Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1915-03-11

II The boys In this towns down on
your" said q cross~eyed. freckled
boy, one day. to The Boy from Zeeny.
The Boy from Zeeny was sitting In
the alley window of the hayIoft Of the
doctors stable, and the cross-eyed boy
had paused below, and, with his no
ward-iooking eyes upturned, stood
waiting the effect of this intelligence.
what do i care for. the boys in
this town." said The Boy from Zeeny.
'"The boys in this town." repeated
the cross-eyed boy, with a SLOW, pro-
phetic flourish Of his head-"the boys
In this town says cause you come
from Zeeny ana BACKED Billy Kin
zey's eye, at you think you're guin'
to run things round heres And you'fT
find out you amt the bosst o. this
town." and the eross-eyed boy shook
his head again with dire foreboding.
"Loeky here, Cocky!" said The Boy
from Zeeny. trying TO focus a direct
gaze On the boys delusive eyes, "w'y
don't you talk straight out from the
shoulder? reckon the boys in this
town. as you calls 'em, didn't send
you round here to tell me what they
was goin' to do! But ef you want to
take IL up fer 'em, and got any sand
TO back you, jest say 1t, and I'll come
down there and knock them durn
twisted eye O. yourn straight ag'in!"
Eyes you will" muttered the cross
eyed boy, with dubious articulation.
glancing uneasily up the alley.
''What?" growled The Boy from
Zeeny. thrusting one dangling leg far
Their out the window, supporting his
weight by the palms OF his hand, and
poised as though about to spring
what i'd you say?"
Didn't say notIlin'," said the cross
eyed boy. feebly: and then, as a sud.
den and most bewildering smile
lighted up his defective eyes, he ex-
claimed: "0h, tell you what's les
dot Les me and you git up u show
in your stable, and don't let none o.
the ether boys be In itI kin turn q
handspring like you. and purt' nigh
walk on my hands; and you kin p'form
on the slack.rope-and spraddle out
like the fnja-ruhber mainland hold
a pitchfork on yer chin--and stand up
On horse ithout a-holdin'-and--and
Oh! ever'thing!" And as the cross
eyed boy breathlessly concluded this
list OF strong attractions, he had The
Boy from Zeeny SO thoroughly inocr
lated with the enterprise that he
warmly closed with the proposition.
and the preparations and the practice
for the show were at once inaugu-
rated
Three hours later. an extremely
cross-eyed boy, with the freckies of
his face thrown into vivid relief by
. an intense pallor, rushed pantingly
into the doctors Office with the fateful
intelligence that The Boy from Zeeny
had ~fell and broke his arm ag'tn."
And this time, as 1t seemed, the help
less boy had surpassed the serious
! ness of all former fractures, this last
being of compound nature. and very
, painful in the setting, aud tedious In
recovery: the recovery. too, being
, anything but perfect. since it LEFT the
, movement OF the elbow somewhat re
, stricted, and threw the little fellows
| arm into an unnatural position, with
the palm of the hand turned forward
, as he walked. But for all that. the
|, use OF It was. TO all appearances, little
impaired.
!. Doubtless Il was through such i'm
!. terludes from rough service as these
accidents afforded that The Boy from
!. 2eeny had acquired the meager edu-
4 cation he possessed. The doctors
4 wife. who had from the first been kind
n to him, grew to like him very much
n Through her gentle and considerate
y interest he was stimulated to study
T. by the occasional present OF simple
, volume Oftentimes tha good woman
A would devote an hour TO his instruc
a ton In the mysteries of the books
= photography and rhetoric.
a Nor was The Boy from yeeny dull
q pupil. nor was he an ungratefui one
4. He was quick to learn. and nevel
D. prouder than when q mastered lessor
= gained for him the appreciation Of hi
4 patient instructor.
q The history of The Boy from Zeeny
h such as had been gathered By the doc
10 tor and his wife, was corrohoratiye II
ID outline with the brief hint Of ii com
8. manicated to the curious listeners a
q the rear window OF the doctors otf9c'
m on the memorable day Of the boy
T. first appearance I'm the town. FL,
a, was without family, save harsh, un
Is feeling father, who. from every evi
II. dence. must have neglected an
"a abused the child most saamefaIiy, tn
u. eircumstantial nroof OF this 10 i b.
ly Ing evidenced In ts.S boys frank 81
10 acknowledgement that he had repeated
n ly "run away" from him. and his sti
al arEn resolve TO keep his name q ~
nj cret. lest he might thereby Do trace