The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-01-04

luck In getting the board back i'm ice
place.
"Oh, Jimmy, you've smashed your
dngerP cried Mena in much distress
at seeing q few drops of blood. docs
It hurt awful3 Come here, an let's tie
it up" Whereupon she drew out q
tiny point lace handkerchief Zone OF
her mothers she had gotten by mis-.
take), and with a doleful look tied il
around the injured member.
Jimmy stood s~peechless during the
operation, and when Mena said,
There, now, it's all right" the was no
further question about il in Jimmy'a
mind.
"9ee, / brought my bank" she said,
seating herself on q log slab supported
0y bricks at the end, and was supposed
TO be the sofa i'm the pRFlor Of their
house.
Jimmy sat down with her and to.
gsther they spread the coins along the
board. There were nickels and quar-
tiers to the amount Of several dollars
and several pieces of gold. Jimmy
thought Of his own bank in it's distress
ing state of insolvency-not q copper
in it-and its doors closed sven to its
owner, for the key was lost, and he was
very pensive while looking at the
plentiful spread of coins before him.
1t seemed wonderful to have so many
His eyes rested for some time on q
small gold piece, and picking it up, he
said:
~ know what I'd do with this il ]
had it."
what, JimmyG"
"On, I'd buy a gun there is down
town"
"Would you, really, JimmyG"
Eyes" he said, nonchalantIy, "you
could shoot anything with It'll"
Gould you, really, JimmyT queried
the little maid, who never failed TO vi
brate in sympathy with all his wishes.
Then you can have it, and get the
gun, Jimmy" she said, pushing the
coin towards him.
Just then some one was heard calling
Aena's name, and hastily putting the
coins back, all except the gold n she
left for him, the two sat like bank rob
bers On the alert for detectives. In q
moment the nurse was peering over
the fence, and in angry voice com
manded Mena to go home. After Sc
verely scolding her for disobeying her
mothers command not to 60 into the
West yard again~much Co Jimmy's
pain and embarrassment, but none the
less to his sympathetic little admirers
-Mena was lifted over the fence and
out Of his sight.
Jimmy stood motionless for q mo-
ment; his grief had not yet come to
the surface. Suddenly, he turned and
ran toward the house and up the a
row, uncarpeted stairs to his own lit.
tie bedroom, where, after shutting
the door quickly behind him, he cried
till the Gears refused longer to flow.
He was kneeling with his elbow lean,
ing on the window sill, looking toward
the playhouse-his trembling little
frame spasmodically yielding convul
sive sobs-When ne saw to his aston.
ishment that Mena was trying to at
tract his attention through the hole in
the fence by means of the ribbon sig
nal. He rushed down and-Was at hie
post in an instant.
"Hello, Mena is that you4"
Yes, it's me, Jimmy-Ig got an awful
tipping. Here, Jimmy, take this,
Good bye" She hurriedly thrust
something through the hole and was
gone instantly.
Jimmy picked it up. It was the lit
tie gold lockeb that had hung on heI
neck. It had always been, in Jimmy'G
eyes, the most beautiful thing in the
world, for in the center it had a real
ruby that sparkled; and then, too, il
opened and on the inside there was G
tiny miniature in water colors-Ci
Mena.
The next day Mena's family went to
the seashore for the summer, and
when they returned the West family
had moved to another town.
About twelve years after the parting
of these childish lovers Mena was
made suddenly aware of the fact thai
through a chain of miatortunes the
family exchequer was SO reduced that
she was obliged to a r her own living
Immediately. Her education had been
carefully directed and had opportuni
ties been at her command, she could
easily have made herself independent.