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In 41:: him I,” kn-Hui A‘. llilry.
“ HERE are advantages in being an
instructor of youth,” John Tay-
lor remarked, stretching his feet
toward the fire in AckernIan's cabin at
the lumber camp. “There are, also, dis-
advantages. Sometimes the latter ont-
weiah "
“How did you come to undertake the
guardianship of this particular youth?"
'Ackerman inquired. “I can stretch my
imagination to picture you presiding over
a turbulent classroom at the aratlemy. But
when you SCIIL word that you were coni-
ing with this one boy in tow, my reason
staggered. You never were specially fond
of the smaller fry in our school days.
I-Iazeltyne, now, never crossed the campus
witliout an attendant train of youngsters,
but the lofty-minded Taylor had no use
for them." Mg .
"He hasn't now," John confessed. "But
I tutored this chap in vacation, and hi;
father took a fancy to me. Then when
Professor Lee came
back at the opening of
school, and I was
crowded out‘ of my
place as substitute.‘ I
looked about for a live-
lihood while I went on
studying. It chanced
that Tommy fell ill-
not from overstudv!'-
and it seemed expedi-
ent to get him up into
the woods for a month
or so, when the doc-
tors ‘ordered . him out
of school;
T 0 m in y
mother in this world,
nobody wanted to un-
dertake the job. So
the proud parent of the
aforesaid iinprtrallcled
youngster applied to
me. Represented I
train for that
civil-service examina-
tion qiiite peacefully up
here in the woods, and
keep an eye on Thomas
meannhile. I thought
about you, and knew I
could fall back on you
for syinpa'thy; and I
yielded to his subtle
plea, and took his glit- N
tcifing gold. But I‘ve earned it! I've
corned a ten years’ salary at present rates
in the three days since we left town."
“Wliat's he doing now?" Ackerman
suggested, with mild curiosity, moving his
There was a good view otit into the
clerring surrounding the lumber camp, but
Tavlor didn't stir to bestow any super-
vision on his charge. He sat limp and
dejected, turning the pages of a volume
on his ‘rise, and shakinghis head as
Ackernian reported. .
“XVCII, he's helped himself to Big Joc’s
sheepskin jacket-tlizit-means he's been in
the bunk house, and it further means
trouble with Joe when he returns, And
l'.c- has one of Fritz's clcavers-Fritz's
cutlery is the apple of his eye, by the
way-and he‘s marching merrily toward
yonder brush pile. I cannot judge of his
intentions, but I conclude, my friend, that
it's about time for you, in your official
Capacity as nursery governor, to inter-
re "
-.
ea
“You call him," Taylor suggested.
Ackeriuan threw the door open and
whistled. The boy beside the brush pile
turned and brought his cleaver into posi-
tion, standing at “attention" in an ab-
surdly etiective mimicry. '
Ackcrinan com-
,u
Tommy came on the instant-elbows up.
cap pushed back, the dimple in his left
cheek llashing an answer to the fun in
Ackerman's eyes. It is entirely ludicrous
for a "boy-of twelve to he maintain-
ing a dimple in active service; but that
was only a part of the sum total of
Tommy. V ‘
“Ede here, my son,"‘Ackennan coitu-
seled, “it were well for a lad f your
size to return yonder properties to their
‘ rzr -rua nor io iu;iv.tini:.... A IAKUKPN cunt."
lawful owners ere disaster befall. That
sheepskin jacket is a magnificent pomp
and vanity, I know, and so is the cleaver;
but if yoti don't want this outpost of
civilization to conic clattering down in
rtiins about your cars, you'd better let
other folks’ belongings alone."
“Aye, aye, sir!" Tommy agreed. He
saluted, grinning. pulled off the jacket and
matched with it toward the hunk house.
.Ackerman cspiccl Fritz, the cook. peering
about the corner of the eating shack, and
judged that the process of restoration had
begun none too soon.
“He acts like a five-year old in kiltsl”
Taylor irrunted. with disgust, as Ackcr-
maii shut the door.
FOR-YOUNG-PEOPLE
Che tpilgrim Dress, Jsoston, ‘thew Ltorlt nub Cl)iC“9O
“You're not doing very much better,
old man," said the other.
Taylor shut his book with a bang. A
dull red crept over his forehead. He did
not ook up.
“Oh, I'm not going to preach to you,"
Ackerman said.
Leen more than enough for you.
envy you, myself-although I fancy
Thomas and I might get along better to-
gether, having more of a fellow-feeling
for the side lights of life. And if I were
going to stay here, I wouldn't take all
this trouble to advise you. ' simply
tuck-Thomas under my wing and leave
you to the pursuit of knowledge. But I've
got to go tip to Bear Gulch to-morrow,
and I shall be gone five days. And five
days is too much for that youthful sprite
in these surroundings, tin ess you brace
tip and administer the government more
ef‘iectively."
