Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-11

Can If he wants to- said the as
tonished small boy Il don't care"
Cooper laughed. saHe held the youngster
We'll" said he'd Jest hear that now.
He's a plucky little fellow. anyhow. He
ought to run for Congress. What's your
manner" so In
| Billy" said thea boyzgy
| Where do you hve?r asked Cooper.
Up in New York.. said the boy.
| Poor little fellowr" said Mercy, as she
glanced the forloFn figure over compass
| sionately.
We'll. of course, I'm poor" said the boy.
! defiantly. You didn't expect me to drive
| up In hack jest to steal a pie, did your
Here Betsey Bobbin Joined in the con-
| versaton.
! You don't look like bad boy, and your
face an hands is clean,'' she said. kindly.
| Ma washed em at the creek this mozn-
| in said the boy
Washed EN- at the creek eh!' said
Cooper. Hum! What did you say you
stole that pie for?''
| Il way hungry said the boy.
There was an indefinable air as of war
fare against all things in his manner, al
| though as Betsy Bobbin said, he certainly
did not look like a bad boy. HIS clothes
! showed many careful patches, with put one
| unmended rent, although that was large
| one. His face had the thin, pinched look of
| one who is often hungry, and his chin quiv-
| cred, although he evidently made sturdy
effort to keep from crying he tried to
that there were in his mind the germs
which made older men sometimes war
against society-germs implanted by III us
age which he had not earned and could not
understand He was on the road to cynl-
cism, and, perhaps, revolt.
But l am bad he said, land there amt
no excuse for it. ! suppose, except that
we've been driven from place to place
and cussed and swore at, until I've made
up my mind that the worse you are the
better you can get along. I've tried the
other. and it don't work. Bein' good and
beln hungry goes together.
Amt you got no homer asked Cooper.
Nope said the boy.
rs your father livin'?"
Dunno"
And yer MAJ"
shes tainted out there in your orchard
said the boy. Il wouldn't tell you If
didn't have to- but If you sicks the dog on
And the little stranger doubled up his
fists
Painted exclaimed Aunt Betsey, and
in twinlsling she and Mercy had hurried
through the door.
An instant later Cooper followed them,
leaving the boy alone in the big room, free
to do whatever he liked with the pie now
lying on the table, and unmatched by any
one. He did not, however, make any move
toward it. Indeed as he stood there great
wave of weakness swept through his thin
legs and skinny arms He did not attempt
to run away, but. instead, settled down
into Aunt BetseyS comfortable rocking
chair, with white face and hands that
trembled And as he sat there he ponder
ed on the situation. He was very tired,
very hungry, and his eyes almost closed
Cooper and Betsey Bobbin walked very
slowly they re-entered, and between
them was the mother of the boy. Pale,
weak, sorrowful in her expression, and
showing many marks of poverty, she walk
ed with difficulty and sank, almost in col
lapse, upon the couch Mercy followed the
little party with a small bundle. The boy
rose as if he would go to the assistance
of his mother, but sat down again.
The woman tainted again as she sank
upon the couch and Mercy and Aunt Bet
sey worked over her with some excitement.
They began to loosen her dress.
Il reckon I'd better leave her to you wo-
men folks said Cooper, and went across
to where the boy was sitting.
The boy arose as he approached, although
somewhat unsteadily, and when Cooper
held out a kindly hand toward him, went
to him hesitatingly. Cooper took him be-
tween his knees so that he was supported
by them on either side.
Now, boy" said he, did you say that
you were hungry?
81 am anyways" was the prompt reply.
Cooper loosed his hold upon the thin
arms, and pointed toward the table.
go git that pie, he said.
The boy walked to the table and took
the pastry bravely, although his face show
ed that he believed that Cooper had
thought up some unusual punishment in
Bring it here!' said Cooper.
The boy returned with the pie and stood
dejectedly by the old man.
Say, what are you a-goin' to do to me?'
he asked.
"somethin' terrible" said Cooper. Coin
to make you eat that pie
Ma needs it a good deal worse than I
do" said the boy, gravely.
Cooper laughed.
you go ahead and eat" he said She'll
git somethin as soon as she's ready for it.
She'll be taken care Of
''Sure?' said the boy
why of course said Cooper. You
amt afraid of us. be your
NO" said the boy, briefly.
But he still hesitated, and he did not eat |
the pie.
"Why, I want to help you, not harm you,
said the old man, holding him |
out by both arms. You amt nothin' much |
but skin and bones. Things must a-been |
goin' hard with you"
He looked at him reflectively. The sight |
of the youngsters real distress stirred him |
deeply His eyes almost filled as he gazed |
at the cocky little individual who, despite |
his youth, had evidently taken up a mans |
burden, TO bear it pluckily, even If he could |
not carry it without a stagger now and |
then. He covered his emotion with burst
of emphasis.
EAT THAT PET he commanded, stern
ly. as he wiped his eyes.
'Gee!' said the boy, as he caught the
favor.
As he ate Cooper looked at him with real
enjoyment. The boy was very hungry,
there could be no doubt of that, and he did
enjoy that pie.
Say, boy said Cooper. after few mo-
ments of silent enjoyment, what did you
say had become of your pa?"
Didn't say said Billy. He went away |
before I can remember very well. Left ma
and me and went off to look for work.
Sometimes ma thinks he's dead sometimes
she thinks he amt. He was a printer and
lost his Job One day he says to ma that he
was sick of Twin in the city, and that he
was goin' to the country to look for work.
We amt never seen him since them
Deserted you, eh?' said Cooper, COM
By this time the boys mother was sit
ting I'D upon the couch. Mercy had left
her and approached her father and the boy,
lust in time to hear this talk about his
father.
what an outrageous wretch she ex-
Indignantly
Billy looked up quickly and resentfully.
"Wan't neither!' he declared He held
the pie out angrily toward the girl who had
made the criticism. Here, take your pie
he said II don't want it."
Cooper laughed delightedly.
Gosh, Amt he plucky, thought" he
said and appeased the boy, which was not
a hard thing to do, for that pie was very
good 1s
After a time the woman thanked the
samaritans who had been so kind to her.