them are so
covered with dust and ashes that they are anything but pleasant to
contemplate, though, as a rule, they are useful, honest, and
industrious members of society.

"Dustie" is what the Londoners familiarly call the dust-man, and only a
few know in what ignorance and poverty he lives. One would think that
he would work himself into a better occupation, but his family have
been dust-men for generations, and the generations after him are not
likely to change.

HUCKLEBERRY.

BY FRANK R. STOCKTON.

More than a hundred and sixty-eight years ago, there lived a curious
personage called "Old Riddler." His real name was unknown to the people
in that part of the country where he dwelt; but this made no
difference, for the name given to him was probably just as good as his
own. Indeed, I am quite sure that it was better, for it meant
something, and very few people have names that mean anything.

He was called Old Riddler for two reasons. In the first place, he was
an elderly man; secondly, he was the greatest fellow to ask riddles
that you ever heard of. So, this name fitted him very well.

Old Riddler had some very peculiar characteristics,--among others, he
was a gnome. Living underground for the greater part of his time, he
had ample opportunities of working out curious and artful riddles,
which he used to try on his fellow-gnomes; and if they liked them, he
would go above-ground and propound his conundrums to the country
people, who sometimes guessed them, but not often.

The fact is, that those persons who wished to be on good terms with the
old gnome never guessed his riddles. They knew that they would please
him better by giving them up.

He took such a pleasure in telling the answers to his riddles, that no
truly kind-hearted person would deprive him of it, by trying to solve
them.

"You see," as Old Riddler used to say, when talked to on the subject,
"if I take all the trouble to make up these riddles, it's no more than
fair that I should be allowed to give the answers."

So, the old gnome, who was not much higher than a two-year-old child,
though he had quite a venerable head and face, was very much encouraged
by the way the people treated him, and when a person happened to be
very kind and appreciative, and gave a good deal of attention to one of
his conundrums, that person would be pretty sure, before long, to feel
glad that he had met Old Riddler.

[Illustration: "'DON'T YOU SEE?' ASKED