Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1895-01-10

weak, emaciated, yellow and Wlthered'
He had great trouble to drag himself
along, and glance showed that he was
badly hunch- backed. OF the same age as
Charles Frue they knew each other, al
though never having played together, nor
spoken word Very often they met, but
as perfect strangers. The little hunch-
back was named CASTOR Lambelly, and
his mother owned and occupied fine
house, on Acacia street.
In passing before Charles CASTOR
stopped. He recognized the little
merchant, nodded, and perceiving the
solitary toy exclaimed: ooh! the beauti-
full soldier, mammal! the beautiful
soldier!" And his eyes with their black
circles, eyes which told that very soon
they would be closed forever, opened
wide, and his long thin hands, white as
wax, reached over and put i'll motion the
beau cuirassier. At once the horse began
to move. the soldier brandished his
sword, and the imaginary heads were cut
off or bosoms pierced.
"Mamma, please buy it for me, please
buy it for met
Nv hat is the price, my child?'' said the
mother, to the little boy.
Twenty cents, madame.
There they are" And CASTOR Lambelly
carried off the toy. Nothing now on the
empty table and Charles bowed his head
lips contracted-he tried with all his
strength to keep from crying, but the
feeling was stronger than he; with a sob
! l. &c
ing his empty table, and his hands still
thrust to the bottom of his pockets.
lieu. Heu. Heu!" came the sound
from his throbbing BOSOM
CASTOR Lambelly heard it, turned
round, pulling his mother toward the
little peddler.
'Why are you crying? did anyone
hurt you?" A sob was the only answer
he received; he could not control his
voice. CASTOR insisted
Come, tell me now why you cry"
Charles wiped his eyes with his sleeve,
and the tears coming in contact with the
mud on the sleeve, made a great gray
stain from ear to ear, on the flushed face
of the poor gamin.
With broken voice interjected with
sobs he explained: I'm not crying
nobody has hurt me. Nc, I'm not crying
only my soldiers my beautiful
soldiers,
well, didn't they pay you for your
soldiers?"
"Oh. yes, but | loved them so much,
they are SO lovely, when | had them there
all before me. could look at them, that
was such a pleasure, but | did not dare
touch them-papa forbid me to-and
then when they We're all gone-I cried
because ! wanted to have one-ju just one
all alone for myself
Did you ask your father"
Yes, he would not let me have one, he
said they cost too much
The little cripple looked at him with
softened but astonished air. Would you
like to have one, very mueh?" said he.
Eyes. heu. heu heu.' sobbed Charles
There, take mime said Gaston-'I
give it to you for your own, and keep my
/ twenty cents as Well.
Charles Frue could not believe what he
heard; it was too good to be true, still, he
/ involuntarily reached out his hands,
/ while his eyes bulged out with expect
ancy, and his lips barely parted in
smile in which there was visible the
least bit of incredulity. The bunch back
placed on the table the wooden soldier.
Cant |, mammal" he said. addressing
his mother.
Certainly, my child said the mot her,
much moved, and Madame Lambelly dis
appeared in the crowd, with her little
| son.
Charles Frue returned to Acacia street.
| His accounts We're audited and found
to be correct. He had in the morning,
/ twenty cuirassiers, in the evening he
brought back twenty francs.
He had hidden his own toy in his
| pocket. He played with it IN the evening
and in the early morning before depart
| ing, and he carried it with him all day on
! the bouleyards, lest his father should
i find it, and force him to sell it All this
lasted during the cold month of Deem
| Der, but now he was gay, and his voice, if
still thin and frail, WAS no longer sad as
he called out:
The beautiful soldiers, only twenty
cents
Two months passed. The little peddler
had not since seen the little hunchback,
but his curassier had been always his pride
and joy. Suddenly one evening, his father
said: "Gaston Lambelly, the son OF our
landlady, Is very sick Charles felt a
twinge at his heart-strings His eyes
filled with tears. Two days after. his