, 1890-01-09

o y Nhe ~
friends had slowly dropped or had beer
hastily removed. That was the way OF
the world, doubtless, but there are some
people who never get used to the ways
Of the world. Milly was haply one OF
these.
She had one friend-though 1 should
rather say one acquaintance, for he was
scarcely more-and that was the little
crossing sweeper, the poor boy Jim.
Their misfortunes were a bond between
them, perhaps; they were both crippled
though slightly, from infancy. He was
humpbacked; she was lame. He was
swift of foot and Of eye and could pilot
her dexterously over the muddy way,
safe from horses feet or splash of wheels;
she, the girl, was stronger of hand,
brighter Of face and Of courage. She
had more than once taken the bosom
from Jim's hand and swept away the
mud for pedestrians blithely and cheerily,
so that she earned more coppers for him
in ten minutes than he knew how to
gain in a weary mornings work. His
hands were 80 weak and delicate; hers,
used to activity, were positively muscu.
lar by contrast.
There was one drawback-he never
seemed to comprehend about the flow.
ers. He would stand on one leg by the
brilliant shop window staring piteously,
taking off his ragged cap and putting il
on again with a gesture Of perplexity,
scratching his head sometimes for greater
doubt,
You see, Jim," Milly whispered to
him one day, 81 love them so-the flow
ers. They are s beautiful, SO very, very
beautiful. 1t quite gives me a pain, an
d feeling here in my throat, only to
look at them"
Then / wouldn't have nothin' to do
with EN-" returned the boy decisively.
"If they hurt you what's the goodY'
'It's the hurting that brings me back
TO them, somehow" stammered Milly,
who couldn't explain.
Jim gazed at her with his wide open
ed, long lashed eyes.
You are a queer 'un, and no mis-
take" he said at last. "Hi, look out!
you were almost right under the van
this time, Mill. 1 wish, 1 wish l was a
dock, that l do-Tdgive you flowers and
grand things every day; wouldn't /
justl"
THANK you, Jim, dear; oh, thank
you. That makes it just the same as If
you did,"
why, how can that be?" asked the
boy, leaning OF his broom and staring at
her harder than ever.
"Of course it does. Don't you see?"
asked Milly, to whom definitions seemed
almost the greatest difficulties of life.
There are some people who have so lit
tie to say that they spend their days in
trying to make the scanty substance
more; meanwhile the thoughts of others
surge tempestuously against their fetter-
ing speech, and these people must al
ways appeal. ignorant and dull.
One day-it was a bright May morn
ing-Milly had come to an end of all her
commissioned work. Nor had she any
ideas for the future; she was tired, over
done perchance-she had been working
both early and late this last week. The
colors of the many petaled flowers in the
shop opposite seemed to fash more
brightly than usual; the sun was strong
and hot; the three cornered piece of sky
overhead was positively blue. From its
cage on a nail outside O neighbours win
dow came the sweet song of a captive
thrush. Some effervescence of spring
time rose and bubbled in the girls young
veins. She could o stay within her
dark and squalid ROOM; she rose to her
feet in Impotence.
A moment later she had reached the
street. She stood outside the door of the
house, gazing inquiringly from side to
side. No, Jim was not there; he was
nowhere in sight. Well, he would soon
return, doubtless. There were few We
hicles to be seen; she might cross safely.
Now the deed was done; Jim should
presently hear of her proves.
And surely the reward was worth the
effort. The flower shop had never SEEM
ed SO beautiful. Bunches of lilac, labur-
mum and hawthorn were blooming on
one side; on the other side were posi-
lively stacked pink, red and white peo-
mics, pansies and the M and blue
bells of the woods, while marshmallows
and cowslips shone more golden thar
the sunshine.
Mllly knew no names or properties of
flowers; in her eyes there were no COM
mon ones, and the dollhouse geraniums
and cinerarias were only by color more
glorious than the penny punches of wall
flowers and field daisies and struggling
forget-me-nots that were specially pro-
vided for weary Londoners.
To her it was all a beautiful dream;
there was just a hard. impossible wall
between her and such luxuries, like the
glass against which she fattened her
pale, little pinched features. She could
see through the glass, certainly, but she
could not go nearer; no, nor vet touch
or smell. She could only sigh, and the
sigh Complaint like made matters
worse, for it dimmed the clearness of the
glass for q moment.
Two ladies came out of the shop; one
passed on; the other, seeing the girl.
paused. The hands of both ladies were
filed with punches of flowers; possibly
Milly's eyes were more hungrily watch
ing than she knew.
You poor little girlI' said the lady
who stood in the doorway. She held
out a bunch Of something bright.
Would you like these lowers? Yes,
you may take them"
She smiled; she went on her way.
Milly had said nothing; not a word of
thanks, even. She only grasped the tiny
nosegay as though it were made of gold.
She stared ~vacantly at the ladies till thew
were out Of sight. Then she laughed
softly to herself. What would Jim saw?
Where was JIM? Why was he still alb
sent? She must certainly come out
I Dns - H.