The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-07-06

saw me slip her; and it jist happened
run into him that evening and got
him in, or he'd a-froze TO death. l guess
he must a-kindo' had 'em last night
cause he was the widest man you ever
see-saw grasshoppers with paper col
lars on. and old SOUS With feather duS-
ter tails, the durndest programme you
Fever heerd of. And he got SO bad onc't
! he was a-goin' 10 belt Sis, and did try
IT. and-I had to chug him one or he'd
a-dene it. And then he cried. and Sis
cried, and cri-, l. Dern hirnl you
can bet yer life L didn't cryi" And as
the boy spoke. the lips quivered into
stern compression, the little hands
gripped closer at his side, but for all
that the flashing eye grew blurred and
the lids dropped downward
That's boss shine on them shoes"
l was mechanically telling over in my
hand the three small coins l had drawn
from my pocket.
That is a nice job,' said L, gazing
with an unusual show of admiration at
the work, and I thought" continued
l., with real regret. that I had two
dimes and a nickel here, and was
thinking that, as these were Christmas
times. I'd just give you a quarter for
your work
Honest. Cap?"
Honest" / repeated. ''but the fact
is the two dimes, as / thought they
were. are only two three-cent pieces, so
I have only eleven cents in change
after all
.Spect they'd change a bill fer you
'crost there at the lunch-counter. he
suggested with charming artlesSness.
Wont have time-thereS my train
just coupling--But take this-Tn see
you again sometime, perhaps
How big bill is it you want
oh Il ell Ell
most acquisitive expression. and a
swift glance at our then lonely sur
roundings.
Il only have one bill with me- said
1 nervously, and that's a five
We'll, here tEen, said the boy, hur-
riedIy, with another and more scruti-
nizing glance about him-'guess 1 can
'commOdate you" And as l turned in
wonder. he drew from some mysterious
recess in the lining of his coat. a roll
of bills. from which he hastily de-
tached four in number, returned the
roll: and before l had recovered from
my surprise, he had whisked the note
from my fingers and left in my hand
instead the proper change.
This is on the dead, now. Cap. Don't
You ever cheep about me havin' wealth
You know; cause it amt mine-that is,
IL is mine, but I'm a-There goes your
train Ta-tsI''
"The day before Christmas" said l.
snatehing his hand. and speaking hur-
riedly. the day before Christmas I'm
coming back, and if you'll be here
when the $50 train rolls in you'll find
a man that wants his boots BACKED
maybe to get married in. or something
anyway he'll want a shine like this,
and he'll come prepared TO pay the
highest market price-do you under
stand2"
You jist tell that feller fer me- said
the boy. eclipsing the twinkle of one
eye. and dropping his voice to an in
Election of stric:est confidence. you jist
tell that Teller fer me that I'm his
OYSTER"
And you'll meet him sure?" said 1.
4 will" said the boy And he kept
his word.
My ride home was an incoherent
fiuttering Of the wings of time. in which
travail one fretful hour was born, to
gasp its first few minutes helplessly:
then moan, roll over and kick out its
legs and sprawl about; then crawl
lttle-stag ger to its feet and totter on;
then tumble down time or two and
knock its empty head against the floor
and howl; then loom up awkwardly on
gangling legs. too much in their own
way TO comprehend that they were in
the way of everybody else: then limp
d little as il worried on-drop down
exhausted-moan again-tOss up its
hands-shriek out. and die in violent
commissions
We have all had that experience of
the car wheels-had them enter into
conversation with US as We gaily en-
barked upon some pleasant trip, per
haps; had them rattle of in scraps of
song. or lightly twit US with some dear
ones name. or even go SO far as to
laugh at US and mock a Us for some
quette- I shall ever have good reason
10 remember how. once upon a time,
a boy Of Il. though greatly understood,