Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1904-01-07

water; and the man walked by his eide,
studying the roadway and unobseryant Of
the failing efforts Of the weak boy whom
he had intrusted with heavy task.
"Who are you. boy Z, he anid. without
looking up. "Wbat have you come to
this sleepy city forT
"I--don't know" was the reply, and a
more sulien reply Il was than usual, de-
spite It's jerliness.
Have you run away from homer IL
that itT
The man looked at the lad at this query
looked with grave earnestness that
bctokcncd n keener interest In him than
he had hitherto shown.
"If that's II, we are In the same boat,
boy" said he. II ran away from home
ever 40 long ago"
Because" sad the lad, curious In
his turn, and. even stopping short for an
instant for the answer.
Because there was no place like home /!
no place so confoundedly uncomforta-
BILE, and unsympathetlc and hard-corner-
ed---and so | put on my hat and walked
ont. And yet, after all" he paused and
made a clutch at his portmanteau, that
he suddenly thought was In peril of slip
ping from the lads shoulder-"Here. hold
hard. yOuRgster; what's the matterT
TITS all right, let me be; | can carry
II. | said could" cried the boy, with
excitement and marching himself and
luggage away from the touch Of the elder
man. This sudden effort seemed too
much for the overtaxed strength Of the
porter; he reeled away toward the foot
path, and went on with weak and totter-
ing legs for a few moments, when be
suddenly collapsed.
You are ill--you are hurt" said the
man.
"No; let me be, shall get up In min
ute. I'm little bit giddy--the street
turned round all Of a sudden-but l will
go on with the luggage presently"
oh. no, you won't" said the man,
dryly; you should have never attempt
ed IL. ! was brute not to see-the boys
going to faint"
He put his arms round him and lifted
him into the doorway as he might have
lifted an infant, and looked again at the
white, wan face under the old Scotch cap.
Poor little beggar!" he muttered
why did load him like this, and loaf
along by his side. Here, what's your
namel Can't you open your eyes, just
| for a moment, till L"
Here his anxiety took the form of ac-
tion. for, still holding the boys head on
| his shoulder, he kicked with energy at
Ethe door against which he was leaning,
and awoke the whole house.
A snuffy old woman, in an old black
cap weighed down by grimy artificial
| flowers, was the first TO wrench open
the door; she had been sleeping by the
fire, sitting up for late husband, and
she appeared with bound on the door
step, and nearly fell over the strange
couple In her haste.
"Water--a glass of water, please"
cried the traveller. This child has faint
ed"
"What-who-wat child is
it?" she called forth. Then she realized
the urgency of the case and ran back
into the room, returning very quickly
with a light In one hand and glass of
water in the other, at the same time as
heads peered down the narrow staircase,
| and some one opened a window above
and asked twenty questions in stentorian
tones, without getting an answer to one
Of them.
! "You can come into the house, If he
amt going to die, mind you" said the
woman. HAS he been run overf"
"No-crushed, that's all. Give me the
water. Take off his cap and then let him
be. He will get the air that way"
The Scotch cap was twitched off, and
the woman and the man who was support.
Ing the lad leaned forward and stared
with amazement at two small side-combs
which were In the head, and which had
been used for fixing and drawing up be.
meath the ScAtch cap profusion of raven
hair.
"Mussy on us. it's gsl!' cried the
old woman. "Why, what's her game Z?
"Ay, what's her gameT" said the man
very thoughtfully, as he echoed back tllC
slang question of his interlocutOr.
The girl heaved deep sigh, and put
thin hands to her head, as If she missed
her cap already.
"She's been shammlng," said the old
woman, who had grown strangely un
charitable within the last few moments
''She will do If we can get her home,
said the traveller. care you better?-
how do you feel now?" he asked kindly
"rm all right" was the slow answer
"I-I-think so. What has been--tht
-"
Then she stood up slowly, with hel
hands pressed to her temples, glareC
from the traveller to the woman with tb,
light, gave faint little scream of sur
prise, snatched suddenly at the cap dang
ling from the fingers of the woman, anC
with one wild spring forward, passed
from them into the rain and wind, anC
vanished away in the darkness.
The traveller made one or two stride
after her, and then stopped.
"Why should follow her, and ammo,
her further?" he said, as he paused.
He remembered that he had given hi
strange porter no remuneration for ser
vices thus abruptly terminated, and start
ed off again; but 1t was too late, aud an
other memory coming to him that h
was leaving his luggage in the street. h
went back for 1t, and discovered that |
was being taken into the house by tn
Samaritans, with certain amount of un
due haste.
"Thank you," he said, politely. H
shouldered his portmanteau, picked VI
his damaged hat case and marched off t
Muddleton's Hotel, where the waiter re
ceived him urbanely, but was puzzled a
the quantity of mud which he brought il
along with his luggage.
CHAPTER II.
Sitting In the coffee room of Muddle
tons Hotel, his slippered feet planted ol
!, the old-fashioned brass fender, the mai
who had come to Worcester thought on
the incidents of the day, and sketche,
forth a map of progress for the 'nor
, row Warm and dry. and nt his ease. tn