Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-06
CHAPTER Y.

After tnat there was KIND or taDleau,
same as them they have at church soci-
ables. Here was Hartley staring at the
young woman. and the young woman
staring at him" and the boy staring at
both Of 'em. and me staring at the three,
and the crowd around doing grand dou-
ble-back-action staring at the whole of
US. Then the party broke up. as you
might say.
Hartley. red as a beet now. got up and
bowed. The young woman got up. too.
and held out her hand In doubling sort
of way. But afore he could take it, she
seemed to remember something, or
changed her mind. for she dropped the
hand and turned to the boy. who was on
his feet by this time hooking down at the
relics Of his clothes. And between grease
and sand and dirt and rags they made a
you think Of a rubbish pile with a red
danger lantern on top.
you naughty boy!'' says she. "How
could you do SO? II you knew how
frightened Miss Talford and have been.
Are you hurt dear?''
Nav" says the dear. brisk and dis
gusted. Sure amt
The young woman ndgeted around him.
petting and "pooring" him and pinnins
him together. so to speak. Hartley
bearings at all. He acted to me like he
wished he was ten thousand miles away,
and yet I carlate he didn't really wish
1t neither. The doctor and Maj. Phinney
were 'fussing around and the crowd kept
getting bigger and closing in.
IF you'll excuse me, miss" says ], in
terfering. as usual. where twas none of
my affairs. II think perhaps 'twould he
good idea II we went somewheres where
'twan't 50 popular. Maybe we might 60
into one Of the rooms at the hall or
somewheres.''
why. Of courses" says Hartley. grab
bling at the notion like twas a rope I'd
thrown out to him. Wen go to the
hall. Ag-Miss Page: let me present my
friend. Mr.. Solomon Pratt
So twas the Page girl. after all. I'd
guessed as much. though how she come
to be In Eastwich when she'd ought to
have been in Europe was more'n ! could
make out. She looked up at me and
glove on 1t. Likewise she smifed-not
with her mouth alone. same as an un-
dertaker meeting the relatives OF the de-
parted. but with her eyes. too. Twas
the right kind of a smile. I'm vaccinated
and not subject to women folks. as a
get deckload Of them smiles
I'm very glad to know you. Mr.
Pratt" says she. just as though she
meant 1t. And we shook hands-really
Afore I could get over that shake and
smile enough to be sensible. Maj. PHI
lander showed her arm into his and
headed for the hall. Drat his figurehead!
You never could beat that old image
when there was q pretty woman around.
Then he takes the boy by the hand and
falls into the majors wake. Me and the
doctor trailed along behind.
The doc kept talking about what a
brave thing the Twins diving under the
horses was, but I didn't hear more than
half Of IT, l was watching the Page
girls hat and thinking how much pref
tier twas than the. ones them boarder
girls at the hotel wore. And yet there
want a quarter so many feathers and
The little chap was chirping up to
Hartley all the way. What worried him
was when he was going to get his Ave
dollars. Martin told him he'd get 1t all
right He'd advance it himself and col
lect II afterward.
Whats your name, SOM" says he to
the yOungster.
Denny" says the boy. :
Denny? Dennis. you mean? Dennis
what?" =,
guess"
Where do you live in New York;
lover, around Cherry street most Of
the time. Me and the old man used to
hang out in the back room Of Mike Dona-
hue's place OH Mott street till he rot
doin' shines and things. Sometimes I'd
take a shy at the Newsboys' Home
nights. That's where Miss Agony-Miss
Page. I mean-found me. I'm one Of the
MANY more like you over there?'
...Suret nine or ten Of US; girls and ALL
We been here q week now. skinned out
Of the winder this mornin' and hoofed 1t