"1 suppose he'll contrive to burn the
place down over our heads in the mean-
time," Taylor growled.
“No, he won’t.- But if he hangs around
the bunk house in the evenings again
when the men get to playing poker and
telling stories"
“I thought you ran a decent camp," said
Taylor, sitting bolt upright.
“There are some things we can regu-
late. and some we Callit," Ackerman re-
yrgiir employees for a inb like this from
the cifss of men who would make the
best associates for Thomas on a cold
aiittimn evening. An you never even
asked me where I'd picked him up ivlien
I walked in here with him last night, and
you sat there with your nose in that red
Lookl”
"If I send him back to his father I‘ll
have to go to work again myself, and
miss this examination," said Taylor.
“Don‘t send him back. Man alive,
wake tip! Just put a little human interest
into this thing! That's a boy-a"lii-e boy,
and a mighty interesting specimen of the
genus; and you're a brother man. with
ti whole lot of social duties toward him.
He's just ready to make a hero of you
if you give him half a chance; and you
can put :1 stamp on his life, good or bad,
that‘1t last for this world and the next.”
The entrance of Thomas himself put
an end to the debate. It was Ackerman
who got out some nails and glue and set
the boy to repairing a broken chest-a
task which he fell upon with avidity,
spending his superfluous energies on it
until dinner time.
Taylor had a pretty fair day for study;
but his conscience twinged uncomfortably
lsctween theorems. He knew perfectly
well that Ackerman was in the right, and
that he had no justification for treating
his relationship to Tommy Parmeter as
a purely business proposition. Looking at
it even in that light,’ it was plain that the
elder Thomas Parmeter had paid his
money for a consideration, understood if
unspecified, which he was not receiving;
and the record of the past half week
loomed tip with an ugly shadow of dis-
honesty before John Taylor's eyes.
He iu.-ulc an effort to reinstate himself
in his own self-respect. While Acker-
man was away, he kept a strict watch
over Tommy, and the boy was the better
for it. Taylor saw that he was provided
with rational occupation and
tncnts-things not entirely easy to de
in ‘a lumber camp twenty miles from town.
Tommy throve. and gained hash, and en-
ioyed himself hug-ly. But his senseless
pranks were Z‘(l(-llly‘ torment to the man
responsible for him; and the deeper con-
scioiisness of human fellowship and kin-
ship whirh ought to have given Taylor
to
i
in
"Ilut I'm obliged to iin--
FEBRUARY 12, I910
patience with his charge was entirely lack-
ing in the young niaifs i‘
It was on the evening of Ackerman'si
fourth day of absence that matters came
to a crisis. Tommy had been on hand,
.as a matter of course, uheii the men
came back from work. He had thrust
himself forward oflicioiisly to help about
unharnessing one of the teams; and it
chanced that his choice -fell upon the most
‘‘ itiitnz uni nm in me
unit A 3.136"
nervous and irritable of the liartl-worked
horses. As he fumbled with unskillful
hands about the biirkles of the harness,
the animal began to plunge; and in an-
other moment there was a tan le of
broken straps, a boy breathless and highly '
surprised and a group of angry men
starting in piirstiit of the horse.
“That settles it, 'I'lion1as," Taylor re-
marked, coming out of Ackcnnan's cabin.
"Yoiill go back to your father to-mor-
row." Ile passed on, leaving Tommy ap-
palled and silent.
“Never mind, sonny,” Big Joe consoled.
“He’ll get over it, inay e. You haven't
done any great'hariu. Come along and
help me clean my rifle. Had a Hue shot
at a big black bear up here in the woods
to-day, but I missed him,"
Tommy followed the kind-hearted giant.
thankful for any consolation. He didn't
know much more about ritles than lie did
about Iiarncss, but it waaa joy to handle
the trusty old weapon which had been Big
Joe's rompanion through many years of
forest life. ‘Perhaps his hands were .1
trifie shaky with agitation. He tried
his best to obey Big Joe's instructions to
the letter.
“You’re doing fine.” the big fellow as-
sured hiin. “Hold it like this, now. And
you can just as well take this old towel
to wipe it with. No, it isn't loaded, but
it's a good plan always to be careful
handliug“--
And then a sudden sharp report brought
John Taylor back across the clearing to
ilie spot where Tommy had fallen on the
frosty pine needles at Big Joe’s feet.
It was a serious wound-not fatal, the
older men in the camp thought, shaking
their head: over Taylor's questions. One
or two’ of them had some ‘knowledge of
the rough surgery which must be used
only too often in the accidents of remote
lumber camps. They did what they could
to make Tommy safe and comfortable for
the present, marveling alike at his pluck
and his repeated misfortunes. And the boy
i&::E:::‘M;-.,-A-,: A.-
