The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1902-11-11

his mother.
White horses are scarcer than red
headed girls, and though Jimmie
didn't know anything about red
headed girls he soon found out that
nearly all the horses in the world
were bays and blacks. On, on, on
he went. He grew tired and worn,
Then he thought of the little moth
er waiting for the prize, and new
strength came into his little legs and
new light into his searching eyes.
He passed the big park and came
into the section of struggling houses.
Ihere was great fine street, how
ever, stretching on and on. Fine
carriages were being whirled along
and some people rode by on horses.
1t began to get dark. Jimmie sat
down on curbing. He was getting
pitiably hungry, but he held back
the tears when he thought of his
mother. He thought once of turning
and going back, but he would find
the white horses and the prize. Had
he but known it he couldn't have
gone back had he wished, for he had
not marked his way through the
wilderness of city streets.
Finally his head fell over from
very WEAKNESS and his eyes were
about to close perforce when, loom
ing up at a distance through the
deepening dusk, he saw a white horse
with rider on it's back. In his
eagerness Jimmie sprang to his feet
and crossed fingers on both hands at
once. Then there flashed into his
mind remembrance that Freddy had
told him that if he saw one white
horse he was pretty sure to see an
other right away. Only one, and
Jimmie must see ten. Jimmie ran
into the middle of the street to get
a better view. Surely there must be
another white horse. The white
horse and it's rider were close. The
animal was on a keen trot. Tired
little Jimmie stumbled and fell The
horse SHE'D violently. The riders
Craftsmanship saved him from fall.
He checked his mount and in an in
slant was on the ground holding the
bride with one hand and with the
other picking up the mite of humani-
ty that had fallen in the dust.
Jimmie was too tired to help him
self much, but he was unhurt. The
electric lights along the boulevard
flared up on the instant. The man
with the white horse took long
look at the boys face, and then
something strange came into his
own. The lines about his mouth
frightened and his eyes seemed to be
looking back somewhere.
What's your name, little oneP" he
said.
Jimmie Talbot" was the answer,
land I'm out looking for a prize for
mamma. The man said she must get
money for him or we must move,
and Freddy Nelson told me if I'd see
ten white horses and cross my fin
gers I'd find prize for mamma. But
yours is the only white horse I've
seen, and must get nine more OF
mamma will go on crying"
"Your father" said the man in
voice which Jimmie, if he had been
older, would know was strained,
where is hep"
Hes dead" said Jimmie, simply.
Jimmie, wen find your other nine
white horses tomorrow. Where do
you live? I'll take you home to
Nineteen Culbertson court, two
flights up"
Jimmie was too tired to make re-
sistance, and in moment he was on
the back of the big white horse with
the man riding behind clasping him
tight. The boy went to sleep on the |
way, but he was aroused to a con-
sciousness that he was living N-~-
whole neighborhood was out looking
Tor him, and there was chorus of
wells: Here he is" when the rider
capped from his horse with Jimmie in
lis arms.
Thera wns n crv from the. court
ind Jimmie's mother had him in her
arms. There was an embrace that
Jimmie felt was much longer than
Usual, and then his mothers arms
ell from about him and she looked
Up into the face of the man who had
brought her boy back. Jimmie felt
lis mother start and then he heard
wo words.
"Georgel" aSEtgy~
"Ellenl"
Jimmie never knew exactly how IL
anne about but he found out that
lis mother had once known the man
IN the white horse. Jimmie also knew
hat the man on the white horse
anne to the house quite often and
ook him and his mother into the
ark, and once he thought he heard
he man say: "Don't say no again.
Glen" and after that Jimmie noticed
lis mother always looked happy.
Mamma" he said to her one day,
I'll go some time and look for the
ther nine white horses"
you needn't Jimmie" she said.
aughing and crying together. "You