The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-02-12
brooded over with her peaceful, pro-
tectinp wings of STARRY darkness

brooded over with her peaceful, pro-
tecting wings. of starry darkness.
But Charlie did not run away. In
the first place, there was nowhere to
run to, and Charlie was sufficient of a
conservative to remain quietly when
he was sure of q shelter and daily
bread to eat; not always that, how
ever, unless Mrs. Dennis happened to
be i'll tolerably good humor; and then,
child as he was, he felt himself to be a
SORT Of pariah in the outer world, his
tiny hand against every mans and
every mans against him, particularly
the police.
Such we$s the state OF affairs, one
December night, when our little hero
came wailing home, withpurplec cheeks
and chilled fingers and toes, conscious
that he had nothing to plead why he
should not be sent supperless to bed.
But, to his astonishment, Mrs. Dem
mis- was all motherly affability, and
Mike Dooley himself tookhim between
his knees in front of the blazing fire,
and helped to chafe Ills hands. Mike,
in general, being as brutal a rufian as
ever came in contact with the law,
Charlie could not imagine what it oil
meant.
cts two old maids of 'em livin' all
alone, said Mrs. Dennis, resumimp the
conversation whereit had been broken
OIL at Charles entrance; land there's
a closet full OF old plate, an Norah
says Norah cleaned them, yez knows
the staircase windy, openin' on the
back street, would let a good sizedcat
IN betwane the bars, and where q cat
can go Charlie can. Wouldn'tyez
like that, Charlie dear, to help crack
a crib?"
Charlie stared vacantly into the fire
and munched his crust Of stale bread
and didn't care"
"All ye'llhave to do will be to creep
in atween daylikht an dusk, honey,
and hide away like a mouse. Norah
says there's an illigant placeunder the
turn o. the back stairs, just whereyou
get in ~ most, and can liethere as still
as n kitten until they've gone to bed,
and then, sure it'll be aisy to steal out
and unbolt the basement door, and
Mike and nell be waitin'; an if we
get what we want, you shall have a
bran new suit Of clothes, like Mickey
Warren's, wild gould buttons on livery
same"
Charles eyes frightened somewhat
at this prospect.
"There! you see he's all right" said
Mrs Dennis, nooding her head tri-
umphantly at her coadjutor. "Shure
it's a pleasure to dale wild the likes of
him-always cheerful and willin'."
ooh, stop your blarney!"contempt-
ously calculated the less rhetorical
Michael. whats the use o. words?
If he'll go, he'll go, and that's the end
ont. Tomorrow night at eleven"
Mrs. Dennis acquiesced.
Tomorrow night, at eleven, I'll be
waiting at the corner of the street wild
a cloak and q big market basket, an
I'll see that Charles there afore u.s.
The next afternoon, just as the win
try twilight was fading into the black,
indistingulshable dusk, Mrs. Dennis
skilfully propelled the slender, cat
like figure OF little Charlie through the
marrow iron bars of the staircase win
dow.
She was just in time, for as she
stopped again to poke in the depths
OF al ash-barrel with her well worn.
iron hook, q policeman lounged round
the corner OF the house.
"Hallo, old woman! What are you
doing here?
can it is the cinders ye'd grudge
me?" whined Mrs. Dennis, s'an, the
fire going out on the hearth-stone, wild
the six little ones blue wild the cold.
h, an it's hard lines for poor
SO it is, and Mickey Mcgargin,
husband, that is"
"Well, well, you needn't make such
a noise about it," deprecated the
policeman, striding on.
And Mrs. Dennis smiled stealthily
under her ragged red hood.
ders, curled himself up under the stair-
way, amid a lot OF tin bath-tubs, dis
used furniture, and invnlided sauce
pans, and went composedly to sleep.
How long he had slept he did not
know, but the narrow stairway was
lighted up by the glare Of a candle
when he woke, and q hand vas on the
ragged lapels of his coat.
"Why, bless me, it's child!' Shrek
ed a female voice.
"Nonsence, Nancy; it's only a cat!!"
II tell you it's a child, and he's fast
asleep"
Another figure advanced into the
yellow circle OF Pickering light thrown
by the caudle-that OF a tall pleasant
looking woman with a something in
her face that made Charities heart
stand still, and brought the long dis
used word mamma" involuntarily
to his lips.
How on earth came you here, little
boy?" she asked, little less astonished
than her companion had been.
Charlie glanced furtively about the
room, in the vain search for a loop
hole of escape; but there was none,
and Charlie had no idea OF sacrificing
himself for the sakes of Mother Dennis
and Mike Dooley.
"Mrs. Dennis put me through the
window" he whispered, "and she and
Mike r coming at 11o'clock to steal
the spoons and things and I'm to UNI
bolt the front doorfor' em; andplease,
ma'am. | never did such thing before,
and Pm so cold, and-and.
Charlie wound up his explanatory
speech with a burst of very genuine
tears, and screwed his little knuckles
tightly into his round blue eyes.
"My goodness gracious!" CALCULATED
the elder lady.
"Blcss us and save us!'' shrieked
the younger.
"It's a planned burglary" said Miss
Nancy.
"Send some one for the police"
screamed Miss Betsy HISTORICALLY.
YES sobbed little Charley, enter
ing heart and soul into the new cause;
"get u policeman to stand back o the
basement door, an III open it, just if