Litchfield enquirer., 1868-02-13
or two, and it's sin to. send mite like that to the workhouse, particularly at

OT tHOs auu lt Slu -to SSAu d InlGe I1k
 that to the workhouse, particularly a
 Christmas. Sssf .s : Mr. Timmins heightened for momen, but then looked grave again. ssI had half a mind to, he replied, ss an, that's fact; but we have nit over and abov much money to last till next payday, ant suppose he was nt to be claimed?'
 "Well, and If he was n't, retorted Mrs
 Timmins, a pretty rosy color spreadin! itself over her face 6 it is n't much that
 baby like that d eat, suppose I'll b,
 bound his mothers fretting finely afte
 him by this time, And, o, Timmins! only think if it had happened to one of ours!"' Mrs Timmins caught up her younges but one, and gave him sounding kiss Presently she got up and inspected the con tents of box, with slit in the lid, tha was hidden in drawer. She stood think ing for 8 minute or two, and then returned to her husbands side.
 "I'm afraid we can't do 1t, she said soft ly. eff I'd known, I have put off buy ing the winter frocks; but 've got 'en now. and there $ so little money left, I n afraid we ought n't to do it for the sake o1 our own, but" and tear stood in tht mothers eye.
 ".No, of course we ought n t." said Tim mins, testify. I told you so all along And then a huskiness got into his throat and after he had cleared it, silence fel for time upon the little family.
 The next morning Mrs. Timmins found time to accompany her husband on visit to the workhouse, to "look after" little Johnny. Mrs. Timmins carried with he, a couple of oranges, and tin trumpet, the contiscated property of her son and heir. l hol house, when woman, poorly clad, with 8 certain wild beauty, and dishevelled hair, turning the corner of a narrow street, came into violent collision with Mir. Timmins. Recovering herself immediately, she brush. ed roughly past him, and sped at full speed down dark passage Mrs. Timmins look ed after her with some surprise, and the next moment she and her husband were surrounded by little crowd headed by two policemen in great hurry.
 "Did you see woman pass just now?' 1 asked one of them, "young and rather good-looking. She's been robbing a jew eller's shop, and we thought we saw her turn this way.'
 "Yes, yes,' replied Timmins, eagerly, catching the prevailing excitement, "she ran up against me not minute ago. She went down that passage" and he pointed to the alley where the woman had disap- peared. With hasty "thank you' the policemen hurried in the direction indica- ted: but they were soon at fault again, and Timmins and his wife, having followed for minute or two, disengaged themselves from the crowd and walked on. Arrived at the workhouse, Johnny was found. his puckered face more puckered still, crying piteously Tn the corner in dire disgrace The nurse of the ward, an old crone, whose temper time had soured, pointed him ont -ai'> iieeiiy iieeitiiynlta41 lta41v can't do nothing with him; that's the way he's been going on the whole blessed morning, Nanny, nanny, indeed! wish his mother or any body else 'ud come and fetch him out, for he's no better than nuisance here." Mrs. Timmins's bright eyes darted dag gers at the old dame as she passed her, and in minute she had gathered little Johnny into her kind arms, and was cuddling him up upon her lap, where the child's sobs soon subsided under the combined infu- ence of kisses and oranges. The little fel- low was worn out by crying, and he nestled directly into his new resting-place, and went fast asleep, clasping one of Mrs. Tim mins' fingers tightly in his mottled hand.
 
 leave him, but she felt that ln the present state of the family funds they could not venture to burden themselves with this helpless child She laid him tenderly on one of the beds in the ward, kissing his flushed cheek and gently drawing away her finger.
 s'Be kind to him, poor little duck" she said to the old dame. "he'll soon get used to it; but he is but baby, and it's hard for him to be taken from his mother," and in an unusually subdued mood Mrs. Tim mins descended the stairs to join her hus- band below.
 Mir. Timmins meanwhile had been sit ting on bench in the sun with an old paul per whom he had known in better days; a thin, chatty old fellow, with small. crafty eyes, and long bony hands.
 ''Got such thing isa pinch of snuff about ye, Mir. Timmins?" he asked, peer ing hungrily into the inspectors face.
 "Why, yes, replied that gentlema, '1 1 thought may be you'd like some, so filled my box before started. Have pinch?'' He put his hand in his coat-pocket, and drew thence,-a gold Louis quartoize snuff box, from the lid of which beamed lovely enamelled face, set round with large dia. monds. MT. Timminss eyes opened to that extent that there was reason to appre- bend that he would never be able to close them again. his companions glittered like an old ravens; the jewelled toy lay shining on the big palm.
 l 'Well-" at last said Mir. Timnins, draw ing long breath. A moment after "Bless my soulr' he exclaimed, "I've hit it! Il must have been put in my pocket by thai ere woman we met, with the police close al her heels. Served her right, if she did gel caught" added MT. Timmins, indignantly "the jade putting such things ill an hon est man. s pocket. But what 8 beauty 1t IS to be surer' He examined the box more closely, opened it, and found engraved or the inside, H. Stevens, Princess Gardens He pointed it out to the old man, whose ; crooked fingers were already lowering about the box as if they longed to clutcl anything so precious. ..u
 &"Look here, the hinge is little broken that's why it was sent to the jeweller' mos likely. I wish knew the shop. It mus , be nearer my place than Princess Gardens: } "Why, you'd never, never, the ol , mans eagerness almost choked him. "nerer give a prize like this back, and ge l nothing but thank you for your trouble l No, no; I'm an old man; I'll tell you wha , to do. Wait day or two; it'll be adve1 3 tised in the papers with fine reward; talk