The Tupelo journal., 1909-05-21
"oh, They RIuffed a Little" Returned Archie, carelessly.

| kept thinking of a rotten yarn OF
Kipling's; something happened to him.
down in the underground quarter, in
just such a hot, nasty-smelling hole,
| guess, as l was in; you remember,
Miss Janet, about the game Of cards
and the Mexican stabbing a Chink for
cheating, and how Kipling jumped up
and ran for his life, never looking
around; and don't you remember that
nasty bit, how he felt sure they had
dealt with the greaser their own way
and he'd never get up to the light
again"
I've been remembering that story
all this afternoon" answered Miss
Smith with a shudder.
Agreeable little tale" said Aunt
Rebecca, dryly. Archie, you must
have had a right nasty quarter of an
hour. How did you get away?"
"Why, a Chink came and called the
little man off; and there was a lot of
talking which | couldn't hear, and the
cop was swearing; l think they didn't
like it.. But, in a minute the China
mamie vas an awful nice little Teller
he came up to me and took me out,
led me all sorts of ways, not a bit
like the way l came in, and got me out
to the street. The other fellows were
very polite; they told me that they
were my friends and only wanted to
find a clew to my kidnapers; and the
burning holes in me was only a joke
to give me an excuse to break my
word under compulsion-why, they
wouldn't hurt me for the world! / pre-
tended to be fooled, and said it was
all right, and looked pleasant; but
| I'd like to scare them the same way,
once, all the same"
The boy caught at his lip which was
trembling, and ended with a shaky
laugh. Miss Smith clenched the fist
by her side; but she dropped the arm
near Archie, and said in a matter-Of'
fact, sprightly tone: Archie, you
really ought to go dress-and wash
for dinner; excuse me for mentioning
it, but you have no idea how grimy
you are"
The commonplace turn of thought
| did it's errand. Archie, who had been
bracing himself anew against the hor
ror which he remembered, dropped
back into his familiar habits and
jumped up consciously. tits the dust
motoring" he offered, bashfully. 81
ought to have washed before | came
up. Well, that's all; we came straigh,
here. Now, may l go take a bath?"
Aunt Rebecca was lingering a curl
Gus jade locket on her neck. She
watched the boy run to the open door
Il wish you'd go into your room
colonel" said Miss Smith. land see
that nothing happens to him. It's silly
but l am expecting to see him vanish
again!"
The sentence affected the colone
unpleasantly; why need she be posing
before him, as If hat first disappear
ance had had any real fright In it
OF course. she didn't know yet (al
though Aunt Rebecca might have tolt
her-she ought to have told her ant
stopped this unnecessary deceit) tina
he was on to the game; but-he didn'
like it. Unconsciously, his inwart
criticism made his tone drier as he re
piled with a little bow that he i'm
agined Archie was quite safe. now
and he would ask to be excused, as h
had to attend to something befor'
dinner.
Was it his fancy that her fac
changed and her eyes looked wistful
1t must have been. He walked stiff,
away. Hardly had he entered hi
room and turned his mind on tn
changed situation before the tesephon'
appraised him that a gentleman, MI
Gardiner, who represented the Fire
less Cook Stove, said that he had a
appointment with Col. Winter to ez
plain the stove; should he be sent up
Directly. Endicott Tracy entered
smiling. Where's the kid? ! knoy
he's back" were his first words; an