Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1893-03-17

LOOK HERE SAID TAD.
HANS n his pockets, and walked
away. whistling 'Mulligan Guards"
while Bob, with a parting scowl. quite
equally divided between the girl, the
dog and Tad himself. ran hastily across
the street, and disappearedu up the near
est alley.
(Which way might you be going,
miss?' asked Tad, with great polite
ness, as Miss Polly Flagg, looking ex.
tremely relieved, made preparations
for departure by cuddling the small
dog securely in her arms.
"Down to Commercial wharf, where
our vessel lies, was the unhesitating
answer. MY father is Captain Jethro
Flagg, and I'm Polly Flagg." contin-
ued Miss Polly. vaguely conscious that
some sort of Introduction was the
proper thing, under all the circum-
stances
"Ny name IS Tad-I mean Thaddeus
-Thorne, and I'm from Philadelphia, :"
said Tad, wishing that his jacket was
less threadbare and his shoes were
whole, as he glanced at the simple but
neat dress of his companion, whose
face was completely overshadowed by
O deep calico sun-bonnet shaped like
the tilt of 2 market wagon.
"Ohr' returned Polly, and then, in
stead Of speaking of the weather. oI
asking Tad how he liked Boston. Polly
plunged headlong into personal ex.
PLANTATION: THE cook wasn't well thi.
morning." she began, $50 had TO &c
to market, for father was uptown. Ano
while / was hurIying back through
Lewis Lane, because it was nearer.
those horrid boys chased the poor little
dog that had got lost, and he ran tc
me so pitiful," said Polly, bending oven
the small animal in her arms until il
was completely eelipsed by the sun.
bonnet, ''that I caught him up, and
said they shouldn't have him. Then
you came along, and-I'm ever SC
much obliged"
The abrupt wind-up, though little
incoherent, was perfectly satisfactory
TO Tad.
Hell be nice little dog after he's
washed" Tad remarked, patting the
pup to cover his embarrassment, foI
Tad wasn't used to thanks, particularly
from girls. II guess he's Newfound-
land" he continued, with knowing
glance at the animals ears and paws,
"and they're first-class water-dogs, you
know"
Polly nodded, and, after short
pause, looked curiously at the hand
So travelling sachel in Tad's hand.
"You don't belong to any Of those
vessels?" she asked, inquiringly. For
they had crossed busy Commercial
street, and were walking along the
platform on the water front, where the
pedestrian looks down upon the bewil-
dering maze Of masts, spars and cord
age belonging to the coasting and fish
ing craft huddled In tina basin between
the two wharves.
"No," replied Tad, in low voice.
He could not tell her that he belonged
to nothing-to no one, as he mentally
expressed It. It would make him seem
Ike sort of vagrant, youthful tramp.
Nor did he-to Polly's secret disap-
pointment--account for his possession
of the handsome little travelling sachel,
with its silver mountings, at which
Polly had cast admiring glances.
II hope he came by it honestly" "
thought Polly, and then was ashamed
of the ungenerous self-suggestion.
Yet, am afraid 1t fingered uncon-
sciously in her mind, for she had In the
flush of her gratitude decided she would
ask Tad to take dinner with herself and
Captain Flagg. on board the MARY j. 4"
But as they reached the end of Com
mercial wharf, where the "Mary j."
was moored, Polly hesitated little.
You can come aboard. If you like"
she said; but Tad, who noticed her al
most imperceptible change Of manner
without being able to account for It,
shook his head.
"Oh, no, miss; don't look fit" he
replied, with glance at his shabby
clothes and patched shoes, that was pa
thetic. II come down here" he con-
tinued, simply, "because there wasn't
any other place where / could set down
and look over the papers-good-morn-
ing. miss" and before Polly could re-
ply Tad was gone.
CHAPTER ".
Just astern of the Mary j." largo
iron steamer was discharging her cargo
Of cotton bales, dozen or more of
which were TERED up one upon an
other, at the verge of the wharf
Looking about him TO make sure
that he was unobseryed, Tad scram-
bled up the back side of the tier,
and, crawling nimbly over the top,
dropped into a narrow niche between
two Of the bales. where, well sheltered
from the wind, and warmed by the sun,
he found that without being seen
he could look directly down upon the
MARY j. deck.
Polly Flagg had thrown aside her
ugly head-gear, and using tho end Of
the half-house for "A wssh-bench, was
vigorously scrubbing the small dog,
who feebly protested, in bucket Of
warm water furnished by the cook-a
diminutivc colored man with very
round shoulders, and woody locks plen-
tifully powdered with gray.
There, little dog" said Polly. as
she rubbed the whimpcring pup with n
bit Of an old sail-cloth. you were new
or so clean in your life before. Now,
George Washington"-addressing the
colored individual l-"talc him and lay
him in the galley, by the fire. till he's
dry"
Pears though he orter be c'nsider-
ably refrigerated by his absolution,
Miss Polly" returned Washington,
with convulsive giggle, as, receiving
the small bundle, hc hurried back TO
the galley, which was sort Of large
"cubby-house." midway between the
two masts, where the cooking was
done
Meanwhile, Polly unpinned her dress,
which she had carefully turned up in
front during the washing, pulled down
her sleeves and, without resuming the
big sun-bonnet. walked TO tho rail.
where she stood looking up the wharf
in an expectant attitude.
"Shc isn't exac'ly stylish-lookin', ="