The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1909-08-14
THE BOY WHO RAN.

/
The boy was running at stead,
pace. The pace was not fast one
it might have been called a jog trot
The boy trotted easily, his clenchet
hands against his breast. and his chit
up. He might have been twenty
but he had boyish look that was
emphasized by his smooth cheeks
his curly hair and his big blue eyes.
His trot carried him by an elderly
woman in a phaeton drawn by fat
and slow paced horse. He did moi
look around as he moved ahead. He
was interested in his task, and more
especially in the road ahead of him.
The elderly woman looked after
him curiously. Then her look sud
denly changed.
Zone of those invalids from the
sanitarium 'spose, she murmured
half aloud. "They do set 'em the
most outlandish tasks. Poor boy.
He's thin enough now without get
ting any thinner. An he looked like
quite a worthy young man, too
She touched up the fat horse with
the whip lash, but the sagacious ami
NAL merely shivered slightly and
steadily plodded along.
Presently she came in sight of the
boy. He was walking now, walking
with firm stride his arms dangling
and his head we'll up.
The old lady coaxed the fat horse
into trot.
"Now, Billy" she said, you've
been having things made easy for
you all the way. Let's see how
grateful you are. Gitap."
The fat horse, as if acknowledging
the possession of conscience quick
ened his pace, and after little steady
effort caught up with the stranger
whose pace had again slackened.
The woman drew the fat horse down
to walk.
"Good mornin', young man." she
said in her brisk and yet pleasant
voice. "How do you find yourself
this morningl Better, I hope?"
The boy looked up at her. She
noticed that he had high cheek bones
and many freckles. And there were
two red spots on his freckled cheeks.
eyes, ma'am, better" he answered
and there was queer twinkle in his
blue eyes.
.'Pm glad of that, /" she said. 1T
seemed to me that the treatment
looked little severe"
TITS the treatment need, ma am. "
But you can't gain any flesh run
ming about the country in that way"
The blue eyes twinkled again.
"No, a'am, but can lose some. +"
She stared at him.
rs 1t recommended to you by a
doctor-a regular physician ~
"No, ma'am. It's recommended
all right, but not just to me. But l
know it's what I need. 1 amt rich
enough to have a doctor, so I'm
lookin' after myself"
The gray eyes were dimmed by
pity.
"Poor boy" she said.
The tone touched the stranger.
~ don't mind it," he laughed.
"I'm pretty comfortable"
The motherly face was still cloud
ed.
"I guess those doctorin' folks in
the village mean well, she said, "but
sometimes their ways of helpin' peo-
pie seem little severe. I'm goin'
to the village. Won't you get In the
buggy an finish out your treatment
little more comfortably?"
He shook his curly head.
THAT wouldn't help me any,
thank you, ma'am. But Til walk
along side your carriage, if you'll let
me-"
"To be sure you may" the old
lady replied. She drew up the reins
and spoke to Billy.
"That's fine fat horse you have,
ma am, said the stranger as he strobe
along by the carriage wheel.
BILLY is a pet and sadly spoiled" /"
said the old lady.
Maybe a little of my treatment
would help him, ma'am."
They both laughed at this and
then the kind old face grew grave.
"Do you cough 7" she solicitiously
asked.
mo, ma 'am."
"They don't in some stages" she
murmered.
''I did cough little, " he explained.
"but that was before by broken rib
slipped into place"
'You had hurt then -
Eyes. ma'am. 1t bothered me
quite bit. You see I didn't know
anything about it until-until it was
all over. and the bone jabbed me in
the lung"
Again the kind old face clouded.
''I have an excellent sirup for
coughs" she said, "but as far as I
know it isn't good for anything else"
A smile lighted the freckled face.
THANK you, ma'am. IF I. get a
cough I'd be glad to try it."
The old lady nodded.
"My name is Miss Summers" she
said, ELLEN Summers. My home is
back on the road where the big oak
stands by the gate"
''I know the place. ma am, an a
fine little place it is. An a great
oak it is, too. Sometime I'll DROP in
when I'm runnin' by an have taste
from the glass that stands on the old
we'll box, ma'am."
You'll be quite welcome" the
old lady told him. 1--WE think the
water is very good. An there is
always plenty of cold milk in the Gel
lar, an very often a pitcher of butter
milk" "
"Thank you kindly, ma'am, /
won't forget. But here's where
! turn down the side street-an' so I