Newport daily independent., 1903-04-06

play with me! Nobody will play with mel
 Such a forlorn small figure 1t was with tear-grimed checks and discon- solate droop to the toboggan-tassel meant to stick out saucily from the round little head.
 The bent-shouldered old woman coming wearily up the street smiled grimly at first An, well, if ones only grief were simply having no one to play with! But, as she dragged slowly on she saw the child run bravely after the passing groups of children, begging them to stop and play.
 Poor little fellow Why cant he be happy now, at least? Come" she said, in burst of self-forgetful sympathy. "I w2l race you to the corner and back"
 The glad "Oh, will you?" and the quick hope brightening the tear soiled face repaid her and gave her a start.
 Alas! Little legs take short strides, but they take many. Neddy bound ed along with double vigor for the time lost in lonely repining. Her breath came thick and fast. Her bent shoulders, her stiff limbs, her slow breath seemed to seize and hold her back. 1t was torture! Not even a little kindly act like that could she do. Oh, she was old and worn and sick of it all! And down her soft wrinkled checks slow tears began to trickle as she panted after the child who was beginning to look back doubtfully.
 Not even to the corner! She could go no further. Poor little Neddy! She cared more for his disappoint- ment than for the revelation of her own weakness. On the stretch of blank wall, where the slanting sun rays made clear shadows, she could see his blithe running figure, so diff ferent now from the forlsrn lump with the flat, discouraged tassel.
 With a sudden inspiration she gasped;
 See him, Neddy, see him! Your playmate has come, your very own!"
 The child veered sidewise as she pointed at the shadow on the wall; so did the shadow The tassels waved recognition and friendly de fiance.
 "oh!" screamed the child, in ecstasy. He's racing mel"
  He'll keep up with you. I'll watch you"
 On sped Neddy and on sped the shadow-boy. Neddy chuckled and shouted in the joy of matehood, till from the old wall and the hilly grounds back of it there echoed a shrill, thin, answering cheer; from the shadow-boy, of course,
 Neck and neck they kept along the great wall, turning back at the cor ner, around which little Neddy might not go, and racing home again. The wall broke off at the place where the two cottages of Neddys parents and the old lady's neighbored each other timidly on the long, lonely square. Neddy stubbed his toe and fell Too wildly excited to be hurt, he scram- bled up again, and, bless you, if the shadow-boy had not fallen, too, over the lilae-bush, and there they were, just even, Neddy getting his breath perehed on the low gate-post, and the shadow-boy on the old lady's porch, against the cottage side
 The old lady came slowly along, the misery of her hurried breathing quieted down, and smiling to see the eager, happy face, full of interroga- tion-points, raised 10 hers.
 "Ycs, you will find him pretty near ly every day that it is nice and bright enough for little boys to be out. He will always be willing to play with you and will never run away from you. He won't quarrel and hurt you"