rather clumsily, but the
Nudge was no %pampered darling of for
tune and allowed himself to be rolled
face downward and incased in old
Sandy's coat without protest. Only
nee he gave n sigh of relief when lie
was finally hoisted high up and laid
against Sandy's restless breast. with his
small hot mead resting on the old msn's
uncoated shoulder. When old Sandy
began to crrak soberlv backward and
forward over the bare iloor in his vocal
shoes. the canary birds. concluding by
this time either that he was a harmless
sort of monster whose presence should
not he allowed to c~nrtaii their enjoy
mcnt of the sunshine. or elsa. that the
sounds emitted b, .lios, slioea must h.
drowned at ali hazards. began singing
again with all the capacity of six litts'
yellow Threats. SANDY quite approved
of this performance ON their part. and
stationing hima- II ia the Very brolIesl
sunbeam he could lini he turned his
back toward the cag,4' 80 is to bring tn
Midgc's weakened face close To the rrctty
things singing thor. 81 krilv ia ihc nui.-
shine. and singing as nthcre lrri never
had a heart acirl or broken in ~. iii
hard world. Purity burds singing Tor
Midge''
He said it very pcrsuasivclv. but the
Nudge signifiel his disapprovai OF this
halt by bringing his small. cold feet
into convulsivr contact with sandy's
stomach, and clutching icebly at the
shirt collar against which II hot little
claw rested.
I'm an idiot. Midgc. of course | am.
What's the purity birdsto you when YOU
amt ever been out of sight or nearing
Of their everlasting wobbline. Bat
there, money is in EN-. Mid.ac. / Won
der where she is all this time, and fall
Of contrition for his error in Judgment
old Sandy resumed lis tramp while the
Nudge lay mo.ionlcss in his inexperienced
arms. 1t seemed to him a very long
time that he crcaked up and down that
hurc noorcd room with the Midgc's little
hot head resting on his shoulder. Long
enough for him to make Il great many
sombcr reflections on the barrenness OF
its appointments. He had never seen it
before by daylight. lie had always
come of evenings, when lac was legiti-
matcly freed from ~ boards and was at
As he had promised faithfully to do when
Jim, poor fellow, had die nearly ii year
gone now. 1t hadn't been much of an
undertaking no at all unpleasant, for
Jim wife was little creature, and
1t mad shortened many an evening for
Old Sandy to SIT in the room where the
cooking stove and the baby S cradle and
the high swung canary birds cages We're
All equally at home n watch Jims
wife at her sewing. II was always
busy ANA neat ana trim when Old Sandy
came ana careful OF the Nudge, too and
tha' was what made 1t so hard to under
stand what lOOkedhke such cruel neglect