Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1892-07-22

exclaimed Miss Wallis. Then she
SAID, sOh, I have dropped my dia-
mond ringw!
The ring referred tohad been given
her by Mr.. Hopkins. and he immedi-
atcly began to hunt for 1T, at the
same time ordering Bob to search UNI
der the chairs. Miss Wallis watched
the boy with a look that was not very
pleasant. AT last she saw his face
light up eagerly, and then become
clOuded.
"Glve it to me, Bob" she com.
manded.
.'What?" asked Bob. quickly.
1.-THE ring, of course. l saw ny
your face that you picked it up"
II didn't pick it up" replied Bob.
.sOh, you wicked boy" exclaimed
Miss Wallis. "Givc it to me this in
| stant."
But Bob did not reply.
ssBob, get up" said his rather;
stcrnly. and Bob rose with IL flushed
and guilty looking countenancc.
Snow, give me that ring at oncc;".
said his father. =.
81 haven't it" said Bob. firmly.
"Turn out your pockets" COM
mandcd Mr.. Hopkins. ::
bob turned out his pockets but
they contained no ring. Mr.. Hop.
kins was puzzled. He had not con-
ccivcd it to he possible that Bob could
be guilty OF ANYTHING SO hideously
wrong, and yet it was evident from
his manner that he knew something
about the ring. MIR. Hopkins knew
that Bob had no violent affection for
Miss Wallis, and concluded that he
was carrying out some scheme to s.pay
her out" /;
every we'll, he sand. 81 will see if
I can cane it out of YOU" And he,
marched the unfortunate Bob up;
stairs and gave him Il rare drcssing.i
But although Bob cried with the
pain, not a word would he say about
the ring, and so was sent supperlcss
to bed, sore in body and in mind!
Then Mr.. Hopkins had the room
thoroughly searched, but no ring
could be discovered.
Bob's existence during the next few,
days was Il very miserable one. His
father was angry with him. and did
not forget to show it,: Miss Wallis
utterly ignored him: and the house,,
keeper frowncd. and said she had mol
patience with wicked little boys. andl
that now he would have to go away
to bOarding-school, as his father wasl
sick of the sight of him. Bob's only|
resource for comfort in his troubled
WAS to spend his time with Cookie
and alas, Cookie began TO fade event
as the grass that withercth. He fell
into fits of deep abstraction, and for;
got to eat anything in order to keep
himself alive; the sins of his pro-.
gcnitors troubled him much, and the
reflection that i'm all probability hel
possessed an unconqucrablc hereditary
faint caused him to fall into the deep-
est dependency. He bchcld HIMSELF,
in imagination, aiding and abctting;
in the placing of eggs in nests which,
were the property ofothers, and stood:
gloomily upon one leg in a dark COR.
ner, and declined to bulge.
Bob caressed him. and talked to
him, and demonstrated with him in.
vain; and one fine morning very
early, when the first bright sunbeams
flashed through the window upon the
desolate bird, he fluttered his WINGS,
the fire returned for a moment to his
eye as he held up his head and uttered
Il faint .'Cuckoo.' and then he rolled
over upon the tloor-dcad. :
So Bob found him when he cama
dGwn stairs. and carried him out and
laid him tenderly on the grass upon,
the little lawn. Then he went
straight to his father and said:
sFather. / will show you where to
find Miss Wallis ~"
MIR. Hopkins sighed deeply, but
without a word followed his son out
to where Cookie was lying.
sit is in his inside" said Bob,
pointing to the defunct bird. 81 saw
him swallow it. But l wouldn't tell
you, because / knew you would kill
him.
Mr.. Hopkins looked at his son i'm
astonislment. He laughed and cX-
claimed Swell, wcll..' two or three
times. Then he placed his hand on
Bob's head said: ;
"You are a plucky little fellow.
But 1 think, nevertheless, that Cookie
was not quite so valuable as Miss
Wallis ring"
And they were happy ever after
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