Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-03-30

the day" the tale only drew down
fresh imprecations on ''the lot he'd
got among. All OF which Tom heard
in a fixed and stoical silence, which,
to say the truth surprised himself as
much as it did his mother.
But his reward was to come, when.
only four days after his dismissal, al
especial messenger arrived from tie
Office: the foreman would take Tom
on again, provided he came lmmeol-
ately, and might be trusted never to
commit himself as he had done
Henceforth Tom pleased himself with
the assumption that Pie Alley had
found itself unable to do without him.
The fact was, that the foreman knew
the stuff he had to deal with. Give
Tom Greious a good word, and he
would 90 to the ends of the earth to
serve you. He was q swift messenger,
and could be trusted; he never made
mistakes; and they alone who have to
do with boy-messengers know the
worth of that certificate.
So Tom was reinstated in his former
capacity, with a trifie OF added hon
or in his own estimation; and once
more looked forward to the "rise."
BY a singular enough coincidence,
having an Grand more than once to
Stockers, just at that time OF Nelly
coming to fetch ida, or Of Mrs. Stock
er bringing her home, Tom got himself
installed into the Office Of escort-in-or-
dinary-and, though he could by no
possibility manage to take her there
In the morning, he FIRE quently found an
opportunity to carry message be-
tween the two houses; for he was an
especial favorite with goodnatured
Mrs. Stocker, whose lord and master
had had occasion for her good offices
in bailing him out, only twice IN the
six months following the period OF our
first acquaintance with her.
Stocker was scene-shifter and a sort
of factotum at the "Little Jewel" OF
which dramatic elysium Toms firm
did the paybills, and whence issued
the orders-Tom's delight.
This was grand step in the pro-
gress of their friendship, and Tom felt
himself considerably risen in import
ance when he became the self-constitu
ted champion of feminine youth and
beauty.
Ida was tall enough to vindicate
him from the charge Of having to
mind" her, and dependent enough to
give the lad all the self-gratulation OF
manliness. Though she was not pref
ty, there was something singularly at
tractive in her pale, characteristic
features and large dark, melancholy
eyes; and many q one whose glance
caught hers would pause and turn,
when she had passed, to ask them
selves again, what it could be in that
child which had arrested their atten-
ton from the crowd? She had way,
too, after long pauses of thought, OF
putting such unlooked-for QUESTIONS
puzzlers, sometimes, to Tom-Who, to
do him justice, however, seldom al
lowed himself to appear at a loss; and
he got into away wondering to him.
self what she would ask next-and, I'M
consciously, took to printing himself
in readiness; which--he never having
the slightest clue to what might be the
Forthcoming poser-doubtless, result
ed in the storing up Of much miscel-
laneous knowledge in Toms Uranium,
for to be found wanting by his ador-
ing disciple was q thing not to be
tolerated for moment.
So, although widely different in
many points of disposition and char
acter, these two throvein their friend
ship, and were, in fact, mutually de-
pendent on each other for which each
needed most; and Nelly, who, since
the little adventures of the ring and
the half-crown, mistrusted every one
in London streets, found a great COM
fort in the knowledge Of the stanch
protector her child had in Tom.
Her own work, though but poorly
paid, was regular; and she had an ad-
ditional satisfaction in seeing that her
little girl, in the excitement and graft
fcation of her new employ, was in
creasing in health and spirits visibly.