The Red Cloud chief., 1901-05-24

nobody could squeeze in. and patted
his little grimy hands compassionately.
He stood shutting his bare feet stol-
idly.
I'll 20 wild her" he said suddenly.
releasing u hand to indicate Miss Sa-
lome's retreating figure. And without
further warning, he darted down the
platform In close pursuit. At the
street crossing he caught up.
II cotchcd yer" he cried breathless,
I'm goin' long u youse. Der amt
no room now'er,s else. Amt dere
o in your tenement? | can bunk
on de roof all right"
Miss Salome stood still and ran her
Keen gray eyes owe the lean. patched,
~unlovcly little creature, Something in
his cheerful confidence In her making
roo for him touched her. o. yes
yes, yes-there was room enough.
There were five, six rooms. lie would
not need To sleep 'on de- roof But
this terrible little unwashed boy II
was not easy to associate him with one
OF her immaculate beds. as white, cy-
cry II of them, as he was black.
Did YOU ever take n BATH" she
asked abruptly.
Take a wot. ma'am?"
The lean. brown face expressed ut
ter unacquaintance with the word
All why, bath. Did you ever wash
YOURSELF"
A minutes wrcstle with memory and
then "A kindling Of newborn pride In
the brown face.
Yer bet! ! washed me face wen
me pal got t'rowcd down an ! went
ter de hospital ter see him. | didn't
40 wild no dirty face. naw!"
Miss Salome gasped. helpless before
such an experience. II was uncon-
sciously the meeting of the two ways,
In her mind, and she took the one that
would lead them home together.
IN keep him long enough to wash
hin up, once, any way" she thought
grimly.
Miss Salome's ease" was an unusual
one. If she had but known 1t. The city
missionaries who rounded up the little
waits for their outing in the country
made strenuous efforts to send them to
their benefactors clean, at least, and
as whole as they could make them. But
this grimy little mortal who had
adopted Miss Salome was an exception.
Taken into the ranks at the last min
ute, there had been no time to make
the best Of him.
They walked on together, the boys
bare feet padding unevenly beside
Miss Salome. She stole a covert glance
by and by ut the alert, unchildish face.
What could he be thinking OF?
so you had a pal? What is a pal?"
she asked.
"Oh!-well, "A pals a pard, yer know.
Yer goes into trade wild him an shares
de winnin's. see? Yer sticks by him
trough tick an tin; yer don't never
go back on yer pal. naw!"
And your pal is dead?"
The change in the boys face was
wonderful. Miss Salome marvelled ut
1t. Mingled JOY and tend rness strug-
gled through the CRIME for equal ex-
preston.
Mickey, dead? Yer bet he amt.
He's gettin' well-yer can't kill Mick
a week. Mickey Is"
They were close to Miss Salome's
great white house, and further CONVEX.
sation was interrupted.
Come in" Miss Salome said, at tn,
lilac bushes that framed a gateway
And. in silent awe, the city waif pad
died in, his soiled little face lifted to
the great purple tassels overhead.
What's them?" he whispered, after
"A moment.
"Lilacs," Miss Salome answered
briefly. II was another argument In
the boys favor. To think he had new
er seen a lilac bush! miss Salome
called 1t "laylock.D She felt her
heartstrings freshly tugged.
1t does not take a great while to
wash even a little gamin's face that Is
a stranger to the operation. But the
cleansing over, still the boy tarried.
Miss Salome did not invite him-he
stayed. He was perfectly happy In q
novel way. He went about the big
ITOut ydTu OH llplOes, at hT5t, db IL lit
were afraid OF crushing the grass with
his little calloused brown feet. And
when inadvertently he trod on a great
red clover head, Miss Salome saw him
stoop and set its broken stalk with
splints OF herds grass. He took
plenty Of time. and his thin unchildlsh
face was puckered gravely.
II shall let him stay his time out
murmured Miss Salome; and that
night-it was the first night-she sat
up to mend his clothes. When she
carried them back, a little less out
at the elbows and f~orlorn, the boy wal
fast asleep and the moonlight was ca.
ressing his face as 1t lay in brown re,
lief among the white pillows. II coulC
not have kissed more tenderly the lit
tie face OF a child who was loved
whose mother bent over him. Tn,
light in Miss Salome's unsteady I'm
gers fiared and half reused the waif
He opened his eyes and regarded he
In stupid terror.