The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1878-07-17
and babe him go and be good and

And the boy was off like a fash
! Thousands just such as he in this
great city" sighed the good captain,
and he walked along. All, mel"
Then he went in search of Mrs.
Ann Golden and his own fair darling.
| But Mrs. Golden was not SO easily
found as he had hoped, There was
a little shop in the house he had been
directed to, and the keeper thereof
said that she had bought it of Ann
Golden; but / haven't seen her
since" she said only there's bit
Of card with her number on it-that
is, if / can find it"
After search she did find it, and
the captain, thanking her, hurried
away ; but another disappointment
awaited him.
Mrs. Golden had not lived in this
second place for years. She had
moved into Clumber row, but what
number no one could remember.
At Clumber row, whittier the cap
tain drove in cab, a woman owned
to having had her forSe LOGGER
She had child staying with her,
too" she said. Little Ned she
called him but, to tell the truth, she
drank SO that I turned her out. l
couldn't abide such doings. She
went TO Fossil Lane, No. g."
To Fossil Lane tKs captain went.
1t was a filthy place, and there was
drunken woman at No. 8 who was
not Ann Golden, ana who threw a
piece Of wood at him for asking for
that lady. And now every clue was
lost, and the captain nearly beside
himself with anxiety, applied to the
authorities for helpS, and after many
days of great ufE9Rpiness he heard
of Ann Golden whO IIved in quarter
of London so low and dangerous that
all decent people Stunned it.
No WONDER the captain thought,
if she lived there, that she should
have had his renlittances sent to the
post-office, and left him to believe
that his child was still in the decent
home to which he had at first taken
him.
Almost i'll with excitement, the
! poor captain drove. with policeman
as protector, inta the maze of hide
| 2 y !, 1c che andm that led Apn
Golden's dwelling, and, following ifs-
conductor, dropped into filthy cell
lar, where, amid the horrible leakage
of drain pipes and almost in utter
darkness, sat an old woman with a
bottle beside her, who started up
when the captain and his guard en-
tered, and cried aW'hat now !?
Whats the perlice here for? Is the
boy wanted again ~ h9 29
And, altered as she was with years
and drink, the captain knew his wife's
old nurse, Ann Golden. He gave a
cry of rage, and darted towards her.
MY boy?" he cried.
And she screamed, It's the cap
! tain @
SIS my boy living ?" he asked.
" eyes," said the woman shaking all
over he's alive and we'll"
/" How dare you keep him here /"
cried the captain. Ag Hte
f /" How can l help being poor .
whined the woman. II couldn't give
up the bit you pay for him. I'm very
old; I'm very i'll. Don't be hard on
me.
GOOD heavens Y cried the captain.
My Ellen's baby in place like
t this !"
. He dropped his head on his hands;
then he lifted it and clasped them.
"Iu have him away from here
, now" he gasped. It's over, and
he's young and will forget it. Where
is he? Have you lied +? Is he dead "
mo, no." said the old woman.
He'll be here soon. Ihear him now.
: That's him. He'll be here in min
ute Don't kill poor pody, captain
don't"
" l could do it," cried the captain.
Listen There is some one coming.
My child Ny child"
The door opened softly, a head
peeped in low down, then drew back.
Come i'll" piped the old woman
The perlice arn't arter you-least-
ways tor harm. Captain that's him
your boy Ned"
And as the captain stood with out
stretched arms there crept in at the
door-who? what? The wan, de-
formed and dirty creature who had
picked his pockets-whom he had fed
for the sake of his beautiful dream
chlId-the wretched waif forgotten
utterly in the last few days of anxiety.
That's him" croaked the old crone
again. That's your boy-tEat's