Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1901-10-24
CUPID AND A PIG.
By Edward
{ATHILEt the train was nearing Cosy

WHILE the train was nearing Cosy
Wy cot station, Shepherd read Ly-
dia's note again.
Dear Walter" it began, "of course
we should be glad to have you at Cosy
pose Aunt Elizabeth can put you up.
But you will find us both completely
busy with a colony of Fresh-Air chill
dren near by which aunt is taking
care of. 1t is a noble work, and Aunt
Elizabeth has interested me in it
very thoroughly; I can think of moth
ing else, and have decided to devote
my whole life to laboring among the
children of the poor, if l am worthy
of such a career / want to tell you
this before you make up your mind to
come, SO that you will understand that
L won't be able to see much of you
and so that you may expect to find
me sobered by a serious purpose.
Yours most sincerely, Lydia Farrow."
Shepherd crumpled the paper vi
ciously in his pocket. "Confound
Aunt Elizabeth" he grumbled $50
bered by a serious purpose That's
the old maids phrase-not Lydia's.
Result of reading novels about hospi-
tai nurses. The children of the poor
must be taken care of-but, hang it
all, so must Lydia"
A trap was waiting at the station
to convey him to Aunt Elizabeth's
cottage, and his hostess was waiting
at her piazza to greet him. Miss
Gibbs was al elderly lady whose fig
ure and bearing looked as much out
of place in the country as would the
portico of the Fifth Avenue hotel.
No amount of bingham and flannel
could rusticize her.
Dear Lydia left her apologies to
you, Mr.. Shepherd" said Aunt Gibbs.
'She has been forced to absent her
self upon an important duty connect
ed with our children's mission. May
1 beg you to amuse yourself until
she returns? Thank you-sO kind of
you-my clerical work leaves me little
leisure in the afternoon, and later
I have an outdoor class in botany"
Shepherd spent a quarter of an hour
in a vain attempt to read n maya
zine, then he flung it down and start
ed at random across the rolling and
sunshiny green of the fields. \ shad-
owed lane tempted him for n mile or
so, but when he saw h path running
ahead OF him into the hot glare of
a highway he paused uncertainty.
ssHey. Mister Shepherd" called a IA
miliar voice from the fence, and a
familiar head and shoulders appeared
i'm the adjacent thicket. Voice, head
and shoulders belonged to Cuppy, the
newsboy who was accustomed to sell
him the morning paper at his Office
door in New York.
Hello, Cuppy," said Walter in great
surprise. care you up here with the
other kids?"
seYou bet" assented Cuppy. 1.-THE
fat is a couple of blocks down the
street. Milk an pie an chicken-and
sheets fer ter sleep in. Dere's 20
of us. Ter-morrer we has atterleetic
sports. I'm the empire"
ssMiss Gibbs is cry kind to do all
this for YOU"
Cuppy stopped short in his progress
out of the bushes.
"say," he demanded, "this Miss
Gibbs-are you wild her?"
NO." replied Shepherd thoughtful
", I'm agin her."
THAT'S right" said the ragged OBJ
iect of Aunt Elizabeth's bounty. The
old lady's all right if she'd only leave
ms be. What fer does she come round
a-lecturin' and putin US on the
sneak? I'm on the sneak now. She
paws the rent fer us, an we takes on
onr hats fer that. But" he concluded
with a d~arkening eye, "she runs a
night school out o. doors by daylight
and I'm ON the sneak. Miss Farrer.
she's the people
sShe is all of that" said Shepherd,
feeling strangely comforted; ne want
ed to shake h boys brown nand as
they strolled together down n hign.
way. "she is all of that Tor sure
he added