The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-01-30

such kid" Ile had evidently min
gled with mon for several years, but
tho association did not seem to have
rubbed of any OF the marks Of extreme
youth, at least in his behavior, and no
ono ever thought OF smiling, even when
shorty Fleming, the boss younger
brother, aged IS, addressed the Kid by
any one OF his numerous diminutiyes.
Ono could not help liking the Kid, in
spite OF his pranks, for he was always SO
good natured and obliging. If he was
ready to cut up hair brush and scatter
tho bristlcs in some tired fellows bunk
about bed time, he was just as ready to
do double duty in case his victim hap
pened to be i'll.
There were few chickens at the
ranch, and ono Of the Undressed's chief
est joys was to feed them corn with q
string and stick attachment, and laugh
himself almost to death at their frantic
efforts to kick themselves loose. But il
ono OF those same chickens happened to
DO hurt or i'll, he would nurse it lust rs
u woman might.
On the occasion when no stuck shoe
makers wax OH Hank Barr's saddle,
and Hank came in to supper without
the basement OF his jeans, and made sar-
castle remarks, the Kid felt himself n
born humorist, and ono would have
thought that capers OF this sort we're
his highest aim in life; but it was he
who, after q cold, hard days work. rode
twenty miles on stormy night to get n
surgeon to set the leg Hank had broken
in the evening. But pranks are pranks,
and the prankee seldom takes the same
view OF them as docs the prankist; and
thus it came 10 pass that the Kids
liSht-mindedness, together with his
everlasting jokishness, brought upon
him the ecorn OF his fellow laborers at
the "HN." They all liked him well
enough, but that was all. They never
considered him or included him in their
plans, except when there was some un-
comfortable duty to perform. In fact,
they paid very little attention to him.
Briefly, he acted like iiiteen-year-old,
and was so treated.
Tho next spring Miss Mary Brooke
appeared on the scene as n visitor TO
Colonel Hanford's, six miles south OF
us. She came, she saw-and the rest Of
1t. Women were very scarce in our
vicinity, especially young and pretty
ones, and, TO our unaccustomed eyes,
Venus and the Three Graces and all the
rest weren't in it with Mary Brooke,
and We bowed down and worshipped
like lot OF half tlcdged idiots.
Wo were all serious, too. It was re-
markablc how many business transac.
tons Boss Fleming had to talk over
with the colonel all of sudden, and
how |, Tho Scribe, took such fancy to
reading and discussing Browning with
Mrs. Elaniord, who was slightly deaf,
and, therefore, not easy to converse
with. 1t was not long, however, before
Boss Fleming and l had the running all
to ourselves. Fleming, as q near neigh
Dor, q big ranch owner and wealthy
man, had strong hold on the colonel,
and l, the Scribe, having stuck to my
desk in carly youth, and being, there.
fare, able to talk q little on such SUBJ
jects as interested Mrs. Hanford, had
quite captivated her, and the BOYS,
perceivins this state OF affairs, discreetly
withdrew and spent their evenings as
OF yore.
All but the Undressed Kid. He, being
from Boston-Misss Brooke's home
also came in for n share OF her smiles
and conversation; but, as no showed
no signs OF change in his youthful ways,
We didn't pay much attention to him,
except to consider him much in the
Same light as one might q nuisance in
kits. Ho was in the way, OF course,
but he didn't cause us any worry.
10 be sure, VIC wondered how it was
that Miss Brooke could tolerate his nom
sense and chatter, Tor she was somewhat
staid in her ways, and person whom
one would hardly suspect OF liking for
levity. Tho boss and were both sure
that the Kids constant presence would
begin to pail very soon-brichy, no
would make Miss Brooke tired, and we
two could fight it out solely between
ourselves.
But somehow this state OF things
didn't come to pass. Tho Kid managed
to get in as many calls rs did the boss
and l, and, what was worse, usually had
Miss Brooke pretty much to himself,
worse luck to the old folks: and it made
Fleming and myself very weary to hear
her laughing at his timo.worn Jokes
until the tears rolled down her cheeks,
That the Infant had serious inten-
tons never entered our heads. OF
course it was undoniablo that Miss
Brooke liked him; but that, we assured
ourselves, was in spirit OF nero good
naturcd tolerance. Besides, who ever
knew OF the Kid having sweetly
solemn thought?
Providence camc to our aid about the
middle OF July, in the shapeoi tole-
gram, stating that the Kids wealthy
father, with whom ho had not been on
very good terms-that is, no terms at
all-had COMO tho way OF all humanity,
and that tho Kid must como homo at
once, to look after affairs.
We were at tho Hansfords', Fleming
and ], that evening, whom the Kid, who
had preceded US by an hour or so, took
leave OF Miss Brooke. He was not going
back to tho ranch, having had his
things sent to to town, in order to start
early IN the morning, and he left short
ly after VIC arrived.
Even II we had expected otherwise,
there was nothing touching in the kids
leave taking. While not quite SO light
in his speech rs usual, he could hardly
have been accused Of seriousness. and
ho shook hands with Miss Brooke in
the same hearty way as with tho res.
OF rs.
We'll, the Kid was of-if not for good
cpvnrn1 ,vnnl., ot la,,t AL