Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-11-07

her son for not getting the spool OF
thread she had sent him for. went her,
self to see what it all meant
After palsing a moment at the door
she went in and stood supporting herself
By hand on either hip. for she was de-
cidedly we'll favored-,he boys said she
was fat.
joe higgins ain't about" she in
quired. looking toward Alec. Int not
approaching him.
Mr. Higgins is ont" replied the
young man. lis there anything ! can
do for you:"
II wanted a spool of Burt's 3s." she
answered without moving. and looking
at Alec as if she very much doubted his
understanding anything about the mat
fer whatever By this time the children.
little barefoo;ed girls in shor, dresses
and boys with broad trimmed straw
hats which had quite lost their shapes
from various drenchings. had gathered
about the woman and were staring with
dumb, vacant faces.
Thread, did you say" asked Alec.
catching at the word spool. for he did
| not know what BUTTS Sc" meant.
"Burt's SO" she replied c,umly. and
Alec went to little case Of small draw
ers which seemed TO contain thread.
After searching for some time IL several
of them he found q spool OF thread with
Sc on it, but it was black, and the wo-
....-. s.,id ,t was, Il 10 NuEi-t che3p
nae, anyway. tlIat Joe Higgins KEEP
just to make money oil of; size wanted
"Burt's''
At last he found what WIS wanted.
| 'bu, he didn't know what the price was
md scent some time lool-iEg over the
| Fpool for q mark. The children saw
what he was searching for, and when
he turned 20 the woman and asked
lightly if she l,new the price Of it the
children cried ont in chorus, Five
cents" for they had been aching to tell
him. He handed the spool to the wom-
ar and took the cents she held in her
hand. But as she didn't move he stood
politely waiting for her. At last she
held the spool out to him. saying:
Il s'pose You re not too busy to wrap
this M. are you:'
The children Uttered. Alec blushed.
and the woman walked away.
at . the stage driver came numbering
up TO the door and threw out the mail.
bag for the mail TO be changed. Mr..
Higgins Immediately came numbering
into the store and started directly for
his place behind the little barrier of
glass covered boxes. crying out to Alec
as il he had always done II:
Come. hustle that mailbag in here
We amt got over five hours to change
that mail-in fact. We ain't got five
minutes if Michael catches the 10 20
train"
Alec brought the mailbag and held
it open while the postmaster clumsily
and slowly unfastened and fastened
again the packets of mail and then
tossed them into the open bag. At the
last moment 'Lisbe.h came hurrying in.
and with few deft movements put ev-
erything to rights. locked the mailbag
and herself handed il over the counter
TO the waiting Michael. who caught it,
threw 1t on TO the stage and in a mo-
ment was driving madly away to catch
the train.
By this time half a dozen men were
standing about the store. many of whom
were among the loafers of the evening
before. They stared at Alec, and Alec
lowered his eyes, for he knew what they
were thinking about, and he was think.
ing Of the same thing. Mr.. Higgins was
supremely unconscious of everything
and seemed indeed to have forgotten
that he had put jests at Alec the nigh,
before. Alec felt his power. He was
backed up now. and Joe Higgins for his
own selfish interests must take his side.
IL could not be otherwise So. in mo-
ment, he glanced. smiling. at the men
and without q word or even look OF
disparagement they walked out Of the
store.
During the forenoon there were few
visitors at the store. except curious chill
dren who looked in to stare ut the new
clerk. But Alec did not mind them. and
soon after the mail was fairly off Lis
beth came in where Alec had been lef,
alone and hastily showed him wher,
TO find the principal articles and wha
were the prices Of each. He had a ready
memory and q quick sense Of localit,
and form, and in two hours had t!igestec
an enormous amount of statistical infor
nation. Had it not been for 'Lisbeth'
kindly thoughtfulncss in giving hin
this lesson, he wondered what in tn,
world he should have done. for Mr.. Hig
gins seemed to assume that he knew i
all to start with. or that telling hin
things was a nuisance, not to he gon
into except when q customer was ID
actual need
After tea Mr.. Higgins liked TO 90 in
to the store. and. stretching himself a
full length upon the unoccupied porto,
Of the counter, lie talking to the mel
{ who CHANGED to drop in after their day
, work. So Alec sat down in the littl
1 sitting room just back Of the taverl
{ parlor. and while 'Lisbeth and Mr.
3 Higgins cleared away the dishes an,
: washed them he entertained the chill
; dren. They were shy Of him ut first, bu
+ they had a grea, respect FOR his personal
ity. When he went into the si,.in
I room. at 'Lisbeth's suggestion, to rea
e the morning paper. the children all fol
{ lowed him with n certain dignified n
(. serve. and taking their places ON upri id,