Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-04-16


him-or two or free.
Let him alone. Ona, said her mistress,
while the boy stood without making the
slightest resistance,
Amt he to be drug to the lock-upF
asked Ona, with q toss of her turbaned
head.
Wait till we hear what he has to say
said Miss Peppard. Then turning to the
boy, she asked. rs mildly as ever: Oh
course you haven't broLght me back
Yes, | have, interrupted he. Here It's,
money and all, 'cept what had to take 10
fetch me out here. found your name in
it on card. and where you lived.
But bless you! exclaimed the old lady,
more and more surprised, what made you
teke ii if you were going TO bring it back
Come into the kitchen and tell me all
about it. Ona. give him a drink of milk.
BY the Lor Harry! said Ona, rolling up
her eyes until nothing but the whites were
visible. nebber hear of sich ting long as
| lib-gibbin' hullsale robbers drinks of
milk in my clean kitchen! An shan t
do it. 'Spect robbers gifts thirsty as well
As odder folks, dough. And she handed
him the milk. which he drank eagerly.
Now go on. SAID Miss Peppard. Why
did you steal my pocket book, and why,
having stolen it. did you bring it back
Are You Il thief?
S'pose-I-am, he stammered; but
don't want 10 be any more. wouldn't Il
took it Il year ago. when my mother was
alive; but she died, and father went to
prison soon after for beating another man {;
and | hadn't no friends; and it's hard
| nittinf n1opn yuhun ,,,ptharsS 1nal
and you hain't no friends, and your faith
er's in prison.
'Tain't soft, dat's de fac said Pcleona,
gravely.
So fell in with gang of bad fellers,
but never stole nothin but things TO eat
till yesterday. l come out of the House
of Refuge two weeks ago
House of Refuge! exclaimed Peteona,
holding up her hands. An a.settn' in
my clean kitchen, on my clean oil-clof!
Wot nex'p
was there for breakin' winder and
sassin' q cop, said the boy, with show of
Indignation, and nothin' else though they
did try to make me out q reg'lar bad un.
And then he went on, under the influence
of Miss Peppard's steady gaze: And the
fellers said | was n softy not to have the
game as well rs the name, and so | went
into the store cause | seen a lot of folks
there and stole your pocket book. And
dropping his eyes and his voice-there
was picter of little baby in it.
My sister Pollys child! cried Miss Pep
pard, her wrinkled face beginning 10 glow.
Her onliest child-'cept five. said Pete
| ona
And it looks like, continued the boy,
bursting into tears-it looks like-my-
little-sister.
Your little sisterp repeated Miss Pep
pard, her own eyes filling with tears. Is
she-with her molherp
IS to be hoped she be, said Ona, with a
sniff, or some odder place whar she'll be
washed. Her brudder's dirty huff for a
hull family.
She's in a place ten miles or more from
here, said the boy, with a woman who
used 10 know mother. Mother gave her
fifty dollars just afore she died. She
managed to save it and hide it from father
somehow, to keep Dolly till my aunt in
California could send for her; but my
aunt's dead too and I'm afraid Dolly'll
have to go to the Orphan Asylum after
all. Father don t care nothn bout her.
But if she does, if I'm Il good boy, Can
90 to sec her; but if Pm thief-and
when | saw that picture | said | aOatt be
good. 1t seemed us though the baby was
u lookin' at me and wantin' me to kiss.
Nobody ever kissed me but she and my
mother. Here's your pocket book.
Miss Peppard took it from his hand,
opened it, found its contents rs she had
described them, and then sat for full five
minutes in deep thought.
You want to be good, honest boy, she
said at last, so rs to be II credit instead OF
a shame to your baby sister.
Yes. answered the boy.
It's mostly yes ma'am, in these parts
corrected Ona.
Well. I'll try you. said Miss Peppard.
You!-startng from his chair.
Yes, |. | want some plants and seeds
from the store where you sto-took my
pocket book, and I'm going to trust you tt
get them for me. But before you go there
'lo you know any place where you car
buy u suit of clothes. from shoes to hat
for - yery little money?
Yes ma am, answered the boy in {
voice that already had q ring of hope il
it. Second hand Robby's.
Well, 90 to secondhand Roberts, buy
the clothes-by- y-the-by, what is your name
Dick Poplar.
And Dick, continued the old lady. dc
, you know any place where you can ttke {
bath?
IS to be hoped he do, said Peteona.
Yes maan.
Take bath, put on the new clothes
throw-with Il slight motion of disgust
) the old ones away
IS to be hoped he will. said Peteona.
Then go to the seed store and give then
the note | will write for you. And her
, are two five dollar bills.
An dar money is soon parted? eXcalm
ed Peteona No matter bout dc fus
, word.
But the boy fell on his knees befor
Miss Peppard and sobbed outright.
An he'll ncbber come back any mo
sang Ona, ut the top of her voice, rs sh
went about her work that afternoon afte
Dicks departure no, he'll nebber com
> back any mo-.
But no did. Sust us the sun was sink
i. ing in the west. nice,looking, dark eyed
| dark haired boy, dressed in suit of gra
4 clothes little too large fer him, and cal
: rying package in his arms, came up tn
a garden path to the door of mite of
i cottage 1t was Dick, so changed Peteon
t scarcely knew him. and the package cor
| tanned the seeds and onion sets and youn
d le,tuces and cabbages, and before dark b
$ had planted them all, under the superir
G tendence of Miss Peppard, in the mite
|, garden. and Mrs. Brown had no chance
:. sending her " compliments that season
= And now, ma'am. said Dick, after SUI
per. I'll go. thank you ever so muci
d and wish my mother had known you.
g Praps she knows her noW, said Ona.
T. And ,OU be u good boy-I will II
deed
! With tho help of God, said Miss Pei
II pwd, solemnly.
g With the help of God, repeated the bo
. in II low voice.
But | guess you'd better stay here tt
J. night, continued Miss Peppard. You ca
II sleep in the wood house. Peteona wi
l. nuke you up comfortable bed there.
3 Shan't do no such ting! s'id Peteor
l. diitntly.