The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1898-08-26
JACK
BY Mary Allafre.

1 ME lhO1 tlI1le SibW ulIl / WdS
determined he should like me. I
felt that life would be an absolute fail
ure if I did not win his love and conf
dence. ! found myself weighing crit
ically my advantages, and growing
more and more doubtful of my chances
of success when l recalled his express
sion of remoteness and Indifference.
To win him became a passion. never
went into the locality where there was
possibility of seeing him without
using my hand-mirror carefully, eN-
amining my gloves critically and ad-
justing my veil with unusual care.
was never positive that he saw me when
I saw him; certainly no glance from
his sharp black eyes met mine. Would
ever desire the friendship of any hui
man being as l cid the friendship of
that dirty, ragged boy? He was more
ragged and dirty than any boy of the
neighborhood. lie was extremely
plain. 1t is doubtful If even In baby
hood he had possessed the winning
gift of beauty. even in his eyes. His
round, bullet head was too small for his
stunted body, and the hair was like
black wire, it was SO stiff and coarse
His clothes he kept on by liberal use
of string; the dirt that covered him
was impersonal, SO to speak-it was
coal dust.
Those DAYS were blanks when failed
to see the stunted little figure. For
reason I did not anaiyze, never asked
questions about him, feeling sure that
II he was told l had asked there would
be one more barrier to overcome before
that happy future day when Jack and
l should be friends. The other boys
were friends establishedin in the house.
Spring came, and the windows OF
the boys clubroom were open. AS l
passed the window where the boys
were singing, saw the top OF IA
miliar cap. My heart beat and trem-
bled as went to the door and forced
myself to look in the other direction
from the ragged, lonely little figure
leaning against the railing. How could
face him and ask him without show
ing how anxious was to have him?
Just then boy who was under sus-
pension from the club for bad be-
havior came down the street and hur-
ried to plead his cause. The singing
went on, and the figure standing with
| its back toward me was motionless.
The boy pleading in his own behalf
| for q remission of the sentence that
barred him from the clubroom never
knew that he was being used as o leYer
to reach the boy who was softly whist
ling at the railing.
DO you know that boy?" / asked
him, very softly.
"Um," was the reply.
"You may come in to-day; ask him
if he would like to come in with you"
Trembling as did not in the white
house, and far more anxious to win
look of recognition from the boy when
he entered the room then had been to
win the glance of the president, went
indoors. The boy never glanced at
me; he did not know was in the room.
His eyes were fastened on the dainty
woman at the piano.
NO wonder" half murmured as
looked at her, and great wave of
jealousy swept over me, the first had
ever known. ! was to learn many
things about myself through that
small boy.
After time the boys went into the
yard to play, and Jack followed. He
sat down on q bench and watched
them. l talked with the other boys,
but my thoughts were with the one on
the bench. At LIST, by great effort
of will, l sat on the further end of the
same bench. Not even then was I
vouchsafed q glance.
| There was border of flowers on
either side of the yard. 1t had been
the resource for discipline for every
effepse committed against the ethics
of this oasis in the desert kingdom of
the tenement-honse child life. Many
physical encounters, that promised to
end in bruises, between tiny male and
female pugilists had been prevented
by calling attention to the fact that
the flowers needed watering. I'M
mediately the principals forgot their
grievances in the larger interest
brought TO their attention. 4 ten
dency to good manners had been
created by giving or Withholding the
privilege of watering or wedding the