Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1912-12-20

seemed equally and impartially cross to
the twenty or more warm admirers who
paused beside him to give vent to their
honest sentiments, but who went on
their ways more or less chilled at his
reception of their different WELL meant
expressions.
Possibly a different demeanor might
win him. would try his own methods.
See here, you!' l growled, stealing up
behind him, and giving him sharp
nudge with the toe of my boot. Come
along with me, and no nonsense"
To my surprise the boy, still shivering
| partly from nervousness, and partly be-
| cause he had on such thin and ragged
| clothing, took the hand which 1 held
| sternly forth to him, and kept close be-
| side me until we had reached a quleter
| street, leading to the hospital
What is your name?' 1 inquired, still
grufiy.
| "Bud-Bud Slattery."
| Where do you live?"
| Bud answered promptly, and as
| later proved, truthfully.
| How did you learn to haul little girls
out from under trolley cars2"
No reply. l shook him impatiently.
| Answer me, you rascal"
THE baby got ruined over"
Your little sister,"
Bud hooded.
| Where were your
II was off selling papers, but 1 don't
| go off so fur now. l stays by She
won't never get ruined over again. ner
the old woman"
Have you ever saved any other little
girls that way?'
Yep three-four-fve girls an boys;
an one time l pulled man out-he was
a dopy un. an he never knowed it. I'm
alters a-watchin fer 'em since the baby
got ruined over"
Bud" l blurted out, forgetting for a
moment the role that l was playing,
you are a hero. believe every word
you say. You must have practiced, or
you could never have been swift to-
day. l never saw anything like it. Now,
1 want to make you a Christmas pres
ent. What shall it be?'
The boy began to wiggle, and he would
have freed his hand and have darted
away if I had not chung fast to him.
a wisht yerd femme CO." he muttered
GROSSLY. Il amt fer that / do want
any Christmas present. Lemme go,
tell YER
In as ugly a tone as his own, l re-
peated my determination to give him
Christmas present; but he as persist
emily declared: DO want nawthn'. Do
want nawthin'," so sulenly. that I was
more mystfed than ever.
By this time we were on the steps of
the hospital. Suddenly l bethought my
self of the baby. A present for the baby
would surely appeal to this strange boy
Il suppose the baby isn't big enough
to go to SCHOOL,"
Nav" There was a certain sensitive
ness in his tone which showed that the
mention of the baby meant good deal
more to him than any mention of him
self.
We'll if you won't let me do some
thing for you, how about her? Mayn't
l give her a Christmas PRESENT."
: The boys hand ceased to wiggle and
I strain in mine The hopelessly crossed
eyes began to wink hard. In spite of
superhuman efforts on the part of Master
= Bud Slattery to restrain them, two tears
: | trickled down his cheeks and left
, athwart the freckles two canals, well
!, banked on either side.
Come" I said Grossly. What can do
|, for the baby?"
Are youse a doctor?" he asked thick
ly.
> Yes"
= Can youse break babies arms?"
This startling question nearly paralyzed
me-
What do you mean set broken
arms and all that sort of thing What
9 under heaven are you talking about?"
!, "Oh, youse can't do it either. I've
y been after akin an akin the doctors
!, an savin' my money, an now I've got
= more nor three dollars, but nobody can
do it, for I've asked dozen or more"
Il Tears began to flow again along those
: grimy cheeks. They quickened my wits
f | remembered that the baby had beer
a run over by a trolley car.
a "Oh, the baby's arm was broken, and
Il then it wasn't set right, and somebody
has told you that it ought to be broken
g again and set properly"
: A beam of hope played over the soil
d ed and freckled lineaments of B. Stat
). terry. His aversion to humankind seem
i ed for a moment to abate, and look
| n "a 1tat cd fha
:. which was looking at me. l had graspet
n | the situation.
: The baby proved to be one of the mos
n beautiful children it was ever my lot t.
=, encounter, and ] found that Bud Slattery
was faithful friend to her and thei
2, widowed mother, a lady whose counte
& nance lent clue to that of her red
/: eyed and frecked son, but none what
Il ever to the celestial loveliness of the ba
d by, The Widow Slattery had also tn,
IS same independence and goodness o
n character her son, and she seemed t,
n be equally ashamed of it. hiding her goot
e traits behind barrier of ncivility which
d was almost as marked as his.
d But l gave the baby a present of
n broken arm, according to Buds desire
and long before the next Christmas da!
ID came around, the child had two arms, a
Is good as when she was born.
IT And Bud still saves two or three chill
lie dren year from the trolley jugger
% maui as of old and then he gets ma,
A. when people try to thank him. But
ID you see a phenominally homely boy dow
= in the thckest part of the town, witt
d one eye on the earth and one on tn
d sky, and with freckles that you can Gu
l. with a knife, and nose and a moutl
Of that are like nothing else you ever en-
countered, buy paper of him, and tel
IT being undoubtedly that saviour of help
= give it to his mother for the baby, h
~ being undoubtedly that saviour of help
less children, the crossest and best bo
II [ In the tnWn-M aSfer Bind SlaftarN