ke Hoe, with a
sniff as he drew his sleeve across his eyes; "this beats anything in
the history of New Constantinople, by seven hundred and eighty-four
thousand majority."

"Come, Wade, you must be fair with us," said the landlord, reaching
out his arms; "we all claim an equal share in her."

The miner felt the truth of this, and without a word relinquished the
treasure. Drawing his handkerchief, he wiped his eyes clear of their
mist and jealously followed the surrendered one as she was fondled in
turn by the others. First one and then another, until she had
completed the round. All had something pleasant to say to her and she
replied in her sweet innocent way, causing laughter and winning her
path straight to the hearts of the hardy fellows, to whom such
endearments had been unknown for years, but whose better natures were
stirred by the presence of the child, as if she were in reality an
angel sent from heaven.

Felix Brush had purposely left his turn for the last, hoping thereby
to retain her longer than his friends. After chatting with her for a
moment and repeating some rigmarole that set her laughing, followed by
the request for him to say it again, he stood her on the bar. Then he
danced in front of her, swung his arms like a jumping-jack, and told
some outlandish fairy story from the stock that no one had ever
suspected he possessed.

"Can you stand on your head?" asked Nellie, rippling over with fun.

"Certainly," he replied, as without a moment's hesitation, he inverted
himself and cracked his heels together, though the attitude was such
an unfamiliar one that he careened and went over on his back with a
thump that made the room tremble. Nellie clapped her chubby hands
with delight and before Brush could repeat the performance, she
called:

"Catch me; I'm going to jump."

"All right; I'm ready for you."

She recoiled a step to gather momentum and Landlord Ortigies,
terrified at the fear that she might step off backward, made a dive
round the end of the bar, catching his foot in an obstruction and
falling with a crash that drew all attention to him.

"I'm so sorry; be you hurt?" asked Nellie, turning her head and
surveying him, as his face came up to view like the full moon rising
above the horizon.

"Not a bit; I done that on purpose to make you laugh; I always do that
to please good little girls like you."

"Bime by I'll let you fall all the time, but just see me jump."

Felix Brush was still