The Saint Paul globe., 1898-01-30

my hand. If l had refused it or even
held it back little, L think she would
nave fallen upon me tooth and nail.
wished 1 could have lad a peep into her
cottage. Mr.. GTyce had described It as
four walls and nothing NO e, AMI in6ee
1t was rot Crly of the humbiest propor-
tions, but had the look OF being mere
shanty raised to protect her from the
weather. There was even no yard at
tached TO il, only little open place in
front in Which a few Of the commonest
vegetables grew, such as turnipS, car
rots and onions. Elsewhere grew the
forest-thc great pine forest through
which this po: tion of the road ran.
MI Simsbury had been so ia k ative up
to now that L was in hope he would en-
ter into some details about the persons
ard things we encountered which might
assist me in the acQuaintanceship l was
anxious to make. But his loquacious-
ress ended with this small adventure
have just described. Not till we were
we'll quit Of the pines and had entered
into the main thoroughfare did he de-
sign to respond to any of my sugges-
items, and then it was in a manner t5tal-
ly unsatisfactory and quite Eoncommu-
NEGATIVE. The only thing he deigned to
offer a remark upon was the little Grip
pied child we saw locking from its win
dow as we emerged from the forest.
why how's this?" said he. That's
Sue you see there, and her time isn't
till arter noon. Bob alters sits there of
a mornin'. | wonder if the little chaps
sick. S'pCse l ask
AS this was just what I would have
suggested if he had given me time.
nodded complacently, and we drove up
and stopped.
The piping voice of the child at once
spoke up:
How dye ye do, Mr.. Simsbury?
Mas in the kitchen. Bob isn't feeling
good today"
L thought her tone had touch of
mysteriousness in it. l greeted the pale
little thing and asked if Bob was often
sick. Never" she answered, except
like me, lie cannot walk. But I'm not
to talk about it, ma says. I'd like to,
but
Mas face appearing at this moment
over her shoulder put an end to this
innocent garrulity.
How dye do, Mr.. Simsbury?" came
a second time from the window, but
this time in very different tones.
whats the child been saying? She's
so sot up at being allowed to take her
brothers place in the winder that she
don't know how to keep her tongue
still. Bob's a little languid, that's all.
You'll see him in his old place tomor-
row. And she drew back as if in po-
lite intimation that we might drive
on.
Mr. Simsbury responded to the sug-
gestion, and in another moment we
were trotting down the road. Had we
stayed d minute longer, 1 think the
child would have said something more
or less interesting to hear. She looked
bursting with desire for gossip, but
then goodness me- who wouldn't if
obliged like her to sit in one window
the half of the life you did not spend
in a little dark bed room under the
caves of a cottage whose whole dimen-
sions could be embraced by the walls
of my parlor?
The horse, which had brought us
thus far at pretty sharp trot, now
began to lag as we drew into town,
taking up so much Of Mr.. Simsbury's
attention that he forgot to answer
even by a grunt more than half of
my questions. He spent most of his
time looking at the nag's hind feet,
and finally. just as we came in sight
of the stores, he found his tongue suffi-
ciently to announce that the horse
was casting q shoe and~that he would
be obliged to go to blacksmith's
with her
'Humph, and how long will that
take?'' / asked.