The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-10-10
Nv Annie Hamilton Donncll.

.OOheu uONu IL ouoSh1iy INV '"S NA>>.o~S
face. Then it went on. ScarecroW
ran along beside it.
"Gotter errand, mister-say?
"Oh, you want a job, eh? That's it,
Eyes, sir-wot'll yer bet 1 does! De
doctor has prescribed dose er vittles
fer ME stummick. Oh. say, mister,
mister! Gimme job!'
The figure slackened it's pace again.
But I haven't any job-well, WE'LL
let's see. Come with me. / suppose
you might run on ahead with the lit
tie chaps green's" .s.o
At florists up the street he bought
q load of trailing green vines and
cheap bright flowers and put them
in the boys hands.
Take them to Chandler street-one
hundred and seven. Here's quarter.
Now run! the sooner you get there
the better ST..
Scarecrow gazed through q screen
Of vines at the silver lying on his
Crimy little palm. 1t took on enor-
nous proportions and twinkled glori-
ously, wealthily.
Il amt got no change-I runs 'em
fer fver," he muttered. 49,.
The man towering above him
laughed sood-naturedly.
well. run this one fer q quarter.
It's worth tit isn't any common er-
rand" he said. And his face as he
strobe away was radiant with sud-
den joyful remembrance. No, no, this
was 10 common erraLd! This was
an errand out'of hundred-a thou
sand!
The man smiled joyously. In anoth-
er minute Scarecrow felt his hand on
his shoulder again, and another sill
YER quarter dropped through the vines
into the small brown hand.
Its worth it. Off with your The
man laughed.
1t did not occur to him to distrust
the tattcred little messenger. He was
not in 4 distruStful mood.
At Chandler street, 107, the lights
were all lighted. 1t seemed to be a
regular illumination. Scarecrow could
see through the unshaded windows 4
big, bright room, that seemed full and
running over with eager-faced little
boys. Tall boys-short boys-curly
hoys- straight boys-and one little
Killed hoy who danced wildly about.
One, two, three-Scarecrow counted
hoys. There were six Of them! And
what was this they were doing? The
little street boy stood watching them
outside.
"W-e-l-c-o-m-e," he spelled slowly to
bimself, as one by one the big green
paper letters were tackled up over the
mantcl in the big, bright room. The
word, complete, meant nothing def
mite to Scarecrow. lie puzzled over
it curiously. Then he knocked loud
ly at the door beside the window A
troop of boys answered the knock with
i headlong rush.
"Oh, oh! it's the fowers!-Daddy's
sent EN-! A boys brought 'em!'
"The flowers have Gomez
"An' the smile-aXelw
"TLey're red an pink an yellow
an they sInell-my."
"Goody, goody-hooray"
In an Instant little Scarecrow' arms
were empty, and the rush back to tht
bright-lightcd room had begun. Scare
crow pluclicd the sleeve CT the real
boy boldly and whispered:
Say, wot's &c game" he asked
eagerly "Wot's dem letters in der'
spell out:"
why. don't you know?" the LITTLE
! fellow exclaimed in astonishment
"They spell 'Wclcome,' because moth
cr's coming Ecmc tomorrow. To-mor
row morning-ycs, STREE! They've
! cured her ut the hospital, and She
coming homie. We've got pieces t
speak, and singing, and we're going t.
drape the picture with vines and flow
ers. l tell you there's times. whe1
your mother comes bone"
Little Scarecrow crept away in tn
darkness. Even the bright silver quar-
ters clinkcd, unheard, ill his pocket
He was thinking.
There are "times"-I tell you'll