Cinder Path Tales

QUEERED THE "MILE" 61 was a long, lank Vermonter, who had run a ding-dong race with consumption for twenty years, and was likely now to make an age record ahead of many a hearty man. He lived in a couple of rooms back of the ice­ cream parlor, and left the management of the store very largely to Kitty, doing the drudgery, and leaving the high artistic tohis assistant, content to find the money-drawer comfortably filledeach night. There was a steady streamof the academy boys flowing in and out the door of Holden's store all day, ruining their digestions, and going broke on pocket-money for the sake of basking inKitty's smiles. A clever little business woman was she, too, for eighteen years, and very well aware of her worth, as Mr. Holden had learned to his cost, for he paid her whatseemed a fabulous salary. Now, my coming to the town was a serious misfortune toKitty's business. The taking some thirty of her bestcustomers and forbid­ ding their accustomed indulgence in sweets, under penalty ofnot making the team,must have resulted in serious inroads on her trade. She laughingly took me to task for this, one morning, soon after my arrival, asking me how I expected her toget herliving, and declaring that Mr. Holden was looking at the poor-house with fearful glances. And