Semi=weekly graphic., 1898-06-11
A COUNTRY BOY.

spun gold, big brown eyes and rcd mouth like wax dolls She stood in the little arber as James came up the road, and he thought he had never seen anything so beautiful. He noticed that she was little and slender too; that her | clothes were dainty and her hands W white. As he came nearer she stepped out from the arbor and asked, with a little curl of her lip:
 Are you my cousin, James Creeley?"
 lie was only country boy and SO stood and stared in amezemont Then he eiacu lated:
 "Me? Yes. Your cousinf Nol"
 But you must be, persisted the girl. aThey said l would see you, and, she added, with glance which took in every 1 detail of James costume from the bare feet to the hickory shirt they said you were a handsome lad. And with that she snifred dlsdainful little sniff and walked stit1ly toward the house
 Jim stood looking after Ter, flush mantiing the freek1ed cheeks and the white forehead under the red hair He saw the white dress vanish as 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 thero's company she asked as she swung the milk pail around to see the bubbles dance And they'r going to stay l for a week, and you ought to be dressed. '
 4 week Jim S heart would have sunk into bis boots had he worn any. As it was it seemed to go up into his throat and stick there in a big lump. He went around the yard, shutting the chickens into the henbouse, putting the farm tools away. Then he went to the house. His | mother met him at the door and gave him list of directions which made his head 1 spin. The result was ho came down to supper looking like q city boy. But the | freckles and red hair were still there. His 1 aunt-whom he had not seen since be was a baby-quite overwhelmed him with her kind manner and her sweet voice, but he would have given it all for one glance, even disdainful one, from the little girl who sat near him, her proud little head turned away.
 As the days went by the color oame into the white cheeks of the little golden haired l girl, and when her mother had to go back to the city she decided to leave her to stay another week or so Jim felt that the cows were ugly now, the horses were slow, l the fields of wheat and timothy and the wild roses that grew in the hedges were all dull and drab. He could only find sun l shine when little Nell was with him. She hated q boy with dirty hands, who eouldn't L ] dance and who was awkward and stupid. One morning she started out for long walk Jim saw her as she went out the l gate She had a long piece of white thread in her hand and carried threo pins in her mouth. Fishin, said Jim.
 She bad heard Der uncle say that there were plenty of fish in tho Dee brook if peo- l pie were not too lazy to catch them She l would catch some Then Jim would see l that city girl could do more than eoun try boy Her proud little nose turned up at the very mention of the name
 The brook wgs seQ2 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 ohirp of tho birds in the trees along the bank. She saw the sunlight glimmer | through the leaves, and she became | dFowsy.
 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 it, but could not pull it in. One end was caught fast under stone in tho middle of 1 the brook. She thought of the fish she meant to catch and gave two or threo hard tugs. There was a jerk, the string broke, her feet slid on the slippery bank, and the next moment tho little girl was strug gling in the water, and the water closed above tho golden head, leaving ever widen ing circles shimmering on the surface Of the brook.
 There was great rustling among the | bushes, white face and a 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 afterVard why it took her bgeath away and why she was so-so sleepy.
 When Jim made his appearance at tho farMgard with his clothes W7iaRins wet his hair standing on end and the HttIe bundleof moaHs in bis arms, a.rs. Farmer ali 5ag had mysteries. 9he said he was a blaYe Ley when he told tho story, bGt knowing ho~ to swim and giving ones lila uP or aEotAef were 4alta asaal for her baAs. 4He Hest Gay Neil #az t0 ga hume. She CaiHe ogt to the barn NAeFe Jim was watering the CONS and stood lovingly earessing the velvet nose Of the spotted cali
 sI am going away Jim, sho said shy. lyi and Qaae to thank Eoa for saving my life
 She looked at lm over tha ealf's head and smiled sweedy. Jim flushed. He stalnuered something about not having done anything czaaoIdiHary.
 But you know l woud have died, wouldn l, if yea hadn eome:A
 Mebbe. said Jim.
 Mamma would havo been very sorry, continued Nell in her soft little voice.
 .tSo would l, Jim managed to say.
 And no city hoy could have done 1t, " she continued, still batting tho 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 haYo been good friends ever since though he is only a country boy Exchange
 How You Bicycle In Holland.