A SUMMER IDYLL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 92, 11 January 1908, Page 2

A SUMMER IDYLL.

THE LITTLE ICE-EATER,

Ho wore a khaki-uniform and was sixteen years of ago. His elbow was high enough to rest comfortably .on the roof of,t-ho icecream cart that stood at a dusty corncr. Ho had passed a. dark-complexioned. com ; ;oyer to Mr. I Scream,'who- wit.il a great show of activity lifted a lid off tlio can sunk ijito; the cart and stirred up tlio frozen .mixture. Then, taking a littlo tin-holder that was just the. size of certain pink'wafers much affected at afternoon teas, and ahollt twico. the depth, ho scraped • a'spoonful.:. of -ino Arctic substance and dragged it artistically across tlio holder, put the, spoon-back-in-the. buckot, .placed another wafor on top of the ice-cream, ai)d handed-.tlio sandwich- oyer to the perspiring lad. He took it oagorlv but gently—the wafers aro so fragile—and placed the edge to his burning lips. With tlio first swoet taste, his faco assumed a rapt expression, and his eyes wore focusscd on nothing somo ten miles away. . It was • opium, subtly sweot and glamor-, ously cold to the little telegraph boy's flushed palate, lie did not bolt his chilled biscuit rudely—ho was too' artistic and experienced a slavo to his innocent vice to sacrifico, a moment of the ecstasy which thrilled his unofficial body. His eyes bcciuno fixed, his manner distrait—oven a motor-car that only missed tho. cart by a couple of feet as it whizzed by never disturbed liini. Tho only movomont was the working of the lips as they pulsated seductively through tho sandwich. But oven tlio end of an ice-cream sandwich must come, and with the disappearance of- tho last crumb of biscuit and touch of cream tlio icc-catcr returned to earth from his dreams, wiped his mouth on his cuff, said "Ta-tal" to tho cigarette-smoking ice-cream merchant, and went off whistling " Meet mo Down in Parco, Carrie." v