The Arkansaw traveler., 1886-05-01

had never looked cold and bleak under low driving clouds and a pitiless north easter.
 We had been very busy all morning inc and my driver, Steve Simes-and, being eXtry tired by the first warmth of summer, We were in nowiSe sorry to see dinner time We stoked up, and took our tommy down to the little bridge that crossed the river hard by, and sat down to enjoy ourselves When we were done eating, Steve dropped off for forty winks. while smoked my pipe and watched the fish dart through the gravelly shallows. All of sudden, heard some of tn" men call down to Us as loud as they could holler
 Here Steve-Pickles Where are you? Come and look after a young rascal as is prigging from your coal bunk
 | didn't feel best pleased at being disturbed just then for il wanted q quarter of an hour to time, and made up my mind that as had to move some one should pay the piper So minded, went as quick as l could to where the engine stood, and there, sure enough, was d young divvle of boy half in the conlhunk. sorting out the bits of coal he could lift and putting them into sack In less tinlr than il takes t0 say N", l was tIp on the engine and had got him by the scrutf of the neck hy which held him until had opened the tir'-boX and pushed his sack and our coal> into it After that. I give him a shove off the engine. and. follow ing him down, keteh"d hold of strap that Was handy. and laid into him as hard a> l could which. no doubt. WAS the best thing that could have been don" to him. However, he didn't seem to agree with it, for he lifted up his voice and howled a> if had been murdcring him. The more noise he made the more l felt inclined to Hog him, particularly aS l spotted him for one of d gypsy fam fly who had come to live close at hand and if he was to be loatna round all summer. 1t was just as well to teach him to forget the road to our coal-bunk
 How bong should have lathrrcd him can say hadn near finished when some one caught hold uf mv arm from behind and held un tu me so tight that l was obliged to give in Naturally | turned sharp round tu see which of our chaps had the impudoncc to come inter- t"ring. and there. at my elbow. instead of the navYy expected to see stood d slim. tall girl oi about nineteen years old her dark cyrs flashing and her small face quit" white with anger She was catching at her breath a< if she had come running to the boy help other wis" she wouldn't [ have given me time to consider what she was like before she began pitching into me with all her mlght for ill-u>lng poor helpless child that Was her Way ei putting it l let her scold without opening my lips to tell her the rights of the matter. for there was that in her beautiful angry brown eyes and in the quick trembling of her lips that kept me silent with scarce a notion ut what she was saving My hands dropped at my sides, the strap >hppcd from between my fingers. and tn" young hlackgunrd took to his heels and made himself scarce before the girl had come to.an end of what shr had to say
 Ky that time the commotiun had brought a lot of the men round. and when she stopped for a momcnt-not because she was short of somewhat to say, but because she lacked breath to put il strong enough -onc chap per hap, being amused at her check. and perhaps wanting to bring a more plea. >ant look into her pretty face said
 Come, my lass, the lad aint quite done for, and perhaps We can patch up the damage if We send round the hat
 Saying which II" pulled oil his cap dropped III penny, and handed it on Sh" sad neither yea nor nay. but plraSantcr look came into her face and smoothed out the angry lines couldn't help feeling what warm heart she must have to stand up So pluckilv for little Sn"akiug chap like that: and when the cap came to me with a good handful of coppcr> in it put in a shil- ling just to show bore. no malice looking the while into her soft brown eyes, and saving
 The young>trr quite deserved all he got, and plenty moro for coming prie. giug but since it hurts your feelings to see him leathered I'm sorry happened to lay on to him
 When she saw that We really meant to give her the captul of coppers, pretty little smil" crept round the corners of htI iilputIl, anu >nP Nalt m voice that didn't sound as if it could be loud or cross
 Thank you; thank you know he k bad boy, but he shan't do il again. and, before go, would any of you like to have your fortunes told2R
 Ot course there were d dozen ready for that sort of ioke-me among the rest and sue made lis, each in our turn. hold out both hands which she looked at, and then told us a lot of stuff about fair women and strokes of luck, bad and good, She gave me my turn last of all. for l hung back n bit on purpose, watch ing her, and thinking that though her ways might be odd, her face and her voice and the way she moved about were sweet and beautiful When she looked into my hands l felt as if I'd give weeks wages to hear something nice and kind, and no doubt my face