Page:Stringer - Lonely O'Malley.djvu/380

 and, looking furtively about to see that he was unobserved, quickly thrust four of the finest apples down into his blouse-front.

Then he went on his way, innocently and calmly whistling his cheery discords. He stopped only when he found himself confronted by the suspicious and belligerent eye of Miss Arabella. Even then he did not quail, only he remembered, at the time, that certain small girls in the village, holding Miss Arabella to be a witch, always passed her with crossed fingers and scuttled away at her threatened approach.

"I was wonderin' if you 'd like to buy some horse-radish?" Lonely looked back at her boldly, thrusting up one shoulder and squinting blandly, although his sharp eyes had already caught sight of an immense hedge of horse-radish not a hundred yards away from him, against the east fence.

"Stop that squintin'!" said Miss Arabella, in a shrilly stentorian voice.

"Yes, ma'm!" said Lonely, meekly.

"An' stop hunchin'!"

"Yes, ma'm!" answered the boy, steadying himself up against the cistern pump.