Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-03-26

mating chat he could not resist IL.
Dainty little Mildred Adds. with her
happy laughter and bewitching ways;
was n revelation To the young outcaSt OF
the swamps, and TO lie hidden IN some
tangled thicket from which he coulu
watch her, became his greatest pleas
urc.
lie soon discovered the favoritc hunts
20 which Mrs. Adds, always accom-
panied by Mildred, took her work or
book ON warm drowsy Afternoons, Near
one OF these he would wait for hours
and when they appeared would watch
with almost breuthless delight the but
terhy-like movements of the child.
Swampy had never heard of angels
but he was intimately acquainted with
birds and 10 his untutored mind the
little one. with her brightness. dninuness
and incessant motion, was like one OF
the exquisite ruhy-thrOatCd hulnmlng
birds that flashed to and fro among the
jasmine flowers. aud TO himself he called
her "humminE bird.
dis had sought the shade of a giant live
| oak beneath which she sat absorbed in
| a book, while Mildred played near hrr
and Swampy from the thicket In which
/ crouched Ike q wild animal, hr had long
waited for their appearance, watched
| her with a swelling heart and strange
! longing 10 be in some way different from
| what lie WAS, and more like the people
whom this child could know aud love.
AT times the child came so close 60
/ gather the yellow flowers that hnng
| about him that he could have touched
/ her, but he crouched low and she did
not discover his presence
| Suddenly on one of these occasions n
| half grown New foundland pup appeared
| from behind u clump Of shrubhery ano
with awkward gambolings and loud bark
ings made straight for the little girl
With frightened cry she ran toward
her mother. Am instant later Swampy
fnncying that the child was IN danger
aud naturally hating dogs because they
were always set onto him, mad sprnnl
from his concealmenL seized the animai'
( throat in his Hnewy young hNnus, an'
would have choked Il TO death had Ia
not in turn been grasped from behin'
and forced TO loose his hold.
MIR Adds aud the owner OF the al
jacent plantation, who had been but
few steps behind The dog ana VINO mle
understood the cause OF Swampy's az
tack on him. had sprung 20 his rescue
"Wh0 are youY You young villain
What are YOU doing herei And wha
do you mean by this OutrageF demand
ed MIR Adds, sternly MS be uehtene
his clutch on the lads arm aud slight
shook him. TO these questions SWampy
angry and sullen, made no reply
AIfs that young cub of old Jake Mir
dersW exclaimed the other geutlema
{ with keen look at the boys fac,
"The most audaciops young scoundrel J
an these parts, aud one who ought
p have been sent TO the chain gang lon
, ago. Swampy, they call hlin. and.-'
'Swampyn interrupted Mn Addi
Z "Why that IL the name of the thief VIII
8 has been robhlng me right and left K
8 some years past was going 70 ,9s
Won 10 help one organise a hunt for hin
, Well thls h q bit of luck Aha, 40
4 young yillaini 80 you thought yon
I lill NV dog did ycn for fear bed int
y fere with your thievingf His service
+ row In pnt yOu ln place whore 80
h won't have a chnpce 10 steal anythin
+ moro for some sears 20 come IA y
h a ~eauiime ! euess tAr spile house wi