"jacob And Me."

"Me" was Rupert, and it was early in the summer that lie begged to have his hair cut "It's so hot and tiokly and tangly aud boversome, and I'm oíd enough to look like a boy," he said, which was trne. His inother put her arras arouud him - they were sittiug in the bigwickor chair by tne parlor window - and lield Jiiin as if she would never let him go"I want my baby as he is, " she said, vrhich was also truc. Therewas a little silence. It was a low, little room, full of {niet and half darkness. There were some well filled bookshelves, well ohosen pictures, just enougli prctty and more or less worn rugs and cushions ind a bowl of garden roses on a low rabie. The child leaued his head against his niother's shoulder, the despised hair h bright tangJe against her dark gown mil gazed adoríngly into her face, but rlic was looking out of the window across the meailow, where the black -frees and the slender spire of St. Mi?hael and All Angols' were clearJy deiined against the cool twilight sky. There was a churchyard around St. Michael's, but it was in the shadow. The twilight deepened. A cowbell tinkled in the distancie, and a youcg man and two girls with prutty shirt waists and tennis racquets went chattering langliingly by. "That's the boy tbat playa the örgón at St. Michael's, " said liupert. "I go in soinethnes to hear him do it. He likes it. When he isn't playing, he is telking to those three" ince girls in the little house down the road. They each have a scrapbook, and the litlte boy has a crapbook, and they put everyfing in" - He stopped suddenly, his gaze followed his niother's across the nieadow, and he slipped oue soft arm around her jieck, while she took possession of the little brown hand and kissed it gently. An oíd woman carne slowly down the road - an old woman, with straight, white hair, blue calicó gown and red bandkèrchief twisted around her neck. She was driving a flock of clamoring riucks and geese, and Rupert 's interest -was at once awakened. "Buy me one, mamma, one of the big white ones. It would be such good ompany, and 111 never say another word about the hair. " It was an odd fancy and odder bargain, but it ended in Mrs. Cardell's most promising ganier, very much surprised and uamed Jacob, being shut np in Mrs. Ware's hicken house for the night. Hedid prove "goodcompany. " With string around his leg for safety, he foüowed Rripert hither and yon. Tof5ether they planted a garden and dag it up from time to time to see 'how it grew;" together they hunted for frogs in the ineadow, and together they waded in the brook below the hill; together thoy sat on the steps when it was time for "mamma" to come home, holding a long and rather one sided conversaron. In September a plan began to grow in Rupert's little head, and he told Jaob all about it. Mamma had begun to teach in town ow and was awny all day. Julia, the maid, could be very good wben she chose, bnt the day Rupert came tumbling into the kitchen, hls feet very muddy, dragging after him poor bewildered Jacob by the length of his string, trying to explain all in a moment, she said: "Did I ever see the like of such a bothersoine child, and the pesky beast" - and picked them up unceremoniously by the left wing and the right arm and put them down on the doorstep. Rnpert cried a little, and Jacob went to sleep on one leg, and presently Julia repented, spread a nice slice of graham broad with apple sauce and presented it as a peace offering, explaining that she had just scrubbed the kitchon and was ill tenipered into the bargain "along of reasons yon can 't comprehend. And teil me about the plan, darlin. " Rnpert sniffed, ate some of the bread and fed the rest to Jacob, talking all the time. "Mamma's birthday and St. Michael and All Angels' day come just the same - next Saturday - and papa used to bny a goose and apple sauce and a cake with candies. Twenty-eight it was last year. This year makes 29, and the big punch bowl full of Michaelmas daisies - papa used to go way into the country when we were in the flat in town, ïint here the meadow is full of them. Jacob and me found them - and candies i ti the sil ver candlesticks and dinner oards. Could you paint dinner cards, Julia? The boy that plays the organ could do them, I think, " but Julia was thinking of something else, her forehoad wrinkled up, her pale blue eyes KHzing into indefinito distance. Rnpert wondered suddenly why Julia "didu't go on and finish being pretty. " Her hair was soft and wavy and brown, and Ihough she twisted it up tightly twioe a day it generally rippled loosely above a broad white forehead. Her eyes were very light, bnt shaded by long dark Iashe3, and her cheeks were the color of wild roses. Beyond tliis her beauty ceased. Her niouth waS my wide; hor waist was rery big; ehe herBelf was very loug, and her fingers were : bent q-iiitfi wooked with rheumatism. : Rupert trieu to straighteu them out as 1 she went on talkiug. "It'sacake you're wautiu, and applo sauco and daisies - them's easy got and candles. There's a plenty leïfc from (Jhristmas, but a goose'd be a big item ou the bill, au it as small as it has to be, au a bit of steak here, an a handful of mutton for a stew there, an a lilliputian roast of a Sunday. There's Jacob now. " Rupert stood up suddenly aud gathercd Jacob into his arias. He was growing very heavy. "We'ro going to find the boy that plays the organ," he eaid with dignity He fonnd bina on the piazza of the little house down the road, deep in scrapbooks and newspaper clippings, with two of the girls, while tlio other girl wan making 1. 