Page:Stringer - Lonely O'Malley.djvu/101

 Even Annie Eliza herself was not altogether disinterested in her attachment, and, with, perhaps, quite unconscious venality, admired Lonely's muscles in public, and ran errands for him, and herded Gilead and Plato when necessary, and showed to the envious denizens of the street that she was the lady of Lonely's favor.

All of these flattering advances the idle Cæsar received with a reserve that was both dignified and non-committal.

He was even artfully questioned, at last, as to the quantity of candy and maple-sugar allowed to him day by day. Whereat he laughed scoffingly, and curled his lips with contempt.

"Don't talk to me 'bout candy an' maple-sugar!" he commanded.

"Why?" demanded Annie Eliza, plaintively.

"'Cause I 'm sick an' tired o' candy!"

A look of mingled incredulity and longing was directed toward the window by his circle of listeners. Never in all time had such a thing been heard of before.

"Do you mean you can eat maple-sugar,