The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1890-12-26

to the edge of tho wharf, peered over
into b darkness below. The sound was
rcpeated-a little gasping meow.
Somebody's throwed q kitten off ther
dock. but I can't see It cause it's dark
as pitch down there said he.
aPoor thing!" said his sister. who had
followed him, IL don't think whoever
done that was er-tryin' ter be extry good.
oh, dear! hear 1t cry. It makes me have
er pain jist yer the place ware Their
hungry is. Can't we git it out, Tommy9"
sGit 1t out? Wot you want ter git It
out fur? It'll soon stop er-ycllin'."
aYes, Gauss it'll be drowned" sobbed
Caddie. "Oh! Tommy, dear, do git 1t out
II you kin. Us won't have no other
chance ter be extry good knows US
won't. Us don't know anybody ter be
extry good 10 yet; an II us did US amt
got nothin' ter be cxtry good with. But
US kin be er little extry good ter Their
poor kitten, an us saves its life / guess
that beautiful baby will be glad an
us fishin' it outer Their water ontcr His
birthday"
swell, here goes" said Tommy, who
loved this poor little sister dearly, and
had often gone without q dinner that she
might have one, "an' If 1 gifts it I'll give
t ter you fur your Christmas. But how
am l to scc?! Wish that street lamp'd
hop over here. Its legs long enough to
hop here in two or three hops ii it was
loose. oh, my eye, If l q didn't forgit them
tapcrs! The Teller that sells 'em fur thcr
Christmas tree give me two an o box of
wax matches fur fetchin' him err sang
witch, an here they is in my pocket. $50
saying, he took them out, lighted one,
and. holding his cap before it to shield it
from the wind, dropped on his knees,
and, leaning forward as far as he dared,
looked down in the direction from which
the cry had come, ether tides furder
out than ever l seen it BEFORE" he said,
IAN there's nothin' but mud there, an
ther kittens er stickin' inter it. l kin
git down easy 'nough, but how'm 1 ter
git up agin? S'posc l should stick in the
mud, too? Then thcrc'd be two stick.in-
ther-muds stead of one."
"Oh, you won't, Tommy" said Cad
die, confidently. @You're so uscter mud!
An, Tommy" she went on, eagerly,
there's sumpin' like or ladder clost ter
ware US was cr-scttin'. Err long board
with sticks nailed across it. Can't you
git up 0ntcr that?!"
"Wcll, If ] can't. nobody kin, declared
Tommy, with o little swagger, and back
to the pile of lumber they both trotted
for the @sumpin' like u ladder" Tug
ging and pulling with all their might,
they managed to drag it to the edge Of
the wharf and then lower it till one end
rested in the mud below. .Take my cap
an Their light" said Tommy, san' wen
I'm comm up stick thor taper somewhere
an holt onter Their board with both hans
as hard as you kim" Down lie went as
nimbly as a squirrel, and 1t wasn't long
before he called out. 81 got it. an l foun'
sumpin' else right by it. Hold hard, sis,
here l comes" And up lie came again
not quite as nimbly as he had gone
down-clasping a half-smothered kitten
to his breast and holding q small metal
box in his hand. aspect my bran-new
fash'nable suits all spilled SOS l can't go
er-makin' New Years calls" he said;
shut there's your Chrissmuss present, sis,
an' now we'll git back ter our lodgin's
an see wot mine is"
The little girl took the kitten tenderly
In her arms and then both youngsters
hurried to their retreat behind the lum-
Der pile. saint she q dear little thing?"
said Caddie u few moments after they
had got there. as she tried to wipe the
mud from her Christmas present with
the piece of old carpet that served her for
o shawl.
ayes, sis. An amt them dear little
things!?" replied her brother, holding out
five gold and two silver coins which he
had taken. after some trouble in getting it
open, from the box he had found. Cad
dies eyes grew big and round with WON
der.
ais EN- reel money??" she asked.
Nvyo, ct, u l~n1r.- y..--.
"No make b'lieve bout them. Five five
dollar golders an two silver hafs-orful
black the halls is, but 1 knows 'cm.
Let's see wot their number is. They're
all erlike: 1880, an now it's 1859.
Them goldcrs is-lct's sce-you keep
count of their tens, Cad. Thirty an ten
is forty, an forty an ten is fifty, am
fifty an ten is sixty. am sixty an ten is
seventy, an seventy an ten is eighty.
How many tens, Cad?"
"Fiye," said Caddic, adding in an adj
miring tone, "my, Tommy, amt you a
6ggerer!"
"Five tens is fifty, an there's err
nfnc," Tommy went on. "Them gold
ers is fifty-nine years ole. An this
box" polishing away ut 1t with the
sleeve of his jacket, II guess is silver,
too. Hello, here's some printin' onter it.
n-d'-grand-sm-o-t.h
h-sd-a-y =
day. sJ-a-n,'-Jane, no that amt 1t;
JAN Jan. oh, that's fur January
like Cad for Caddic. Jan. 1881. Five
SIS golders an two hats, Cad, an now
you're goin' ter have thcr doll, an ther
Mother Hubbed dress, an Their fresh
crullers, an all them things you wants.
An I'll git Their sinner set up an we'll
have er home, an you'll go ter school an
learn how ter read figgers and printin'
jest as good as I do. an no thanks ter
ther wite.whiskcred ole chap wot for.
got u.s."
@An' how glad that bcyutiful baby'll be
cause us was extry good, Tommy, fist
as much IS We conld be, want us,
Tommy: But Tommy"-and o shade
came c her face, soughtn't US find
that ole lady, that grandmother, an give
her her box an money back again?s
Tommy burst out laughing.
"W'y, she'd be, let's see, she'd be 81
hundert an or lot moro years ole II she
was er Twin 10Y So I guess she amt.
But I'll tell yer wot I'll do. sis, SOS ter
make things all square. I'll ask ther
lady ter ther Mission about It tcrmorrcr.
But I'm goin' ter spend one Of them hats,
anyhow, ontcr er feed fur you an me
an Their cat. Come along. Hot-cake
Johnny's opcn yet. He'll keep open all
night ter night, yer bet, COS its Merry
ChriSsmuSS.s