'monade and putting iu a word now and theu. They wero all enthusiastically disoussing theatrioals for the benefit of a local oharity, but looked np and amiled as "Jacob and me" came up the path. "I want to talk to the boy that plays the organ," he said. They all laughed, which was very enibarrassing and made Rupert':, little face vt-ry red in its tangle of golden hair. He put down Jacob and hauled in on the Btring vmtil Jacob lost his eqtlilibriuEi eutirely, and then he let it out again. They persuaded him to have some af the lemonade, which he liked immensely, but "the boy" took him uuoeremoniously up ou his knee and asked how old he was, which is a blow to would be dignity. Rupert said "Five, " wriggled away and sat ou the steps and told his story. General interest was aroused. "Let's all help, and you make the prettiest dinner cards you can. " "I will, " said the boy. "I'm very muoh obliged, " said Rnpert, gathering up Jacob, "and you all coiue. You look so pretty itwill be like a party. Julia won't mind." They all accepted. f'riday afternoon Rupert gathered daisies iu the meadow, and Jacob helped - at least he looked out for stray frogs and wa? "good company. " They took them home and rested and had their snpper of bread and milk ou the back porch - Mrs. Ware was away until evening on Fridays - and thendisappeared dowu the road to the village. By and by Rupert went back to the meadow and gathered the rest of the daisies alone. The sky behiud St. Michael's spire was rose color and gold, and a most slender silver rooon shone over the tops of the trees. When he had carried the daisies across the meadow, tbe sunset had faded to a silver gray, tho moon had gone, one big star was reiiected in the brook below the hill, and it was growing very cold. Rnpert sat down by the stone wall, and two tears rolled down his cheeks. The windöws of the littlo chnrch glowcd with soft light. The sexton was preparing for Friday evensong. Suddenly the world seemed very big and wide, and the child lay face down in the grass and cried and cried. There the boy found hini, and picking hini up carried hini and the daisies home and told Jnlia to put him to bed, while hehimself put the daisies to sleep in a tub in the cellarway. Then he had to race across the meadow to be in timo to play. The next morning he bronght over tbe dinner cards - even Rupert wassatisfled with them - and staid a long while in the kitchen sticking the 29 pink candles on the birthday cake and talking quietly and sensibly all the time. The niarket man carne in like a flash and threw a goose on the table. It was marked "Paid. " Julia was bewildered. "The boy" disclaimed all knowledge of it and went home. He carne over again in time to set the table. He knew just how to settle the daisies in the big punch bowl and put things just right, with daisies and a dinner card at each plate, and all the time the goose smelled very good. Rupert was afraid it, would "give them away just too soon, " but it was a perfect surprise--the pretty table, the three pretty girls, "the boy, "the daisies, the goose, the apple sauce, the birthday cake, the oandles and Rupert beaming away fiom the other end of the table. "Who planned it all?" said Mrs. Ware when they were in the little parlor later on, with a gay little flre on the hearth and Michaelmas daisies showing bravely from every point of vantage. "The boy" was playing softly on the piano, the girls were in a pretty group on the hearth rug, wondering why they had never appreciated Mrs. Ware before, and she and Rupert were in the big wicker chair in the broad firelight. "Jacob and me planned it all," Rupert answered. " 'The boy' did most of it, and the girls were kind, and they look so pretty, and the winter was coming, and Julia doesn't like us in the kitchen, and soon the frogswill begone - the goose was Jacob! I couldn't eat anv myself. " There was an odd little silence after this until "the boy" began to play Ohopiu's impromptu iu A flat. The iiext day Rtipert had his haii ent quite close, "like a boy." Mre. Ware gathered it up as it feil, took it home aud laid it tenderly iu a little drawer. She was smiliug, and yet there were tears in her eyes. She was ing of '"Jacob and