The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-08-17

cry. Some loungers in the grocery at tracted by the clamor of the throng with
 out, came to the door inquiringly; one
 ed down the stairway of the cellar, and
 called to ask the boy if he was hurt
 which query was answered an instant
 later by the appearance of the boy him
 self, his face far winter than his shirt
 and his lips trembling, but his teeth
 clinched.
 Guess broke my arm ag'in," he said,
 briefly, as the man leaned over and help
 ed him up the steps, the boy sweeping his 1 keen eyes searchingly over the faces of 1 the crowd Its the right arm, though 1 he continued. glancing at the injured
 member dangling helplessly at his side
 'this-'un's all right yeti" and as he spoke
 he jerked from the mans assistance,
 wheeled round, and an instant later, as
 buggy-spoke went hurtling through the air he slapped the bewildered face of Billy with his open hand. Dam cow ardl' he said.
 Then the man caught him, and drew him back, and the crowd closed In be- tween the combatants. following, as the boy with the broken arm was hurried down street to the doctors office, where the door was immediately closed on the rabble and all the mystery within-not an utter mystery, either, for three or four
 enterprising and sagacious boys slipped
 off from the crowd that thronged in front
 and climbing by a roundabout way and | over a highboard fence into the back | yard, secretly posted themselves at the 1 blinded window in the rear of the little l one-roomed office and breathlessly await
 ed advices from within.
 ''They got him laid out on the settee, ' 1 whispered a venturous boy who had
 leaned a board against the window-sill
 and climbed into a position commanding
 the enviable advantage of a broken win | dow-pane. T kin see him through a hole
 in the curtain. Keep still"
 '"They got his coat off, and his sleeve rolled up,' whispered the boy in contin- uation-"and the doctors a givin' him
 some medicine in a tumbler. Now he's a | pullin his arm. Gee-mun-nee I kin hear the bones crunchr'
 "Hain't he a-cryin'?' queried milk faced boy, with very large blue eyes and 1 fine white hair; and a grieved expression l as he spoke. 'Hain't he a-cryin?' Well he hain'tl' said the boy in the
 window, with unconscious admiration. | "Listeni
 T heered him thist tell 'em at 1t was mt the first time his arm was broke. | Now keep still!' and the boy in the
 window again bent his ear to the broken | pane
 "He says both his arms ben broke, D continued the boy in the window-"says | this-' un ats broke nows ben broke two | times fore this time"
 | 'Dog-gonel haint he a funny fellern' | said the milk-faced boy with the big eyes lifted wistfuly to the boy in the win | dow.
 Bet his pas a wicked man!" said the | milk-faced boy, in a dreamy, speculative | way-"s'pect he's a drunkard, CT some l pin'!'
 | Keep still" said the boy at the win | dow; " they're tryin' to git him to tell | his pap's name and his, and he won't dc l it, cause his pap comes and steals him | ever time he finds out where he is." | The milk-faced boy drew a long, quav-
 ering breath and gazed suspiciously
 round the high-board fence of the enclos- | ure.
 ''He says his pap used to keep a liberty | stable in Zeeny-in Ohio somers-but he | daresnt stay round there no more cause | he broke up there, and had to skedaddle l CT they'd clean him out. He says he I haint got no mother, ner no brothers,
 ner no sisters, ner no nothin-on'y,n the | boy in the window added, with a very | dry and painful swallow. The says he