A SPARROW SETTLES THE QUESTION 19 



" Gently, gently, Nat,'' said Olive ; ''it is a boy, but 

 you are not sure that he is doing any harm, and be- 

 sides it was only yesterday that you ^yere vexed with 

 me because I wouldn't let you pop at the birds your- 

 self. We will ask him what he is doing." 



They went through the orchard, and found a boy, 

 about twelve years old, lying in the grass. He had 

 dark hair and eyes, and a sun-burned face, but w^as 

 very thin, and a rude crutch was lying beside him. 



" Well, little boy," said Olive pleasantly, " what is 

 your name, and what are you doing here ? " 



The child looked frightened at first and hid his face 

 on his arm, but finally looked up, and said timidly, 

 " My name is Rap, and I was watching the birds. 

 Please, I didn't know anybody lived here, only cows, 

 and I've been coming in most times for two years." 



Then they saw that he had a tattered piece of a book 

 in one hand, which he slipped inside his jacket as care- 

 fully as if it were a great treasure. 



" Watching them to like them or to catch them ? " 

 asked Nat suspiciously, then feeling ashamed the next 

 moment when Rap answered: 



"To like them. I'd never kill a bird I I've some- 

 times found dead ones that have hit against the tele- 

 graph w^res ; and it makes you feel lumpy in your 

 throat to see how every little feather lies so soft and 

 lovely, though they never will fly any more." 



By this time the three were seated in front of the 

 strange boy, looking at him with great interest. 



" What is the book you were reading when we came 

 up ? " asked Olive. Rap pulled it out and laid it on 

 her lap, saying, " I don't know its name — the begin- 



