Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1892-02-03

of some old stuffy ancestor that's been
just like John Browns body, molder-
ing in the ground for years, will get
drowned with Tommy Striker in the
same duck-hole! And / can't row and
fish, because all the boys will go too.
And our folks amt rich enough to have
me ride in a carriage and really go with
other heirs to old grand and rich peo-
pie. so I'm just cut out of every bit of
fun in this world, and the boys laugh
at me and the girls pity me. and am
miserable-so lonesome / don't know
what to do
But you had been standing this
sort of thing good while-what made
you start up and run away?"
Little Lord Fauntleroy," he an
swered, with perfect scorn.
''What?" l calculated, in amaze
ment
Eyes, little Lord Fauntleroy and my
curls. Here they arel'' and he pulled
roll of paper out of his trousers pocket.
from which he drew dozen or fifteen
beautiful long brown curls They were
evidently cut off with a pair of dull
scissors.
81 cut 'em off the night l ran away"
he went on, half triumphantly, half
ruefully. Thing of curls on boy over
thirteen"
But you were small for your age"
said l, soothingly.
yes, that was some comfort! But
FL tell you. Mother never would let
me cut 'em off. leased and leased as
soon as l was ten, to go to the barber
and be shingled like other boys, but
she never would. l had a birthday
bought me present. She don't often
have time to read books, but this one
was about an earls grandson, called
Little Lord Fauntleroy, and as soon as
she looked at the pictures she wanted
to read it. Then what must she do but
get me up a suit just like this! She is
a dress-mal1er, you know, and she
can make almost anything she likes.
She did't try it on to me, for l guess
she knew / wouldn't like it, but last
Sunday she made me put it on and took
me to church. | believe | never was
SO mad. / cried. | hate to cry, but
was SO mad l coulGn't helpit. looked
exactly like the earl's grandson, and
suppose mother was proud; but look
here, sir! l expect TO be an ancestor my
self one of these days, and | don't want
to be duke ancestor or an earl ances-
tor! l want to be an American ances-
tor and make my own money and be
like other men! I'm an American boy,
and amt going to wear velvet suits and
long curls"
His oratory was punctuated with
tears and flushes of anger, and his
rough cropped head bobbed with vehe-
mence. 1 confess l sympathize with
him with all my heart
go en-" said l, tell the rest
I'm church it wasn't quite so bad, but
in Sunday-school all the whole school
laughed. The boys in my class were
just tickled to death. They knew they
had it on me good and Monday they
could call me anything they pleased.
But l was bound they shouldn't. All
the afternoon l sat and thought it over,
and | determined to run away and
earn my own living, and cut off nv
curls and never go back till | could
show EN- | could get rich and grand
myself, just being my own self and no
body's great-great-grand son at all "
WAS that last Sunday?" said |.
Yes, and I've walked and walked.
rode in the cars a great ways, until
thought | had gone far enough. I
wore my old clothes and l cut of my
hair before / got on the train l guess
nobody can find me now"
What do you mean to do to earn
your living?" said l.
''Oh! work in farmhouse, guess,
of fret 81
If they wouldn't like a chore boy, but
nobody seemed to-
And if you don't get chance?" 1
questioned, a little anxiously.
THAT was what was crying aboutl"
he said. his face looking very blue in
deed
Don't you suppose your father
and mother are distracted by this
timer"
''Oh! no. l wrote and told 'em was
sick and tired of being girl-baby boy
and | was going to start out and be
man"
81 am afraid that will not console
them for your loss" / remarked,
gravely. But I ad led: 81 have some
thing to ten yen which l fear will
make you dislike ls very much. am
astonished at it myself, and | don't
know as ! ought to acknowledge it
without apolcgi2ing, but the fact is 1
have been studying up the Endicott,
Howard. Deverea aux and Leith fami-
lies you spoke of, and am pretty sure
your father name is Edmund How
ard, while your mothers name was
Henrietta Devereaux. Your name is
Endicott Howard, and mine is
lie looked as if thunderstruck. Then
he said, in a very soft voice: Are you
one of the family, sir?'
81 feel obliged to own that am,
much as I know it will prejudice you
against me. am cousin to your moth
er, and, just like you, i am one of
those descendants of grand rich peo-
pie who have to be SO. whether they
like it or not, for l was born a Deve-
reaux."
He unused over this information for
some time, then with eyes glowing with
hope, he exclaimed: But you are a
Eelf-made man, amt you? An Ameri.
can man?'
whatever / am was self-made, nv
boy, but there is one thing yet that 1
must own up. / hope you won't think
it very bad, indeed. l am rich, very
rich, and it is all due to that lot of old
ancestors Of ours, who came over with
old Bill"
Endicott Howard looked at me as
kance and with proper disgust. But
after little he frightened up and
leaning very close to me uttered in a
loving voice: Il don't care! You are
a regular brick, anyhow, and I'm glad
I've met you"
1t is needless to say that after this
we became great friends. l invited
him to join me on my tramp, but soon
seeing the little fellow was very tired
] hired a farmer to take us on to the
Profile house, and from there, after
due persuasion, dispatched an explana-
LIZ l.: Il