The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-03-09

now his soul was oppressed with
thoughts of Pete. Poor little Pete,
white and crippled When could it
reach him, the help he SO needed
With resolute effort Jake crowded
back the sob which arose in his throat,
and set himself to thinking how the
rest of the money could be made up
| for him.
Rapl Sharp against his shoulder
came an apple. His tormentors had
spied him out, and were pelting him
with his own fruit. He crept around
the trunk of the tree, but it was i'm
possible to hide from an attack which
came on all sides.
All of sudden there were shouts
from mems voices, and the volley
ceased. IN the same moment Jake
perceived commotion among the
horses tied below Some of the APP
pies had fallen on skittish young
pair, restless with long standing,
which, with the capers of the boys, had
set them plunging and snorting IN
way which soon communicated the
excitement to the other horses.
Jake nimbly climbed into the next
tree and then the next, partly to get
better sight of what was going on,
partly with view to taking advan-
tage of the confusion to get well out
of the way of the boys and go home.
Very soon he was on a limb which
spread above the road, short dis
lance from the center of the disturb
ance.
A little child came out of tent
and stood in the way, gazing with big,
wondering eyes at the prancing
horses. All of sudden the young
pair broke from restraining hands
and dashed toward her.
In all his life afterward Jake, in
trying to remember that moment,
could only recall maze of plunging
brown animals and tangle of golden
hair and blue bingham apron. Con-
fusion and excitement had spread.
Cries rose to dismay-to agony, with
a woman's piercing scream mingling.
Then, holding his breath, Jake had
dropped from his leafy perch upon
the neck of one of those horses, which
he clasped with all his might. There
were few moments of blind strug
gle; then sharp pain as his foot was
jammed cruelty, crushingly against
the rough bark of tree, and in the
intensity of the pain he let go his hold
and fell. But moments of golden
value had been won. The child had
been snatched from death, the horses
were stopped, and Jake was lying on
the ground with many faces bent
over him in kindly concern.
lawful on his foot"
"Won't step on it for weeks, poor
little chap"
A bit of color flew to Jake's face
and he sat up.
my foots hurt9-why, l must go
on my foot. l amt got enough
money for Pete yet"
"Never mind Pete," said coaxing
voice, as some one tried to press him
back upon a pillow which had been
hastily brought.
The excitement and the pain had
thoroughly unnamed poor Jake.
Il must mind" he cried, breaking
into excited sobs. "Pete'll die if he
don't get into the country. If you
could see Pete yourself so thin
and white and limpy-you'd see he
couldn't wait till next summer; and l
amt got the two dollars and fifty
cents-and he can't come"
But the kindly words had their ef
feet in time, and before night Jake
lay quiet in the tent occupied by the
child's mother, more petted and bet
ter cared for than ever in his poor
life before.
The two following days were long
as he lay and gazed in the deep
arches of the wood, trying to fancy
how they would look when a few
weeks later they would be in flame
of scarlet and gold, as Maria had as
sured him would be the case. He
would be there to see it, for little
Mans mother was going to take him
home to her own farm to keep him
till his foot was well perhaps longer.
After the gay coloring would come
the fading and the falling, then the
snow. He might see it all, but what
of Pete-poor little Pete, languishing
and dropping in the hot, autumn dry
ness of the city, perhaps fading away
as the leaves would fade, and Jake
might never see the white face again.
After all his trying to get the money
for him to GOMEZ How faithfully he