Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-22

him On tba arm ~
Mr.. Stoddard glanced down-he was very
tail, bony man-and saw lad with plncnea
features and slight figure, apparently not much
more than twelve, years Of age. -,
"Have you hired all your help for the woods
this winter?" asked the boy, slight qua'er
in his tones. ~
The group of men ceased their tax ior .
moment. and some of them laughed;
A look Of perplexity overspread the rugged
face of Mr.. Stoddard. but he did not JoIIl Jl:i, Ii
the laugh the absurdity Of the boys queseion
had occasioned. Ia
II want strong, able-bodied men,, he sal9
at length; "but YOU wouldn't be no good.
You're too young, an, besides, you look Ter
| bic peaked" -,
At this the men laughed more loudly than
before; but Robbie clung fast TO ms coui'ee'
"Pm fourteen years old" he said the n dnn1d nr%I
ness of his tones surprising himself couiu
keep your camp and landing accounts. A..
Gould you skid roads an he,P Po,,t On lnms .me
berin'?' asked Mr.. Stoddard, while the men
grinned at each other. =,
"T can learn answered the boy, encour-
aged by the business-lke tone Of the man.
barrel of flour that stood before store door
close at hand, and chewed it retieetiveiy'
Then he called the boy to one SIDE; ,.,,a
ooy, ami ye ne askeu'
"I thought so. Well. I want somebody I
kin trust to keep the books an, LOOK a1ter
the camp supplies for the men; III haye 70
ieve ye're honest. When kin We be readyf
cat any time. sir" Rob answered. eager
". "When will you want meY
LES see! Today's the sixteenth, l., Day
two pair O. bosses in yardin' now, Our camp
an novels are built, an, I'm goin' to take IN
two more teams. Well start by daylight
Could you go them" =.
"Hoid on!'' said Mr. Stoddard; Eye hain't
said nothin' about wages.
Rob stopped, and came slowly, back:
"What can you pay! he asked, nestatlng
Kind. XII IL ''
1If YOU do the work as it orter be done,
I'll give We ten dollars a month" said MIR.
Stoddard. 'FWill that satisfy ye?"
eyes. SIR" assured Rob, once more starting
'STen dollars month"; he said to himself.
as he trudged homeward. eff l can. make
four months work it will be forty, dollars.
Perhaps | will be some good, after all.
It was growing dusk when he passed by
Mr. Stoddard's house. and three miles, mucn
of the way dense forest, lay between him
and home.
latch and entered the room where his father,
mother and brother were anxlously awaiting
his return.
| His face looked unusually pale in the lamp
light as he sank into a chair, and his moth
er's arms were clasped about his neck, while
Hugh Archer asked
"What kept you SO late, RobertW
"I walked clear to the village and back,
and I'm most tired out. and hungry as
wolf. too"
With an appetite he had never known be-
fore he devoured the food placed before him,
and Henry laughed to see him eat so heartily.
'I guess walk like that would do you
good every day." the younger brother said as
Rob finished his supper with a sigh of con-
tentment.
''Well, my son, what success did you have"
asked the father. as the boy drew back from
the table.
Rob related the events of the afternoon,
and his heart was filed with pride at the
approving words of his father.
IT don't see why you can't succeed. You
write good hand, and are quick in figures;
and. as for honesty, / don't believe one OF
the world. / never could forgive boy of
mine who would do dishonest act"
That night Rob lay awake hour after hour
thinking nervousy of the new duties he was
about to assume for several months to come
He was wholly unfamiliar with lumber camp
life, SO far as actual experience was concern-
ed. and yet could form some idea from the
talk of others which he had listened to- His
father was right In part, as regarded the
effects of Mrs. Archer's petting upon the nat
urally delicate boy, and now when the rough
realities of life stared him in the face for the
first time, he shrank from them with feel
ing of terror.
But morning came at last, and that day,
while his mother was mending and fixing up
| his clothing for the winter. Rob- who half
roNr1NuUn oN pAcB THRrn