Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-12-28

out again upon the hotel piazza,
whence it was taken up by the por-
ter to the room of the tall gentleman
who was impatiently awaiting IT,.
Two or three huge trunks were in
the room, one of them open, appar-
emily ready to receive the newly.
made purchases.
| 'Boy'll call for the basket 10 half
an hour said the porter, and went
out.
AS soon as the door closed the tall
gentleman moved the basket To the
side OF the open trunk. Then be
took off the cotton covering and
throw it on chair. Then he lifted
the top blanket; but no sooner had
he done so than be let it fall back
again-not back into the basket, but
upon the foor-and stood staring
with all his might at what it had
covered. There lay Taffy, his arm
under his head, his brown curls
knotted and tangled, his eyes shut
sleeping away as peacefully as if he
had been in real bed and under
the direct eye of his grandmother.
The longer the call gentleman
gazed the more he wondered.
How on EARTH he thought, to
himself, did this little chap get mix
ed up with my purchases ? He
couldn't have been packed in by
mistake, and 1 certainly don't re-
member buying a boy. He may be
able to tell something about himself.
Here, Tommy, Jack, Billy, or what's
your name, wake up 7
Tatfy opened his eyes-uot very
wide at first; bot in inmate or two,
becoming conscious that be was no
longer in the store, but in a strange
| room, he grew wide awake and sat
up in the basket. Then he felt for
his boots, and very deliberately drew
Thorn ou, keeping his eyes all the
while on the tall gentleman, who 10
return, watched him with sort of
| amused astonishment. Then be put
on his cap and wound his comforter
twice round his neck
WELL said the tall gentleman, in a
very pleasant sort of voice, and
what are you going TO do now /?
Find my papa, said Taffy stoutly.'
Your papa? What's his name 2
Papa. ATS ell his name 7
Bat where is hep
california;
You've got some ways to go, my
dear little fellow, before you find hiu
then. Where did you come from ?
'Gran'pa Was'bun's.'
'What 7 said the tall gentleman,
quickly. Say that again. What's
your name p
'Taffy White,
The tall gentleman caught him up
under the arms and held him under
the gaslight.
'Are you sure your Taffy Winter
he asked, earnestly - so earnestly
that Taffy thought be was scolding,
and commenced to cry. Where are
you going? How came you here ?
What are you doing in that basket Z?
Il guess l run away. just peek
ed in the cars, and then they kept
going till | got to California. EN-
me get DOWN. Papa I want my
papa =
He pulled his little handkerchief
from hia pocket, as he found his feet
again, ana with it came his treasur-
ed letter. The tall gentleman caught
sight Of i, glanced at the inside and
then snatched Taffy up for the
second time i; not, however to exam
inc him by the gaslight, but to hug
and kiss him over and over again.
Don't you know me, my dear,
darling, percious little boy ? be said,
at last Don't you remember Papa?
OF course, you don't; but | am your
papa, for all that. How did you get
in that baskets can't understand
IT.
Taffy was to much bewildered at
first to wake any explanations, and
it took some minutes to make him
duly appreciate the fact that be had
foud his papa; or, rather, that his
papa had found him. Then, when
he had, little by little, related the
main facts of his journey and his
subsequent adventures, there was
more hugging and kissing, and lit
tie crying but it wasn't for sorrow.
Well send Grandpa Washburn a
dispatch right off, Taffy, hoy said
his father. 'For i've no doubt
the've offered reward for you al
ready. Then we'll have supper, for
you must be empty as a tin can by
this time. And after supper, if
you're not too sleepy, we'll take a
run round among the toy stores.
They won't shut up till late, and it's
only nipe o'clock now
1t wasn't too late, and they did
make tour among the toy shops,
Tsffy coming home so loaded down
with brown paper pa reels and pack
ages, that be looKed like miniature
St. Nicholas but not more so than
the lad who toilod on behind covered
fro N view, ell but his legs, with o
choice selection of rocking horses,
go-earts, hsnd-sleds, and other mis-
cellaneous articles, enough to set him
upin very respectable business
That night the little hotel bed
room was a chamber of peace and
when the church bells rang in the
| blessed Christmas no heart within
their sound felt the benign influences
of the time more deeply or swelled
with purer gratitude toward him
Him whose birth it concentrated
than that which beat against the
tired little head Of the wandering
/ Taffy.