Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1899-08-17

pretty lace upon hlHiN III uisap prov al
The boy. with whom she had long beel
at silent feud, felt still more ASHAMED
of Minty. Having the road betweel
Mary Jane an6 himself. he could a. of
Ia, as they met trudge schoolwar,
with her, exchanging occasional sniff
and curls of the lip and suffer no los
in his own dignity. But TO have tn
dirty stray tackled upon him by Mar.
James passing eye was more than n
could endure.
Say, yOu take this young one alon.
with you. he commanded. making
threatening motion of the head, an,
Minty was quite ready to bestow he
melting smile on this acquaintance
though nothing edible was hung abou
the person of Mary Jane. Whether sh
had bread and sugar sticking togethe
in her pocket or was to return home 70
her dinner Minty instinctively knew
the boy was still her best friend
Mary Jane did not deign to Civ
the boy reply, hut spoke ont vain
gloriously TO Minty:
II IN dressed mp, and you ain't.
Il haven't had some nice clothes ol
for long time, admitted Minty afte
surveying the favored being who con
descended to pass within three yards o
her
She raised the talk stick and held i
ont to conjure comfort even from thes,
circumstances.
''I' IN dressed up, said Mary Jane a
oh. Il f..
like this cap. | like to wear it at school
1t prouds me. l feel like 1 was king
wiferd. You are not dressed up, Mrs
Seventeen, and you look so ugly j
tireds me.
But. says Mrs. Seventeen, my
legs are drenched with heavenly dew
and the song birds take me up to lool
at the sky. | couldn't tell about tn,
man the lightning rod struck, and il
split him from top to bottom. "I'l
escuse you, said the man, and there
was pumpe on his nose because h,
kneeled his head so hard when he haC
table prayers.
The boy and Mary Jane. walking on,
on each side of Minty. eyed her in 81
any audience she murmured her rap.
lures and built up her visions at the toI
of the talk stick.
lyon ate so much good food you
made fat to you. said Mrs. Seventeen,
but don't sit on my prayer. | said my
prayer on that chair, and if You sit OF
1t you will break it. , .
"Today's Friday" put forth Mary
Jane vaguely affronted. land we speal
pieces.
and tomorrow Sadderday." tht
boy jerked from himself in the act OF
skipping a stone. They ought to cal
it Gladderday, though. cause ther,
amt no school -
Il know my piece all by heart, said
Mary Jane.
bet you don't. challenged her foe.
She cast look of superiority upon
him and silenced him by letting it al
out at him without pause or information
as she walked rapidly ahead, her voic,
growing DINNER until the words quite
faded and failed:
Il met little cottage girl she wa:
years old she said her hair was thich
with many curl which clustered round
her head AI.o bod .-s-tiv --yg,i dtr''----
'Eonders the railroad. said the
boy to Minty. fe.iing that his injuries
had now eliminated. care you going &c
tag me furder than that ?"
81 don't know" responded Minty
donbtfully.
"If you do, won't give you bite. .
Then l won't" promised Minty
eagerly.
He waitei until they reached th'
rails, and there portioned out his lunch
buying his freedom with generous
hand.
Mary Jane was just entering thu
schoolhouse as he wagged his head to
ward it.
Don't you come down there wher
you've eat this up and hang round aftel
nfe, neither, he stipulated.
81 won't, pledged Minty earnestly
al don't care anything more about yor
now I've got your dinner.
SO she began to eat and the boy tool
TO his heels.
"Goodby,' called Minty. with he
mouth full.
"He won't say goodby. Ii grieveC
her to be left alone again even by
chance playmate without one parting
word
She sat On tie between the rails be
cause the boy had told her she mus
not cross the railroad and spread he
feast upon the lap of her dirty Hubbard
gown. Bread and butter. cakes and ap
pies, each in turn passed tbe portal o
Minty's mouth. She smiled up at tn
sky. She fed some crumbs to ants build
ing their sand palace by her foot. am
finally she held the talk stick out, say
ing TO 1t
"You must not follow me. If yO'
come to my schoolhouse, | will driv
you back over the railroad. You are To-
little. Nobody wants you. But 1t is
lovely day and comf't'le in the sun. an
the water is laughing joYto me
"There was boy found bee, an
he picked 1t up and was 20 glad Now
will have rome sport, said the boy be
cause he learned that in his readin
book 'Oh, how wish it would sting.
said the boy. for | never had be
sting me. and sport is such happ
thingi' So the bee stung him. and TN
boy let loose and said oh
4" If that is sport, said the boy, an
he cried. Il do not want any more, fo
it is not happy thing. But Mrs. Sew
enteen said Do not cry. Listen To tn
music go tingle, tingle. tingle "
Tingle, tingle, in the rails beside he
still went the thrilling music.
1T was a grand pi-organ, and
went roar, roar.
Roar, roar, indeed II went, then
became a loud rushing. and the shriek-
shriek- shrek of "a steam whistle.
Minty turned her head over he
! shoulder. The talk stick was poised be
tween her thumb and finger, and mel
ther she nor it moved as the trai
swept toward her. Her face was wake
with fright, and her blue eyes stood for
ward in their rims
The train stopped with such a Ja
that some passengers were thrown {
the floor Men dropped off the steps an
ran forward. There the engineer an
fremen were standing beside the track
one Of them holding the child. and tn
other telling how he grabbed her up "a
the pilot the breath of an instant befor
il reached her.
Some tears were running down he
checks. but she was silent until a gen
tleman standing among the arrivin
| gazers exclaimed;
why, Mintyr'
Papa she cried in "A shrill screar
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