The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-12-06

bent quite crooked with rheumatism.
Rupert tried to straighten them ont as
she went ON talking.
Its q cake you're wantin, and APP
pic sauce and daisies-them' 8 easy got
and candles. There's a plenty left from
Christmas, but a goose'd be a big item
ON the bill, an it as small as it has TO
be-. an a bit of steak here, an a handful
of mutton for q stew there, an q hlll-
putian roast of a Sunday. There's ia
cob now"
Rupert stood up suddenly and gather
ed Jacob into his arms. He was grow
ing very heavy.
Were going to find the boy that
plays the organ" he said with dignity.
He found him on the piazza Of the
little house down the road, deep in scrap
books and newspaper clippings, with
two of the girls, while the other girl
was making lemonade and putting in a
word now and then. They were all en-
Enthusiastically discussing theatricals for
the benefit of q local charity, but looked
up and smiled as Jacob and me"
came up the path.
~ want to talk to the boy that plays
the organ" he said. They all laughed,
which was very embarrassing and made
Rupert's little face very red in its tan
gle Of golden hair. He pat down Jacob
and hauled in ON the string until Jacob
lost his equilibrium entirely. and then
he let it outsagain., They persuaded him
to have some Of the lemonade, which
he liked immensely, but 1.-THE boy" took
him unceremoniously up on his knee
and asked how old he was, which is a
blow to would be dignity. Rupert said
Five" wriggled away and sat ON the
steps and told his story. General inter
est was aroused.
Lets all help, and you make the
prettiest dinner cards you can"
~ will, said the boy
I'm very much Obliged" said Ru-
pert, gathering up Jacob, land you all
come. You look SO pretty it will be like
a party. Julia won't mind" They all
| accepted. A%
Friday afternoon Rupert gathered
daisies in the meadow, and Jacob help
| ed-at least he looked out for stray
frogs and was good company" They
took them home and rested and had
their supper of bread and milk ON the
back porch-Mrs. Ware was away until
evening ON Fridays-and thendisappear-
| ed down the road to the village By
and by Rupert went back to the meadow
and gathered the rest of the daisies
alone.
The sky behind st. Michael's spire
was color and gold, and o most
slender silver moor shone over the tops
of the trees. When he had carried the
daisies across the meadow, the sunset
had faded to a silver gray, the moon
had gone, one big star was reflected in
the brook below the hill, and it was
growing very cold. Rupert sat down by
the stone wall, and two tears rolled
down his cheeks. The windows of the
little church glowed with soft light.
The sexton was preparing for Friday
evensong. Suddenly the world seemed
very big and wide. and the child lay
face down in the grass and cried and
cried. There the boy found him, and
picking him up carried him and the
daisies home and told Julia to put him
TO bed, while he himself put the daisies
to sleep in a tub in the cellarway. Then
he had to race across the meadow to be
in time to play.
The next morning he brought ove1
the dinner cards-eyen Rupert was salts
fed with them - and staid a long
while in the kitchen sticking the 20
pink candles on the birthday cake and
talking quietly and sensibly all the
time. The market man came in like
fash and threw a goose ON the table. ii
was marked paid" Julia was bewil
dered. 1.-THE boy" disclaimed al
knowledge of it and went home.
He came over again in time to set the
table. He knew just how to settle thu
daisies in the big punch bowl and put
things just right, with daisies and
dinner card at each plate. and all the
time the goose smelled very good. Ru
pert vas afraid it would "give them
away just too soon," but it was a per
feet surprise--the pretty table, thu
three pretty girls, 1.-The boy, the dai
sizes, the goose, the apple sauce, the birth
day cake, the candles and Rupert beam
ing away from the other end of the ia
BILE.
WHO planned it ala" said Mrs
Ware when they were in the little par
lor later on, with a gay little fire OF
the hearth and Michaelmas daisie!
showing bravely from every point O
vantage. THE boy wa playing softl.
on the piano, the girls were in a prett.
group ON the hearth rug, wondering
why they had ave appreciated Mrs
Ware before, and she and Rupert wer
in the big wicker chair in the broa'
freight.
Jacob and me planned it all, Ru
pert answered. The boy did most o
it, and tho girls We're kind, and the,
look so pretty, and the winter was com
, ing, and Julia doesn't like us in tn
kitchen, and soon the frogs will be gon
the goose was jacob / couldn't ca
3 any myself.
, There was AZ odd little silence afte
. this until 1.-THE boy" began to pla
{ Chopin's impromptu in A fiat.
+ HIz~ &c., 1--8T $500 Lnl HE kni