YOURS WITH ALL MY HEART 



cer's diminishing stock, by way of em- 

 phasis. 



! Them's my sentiments I'm right 

 with yer, boys, and I reckon we can hold the 

 fort ag'in' the whole posse,' put in Joe Slow, 

 as he reached forth a gaunt hand for about 

 the tenth cube of loaf sugar to sweeten his 

 taste. ' I ain't in the habit o' being dictated 

 to by nuther man nor beast.' 



4 Nor me, nuther, ' grunted Uncle Siah. 



The little lame boy on a box in the corner 

 snickered and shuffled his crutch. He saw 

 something something that tickled him 

 immensely, and he knew, as he said to him- 

 self, there was going to be a circus. 



'Stop yer snickerin', yer little tyke, yer, 

 when yer elders is talkin' ! ' roared Uncle 

 Siah. 



' I ain't laughing at you,' v gulped the boy, 

 stuffing both fists into his mouth and rolling 

 his eyes to the back of the store to distract 

 their attention. 



Their eyes followed his, but saw no cause 

 for merriment. Only grocer Locke sat 

 there sedately scratching away on his ac- 

 counts. A second shuffle of the boy's 

 crutch, and a yell of pain and anger from 



199 



