The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-15
Waits and StrayS.

lanes into the turnpike, all going down to
meet the train from New York.
In the wide porch of Farmer Morris
old homestead stood'his daughter Millicent.
The occupants Of the passing wagons
nodded to her as they went by. Her own
team awaited under the. naples near, but
Miliicent seemed in no hurry to go. She
was thinking; thought was twisted in the
coils of her soft, brown hair, expressed
in the grave lines Of her usually laugh
ing face. and in the deep. grey eyes, that
at present were watching the footpath
across, the meadows that led to the Calder
farm
hiiilicent Morris, Martha Graves. Will
Ellis, and Adam Calder, children of neigh
boring farmers, had grown up together,
happy, inseparable band. When there
had been childish differences between
them it had always been Martha and VIII
on one side. and Millicent and Adam on
the other: and she had grown up to feel
that he belonged to her OF course he be-
lorged to her; it would be absurd to think
of his marrying anyone else, and yet
he had kept away from her so much Of
late she could not understand it. Martha
had just left her: viii Ellis and she were
to be married in September, and she was
naturally full of happiness. But to pretty
Mi!licent, as she stood watching the path
along which no one came, life seemed at
present rather disappointing. Well! She
might as well go to the station. too.
Around a newly emptied ashcan in one
OF the dirtiest streets on the extreme West
Side Of the city three ragged urchins were
gathered. peering eagerly down into its
nd oil oil fy,n oil nli 20
It's mine! Tum up. Jenny! Tum up.'
These were the continuous EXPLANATIONS
of the smallest of the three as she reached
her grimy hands down into the grimier
depths From the abyss. in answer to the
call for Jenny" came a faint, sickly new.
unnoticed, or laughed at by the loungers
about the sidewalks and doors OF the tene-
ments. There seemed no help for the kit
ten. until by the combined efforts OF its
three friends pulling together on one side
the can tipped over and children and can
rolled together into the gutter. From its
depths crawled the skeleton of a iitten.
draggled and weak, but not without spirit
No sooner did 1t appear than a big. rough
boy (who had thrown 1t into the CAM
sci 1 ii and was about to put 1t high up
on lamppost out of its owners reach,
when the kitten. squirming around, planted
all of it's foreclaws in his hand, just as
modes of warfare current In the vicinity.
set her sharp little teeth in the calf of his
leg. The sudden and severe attack made
him drop the kitten. Kit seized it. and
hugging il in an overdose embrace ex-
claimed: Il yubs it! I yubs it!' and
pressed its dirty little face to her own
dirty face rapturously-
The big boy was not really bad: he was
only having fun in his own way, and SO
he did not strike Kit. or kick the cat as
he might have done unmolested; he Just
rubbed his leg ruefully. used strong Ian
guage and threatened what he would DO.
Then. stirred to anger by the laugh of
those around him. he offered to fight any
one who laughed again. Some one did
laugh. ring was formed and fight seem
ed imminent; but Just then came new
diversion. A murmur was heard on the
outside of the crowd. quiet looking lady
was coming UP the street. and from mouth
to mouth and all along the block was
heard the exclamation: 1.-The country The
country! The kids are going to the
country" The fight was off. Kit was
forgotten.
The lady was one Of the agents Of the
great Fresh Air Charity, and had come to
collect party that was to leave the city
that day They came out from the tene-
three. and in squads; there was great run
ming to and fro a general stir throughout
the neighborhood; everyone came out to
see them off.
They were ready at last. sixty In all.
The lady had pinned on the last Of the
blue badges by which they were to be re-
cognized when she became conscious OF
small ragged figure which followed her
about. and a very earnest voice which said
as 1t had been persistently saying: "kit'H
go, too, Kit wants to go, Gimme wib-
bon?" you want to go. baby? should
love to take you." said the lady. Where
is your mother? Why didn't she speak 10
me before?" she amt go no mother: her
mothers dead. She just sia-s around and
no takes care Of her; please let her go"
1t was the big. rough boy, who spoke for
her now, and Kit sided up to him in en-
tire confidence and said in the most ami
able manner. as though granting favor:
"Kitll co.
brought out Kits history. Her parents
were poor. but decent folk: her father had
been killed in a railroad accident while
seeking employment year before. Sor-
row and hard work had been too much for
the mother. who was a delicate woman.
and she had died two months ago. leaving
Kit to the neighbors. They were all ready
to feed her and give her sleeping room.
and so she had gone from one to another
as she chose, she and her kitten But
there was no one whose duty 1t was TO
clean and clothe and mother her. and the
Island" would at last be her place.
The party was full, but the agent de-
cided to take her. Some farmer might
have pity on tie little waif. She would
be responsible for Kits safe return, at
any rate Safe return, AS though anyone
would ever ask IL Kit were safe or not!
So the baby tramp and her pet were
batged with the blue ribbon and went
with the party.
The station at C was an unusually
busy place this afternoon, farm wagons
were drawn up under the trees all along
the road: wagons from nearby farms and
from away back in the country. The
Fresh Air children from New York were
to come by this train; and the farmers
who had agreed to take them each for a
visit to their own homes awaited them.
Amid a crowd OF men at one end of the
platform stood Adam, great. sun Drowned.
biue-eyed giant. Millys love for him was
returned in overlooking measure, but with
it's growth a shrinking difidence had taken
possession of him. until now he was al
most afraid to meet the questioning of
her grey eyes. He loved her more than
he could express. he had tried to tell
her once, but had made such a wretched
blunder OF it, He had managed to say
something which had offended her when
he was trying his utmost to show his de-
votion: and now he could never do 1t
again. though his whole being cried out
with desire for her love and companion
ship. He was thinking all this as he leaned
against a post Of the platform and paying
little attention to anything but the move
ments of Millicent. as she went in and
out among the groups OF people.
What was happening meanwhile vas