Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1898-06-10
A COUNTRY BOY.

She was very little girl with hair liSf spun gold, big brown eyes and a red mouth like a wax doll s. She stood if the little arhor us James came up the road, and he thought he had nover seen anything so beautiful He noticed that she was little and slender, too; that her clothes were dainty and Ter hands white. As ho came nearer she stepped out from tho arbor and asked, with little curl of her lip:
 . Are you my cousin, .Jamos Creeley?'
 He was only country boy and 30 stood and stared in amazement. Then he ejacu lated
 "Me? Yes. Your cousinf No!"
 'But you must be, !" persisted the girl. 'They said I would see you, and. she hdded with glance which took in every detail of James costume from the bare feet to the hickory. shirt. they said you were a handsome lad. ]" And with that she sniffed disdainfui littlo sniff and walked stiffiy toward tho house
 Jim stood looking after her flush mantling the freekled checks and the white forehead under the red hair. He saw the white dress vanish us she turned the corner of the house and he walked on He reached the barn just as Mary had fin. ished milking the COWS. Don't you know there's company she asked as she swung the milk pail around to see the bubbles dance. And they Ire going to stay for week, and you ought to be dressed. '
 week Jim's heart would have sunk into his boots had he worn any As it was, it seemed to go up into his throat and stick there in big lump Ie went around the yard, shutting tho chickens into tho henhouse, putting the farm tools away. Then he won't to tho house. His mother met him at tho door and gave him a list of directions which made his head spin. The result was he camo down to supper looking like a city boy. But the freckles and rod hair wefe still there. His aunt-whom he had not seen since he was a baby-quite overwhelmed him with her kind manner and her sweet voice, but he would have given 1t all for ono glance, even disdainful one, from the littlo girl who sat near him, her proud little head turned away.
 AS the days went by the color came Into the white checks of the littlo golden haired girl, and when her mother had to go back to the city sho decided to leave her to stay another week or so. Jim felt that the cows were ugly now, the horses were slow, tho fields of wheat and timothy and the wild roses that grew in the hedges were all dull and drab. He could only find sun shine when littlo Nell was with him. She hated boy with dirty hands, who couldn't t dance and who was awkward and stupid.
 One morning she started out for long walk. Jim saw her as she went out the gate. She had long piece of white thread ill her hand and carried threo pins in her mouth. "Fishin, said Jim.
 She had heard her uncle say that there were plenty of fish in tho Dee brook if pee- pie were not too lazy to catch then. She would catch some. Then Jim would see that city girl could do more than eoun- try boy. Her proud little nose turned up at the yery mention of tho name.
 The brook was soon reached, and Nellie sat down and threw her line as far out as she could. She watched the hook float moment and then disappear. She listened to the ehirp of the birds in the trees along the bank. She saw the sunlight glimmer through the leaves, and she became drowsy.
 Suddenly she started up Her line had slipped from her hand and was floating in the water almost beyond her reach. She leaned over and by supreme effort caught 1t, but.could not pull it in. One ond was caught fast under stone in the middle of the brook. She thought of tho fish she meant to catch and gave two or threo hard tugs. There was jerk, the string broke, her feet slid on the slippery bank, and the next moment the little girl was strug- gling in the water, and the water closed above the golden head, leaving over widen ing circles shimmering on tho surface of tho brook.
 There was a great rustling among tho bushes, white face and crown of red hair appeared for a second, and then both had plunged into the water. Nell felt her hair being pulled very hard. She wonder cd afterward why it took her breath away and why she was so-so sleepy.
 When Jim made his appearance at tho farmyard with his clothes wringing wet, his hair standing on end and the little bundle of means ill his arms, Mrs. Farmer all but had mysteries. She said he was brave bCy when he told the story but knowing how to swim and giving one's life up for another were'quite usual for her boys. The next day Nell was to go homo. She camo out to the barn here Jim was watering the cows and stood lovingly caressing the velvet nose of the spotted calf
 II am going away, Jim" sine said shy. ly, "and I came to thank you for saving my life. :"
 Sho looked at him oyer tho calfs head and smiled swectly. Jim flushed He stammered something about not having done anything extraordinary.
 But you know l would have died, wouldn t 1, if you hadn't conner"
 "Mebho, said Jim.
 Mamma would haye been very sorry, !" continued Nell in her soft little voice.
 80 would l, ;" Jim managed to say
 And no city boy could hayo done it, '2 she continued, still batting the bossy s" head with her lttlo hand.
 "Pooh!" announced Jim.
 She looked up. II want you to come and see us-to come home with me now Mamma said so, :" she said
 And they have been good friends ever since, though he is only country boy =