Pippin; A Wandering Flame

h parted lips and shining eyes. Jacob Bailey glanced at him once or twice, and cleared his throat as if to speak, but no

he muttered. "He crabs along so, y

shake hands with you!" He held out a brown, knotty hand, and Pippin grasped it eagerly. "I believe every word you say

kind and patient, and it sure has done me good, gettin' this off my chest, like; a heap of good! It has so! And how could you tell? I've seen crooks l

Cyrus. It's as pretty a piece of farm land as there is in the state, and a pleasant place whatever

but I love to see things grow, and I love the smell of the earth,

don't take to everybody right away like this; I'm some slow as a rule; but-what I would say is this: I'm kinder short-

y, no mistake. I feel to thank you, sir. As if you hadn't d

square. Well, you think it over, that's all. No hurry! I'm there right along, and so's the Farm; and f

yes. "I'll bet it is, and I wouldn't wonder a mite but I might take you up some day, Mr. Bailey. I only want to make sure what it's mea

ck to you, Pippin, if that'

thusiasm, and Jacob Bailey drove off

at? Now behooves me hasten just a mite, if I'm goin' to get to Kingdom befo

, his head on a tuft of grass: asleep, it seemed. An elderly man, gray and wizened, his face seamed with wrinkles of greed and cunnin

e's-no, he isn't! Hi, there! Cre

ppin. "There's no liquor in

d, opened; the bleared eyes wandered, the

" he sai

ippin, all right. How

s the

"You appear to have had a fit, or s

re i

ect it dropped when you did, but it looks to be

k crept into

e, and then-" his breath failed; he

d leadin' to a town only a mile off. There's three things to do: I can carry you a little ways at a time till we get to a house; or we can

but the groping fingers caught Pipp

y. Say we put your head on my knee-so! That's easier? Good enough! Why, we've been-not to say pal

ook his he

he whispered. "I'm goi

neasily. "Somebody'll be comin' along in a minute, an

is head feebly,

hey had me in one, and I shammed well till they let m

dying! Pippin rolled up his coat and put it under the sufferer's head. Still looking about him with keen anxious glance, he spied a tiny runnel near by, w

you got any folks? Ca

All g

"You have got some one! You've got the Lord, and He's

raised hims

heel, Pippin! You was always whit

down gently, and covered hi

uch about him, but I knew that much. Give him a new start, some place where there's no rum, and he might do great things. N

t for the departure of Nipper; seeing that he hadn't hit it o

, but if she'd had any idea how he was goin' to look an' act when he growed up, why that

ful moment by the roadside, when the man who picked them up (he chanced to be a selectman of Kingdom) asked who owned the wheel. Pippin looked at him with puzzled eyes, and fingered his file. Why not? he was saying to himself. He knew scissor-grinding, knew it from A to Z. Why not take hold, now, since it had dropped right into his hand, so t

it's mine!

"You expect it's yours?" he rep

stood irresolute a moment, but Pippin smiled at him, and nodded assurance. "It's all right, boss!" he said. "It

Pippin with a trad

scissor-grindin' for me, but while I'm lookin' about, 'twill keep the

heel through the main street of Kingdom, his quick eyes glancing from side to side, and stopped before a door bearing the legend, "Bakery and Lunch." The window beside th

resh, rosy-cheeked woman behind th

the reply. "What

ness, you an' me. Say I sharpen your knives and you

er carefully. "You a kn

here. I'll grind while you get the

hat do you ask f

onny!" as a black-eyed urchin bobbed in from the bakery, his arms full of loaves. "Gimme your jackknife and I'll sharp

was an o

declared that the others could wait. Soon Pippin was enjoying to the full what he declared a br

ay they look at it, I take it; and I expect they're right. No, ma'am, not another morsel. I'm full as much obliged to you. That sure was a good meal! Now I'

was. "They called him Grindstone, account of a song he used to sing when he was grindin'. He said 'grinstone' where I say 'grindstone,' and I always maintained I had reason, because it grinds; but he thought otherwise, and he'd grind away-wonderful hand he was at it; in for twenty years, an

grinsto

rinston

you'r

oam a

rwise when yo

se when you'

wise when

sun. A little crowd gathered round him, watching the whirling wheel. Looking up, he saw some

was an

e was

en cluster

little flaxen-haired

ttle sister he had-or as good as had, almost! He ran over his repertory: most of the prison songs were n

rido! du

dog, and his

t. "Why not sing one of the Lord's songs? Well, I am

et out his voice in a shout t

er dear,

ll I com

my sorrows

when shal

ame to peer over her shoulder, open-mouthed; people appeared in the neighboring windows and doorways, and the crowd on the sidew

s and thy g

ally ar

h sweet and pl

re else

et the

the streets w

ing wat

banks on

of life

s good as I can do 'em, and I hope it's pretty go

fe. "Who learned you to sing like that? Why,

usly, eyes and teet

song, and you have to sing it as good as you can, ain't

kind o

my grindin' for a spell. I'm handy, var'ous ways: make br

en in a

admire to, if th

e baker himself who was considering him gravely. He was a stout, kindly-

owly, with a glance at the bandage. "I don't know

e on, boys, if you'll be so good! You

f the shop about the young stranger who sang so wonderfully. Who was he? Where'd he com

and rolls, cookies and doughnuts, the baker questioned Pippin. At first the questioning promised to be brief, fo

. "I'm sorry, young feller, for I like your looks, and

I'd feel the same in your place; but it would be because I didn't k

, the baker listening wit

ldn't go on the crook again, n

eyes roved round the pleasant shop, and came back, meeting the baker's squarely. "This is a dandy place!" he said slowly; "and you have the look of a dandy person, if you'll excuse the freedom

und him, Pippin turned toward the door. A moment

didn't say positive. I'm not

and brighten the whole shop. "Try me, Mister! Try me a week, and see for yourself. No satisfaction, no pay, as it says on the m

then!" he said. "But not a word to my wife of where you come f

k that good lady's rest, not for all