The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1879-03-28
roomed off-or glib sumlin to eat-pore, bony,

got yo' wish mighty soon dis time, Miss Pep
par. Run for de constable. Ell hold him.
Could hold dozen like him--or two or
free"
"Let him alone Ona," said her mistress,
while the boy stood without making the slight
est resistance.
"Ain't he going to be drug to de lock up"
asked Ona, with Il toss of her turbaned
head
wait till we hear what he has to say"
said Miss Peppard Then turning to the boy,
she asked as mildly as ever, "Of course you
haven't brought me back"
"Ycs | have" interrupted he. "Here It's,
money and all, 'cept what | had to take to
fetch me out here. found your name in it
on II card, and where you lived"
But bless you " exclaimed the old lady,
more and more surprised what made you
take it you were going to bring it back p
Come into the kitchen and tell me all about it.
Ona, give him a drink of milk"
"By de Lor' Harry !" said Ona, rolling up
her eyes until nothing but the whites were
lib-gibbin' hullsale robbers drinks of milk in
my clean kitchen An sha'n't lott Spect
robbers gifts thirsty as well as odder folks,
dough-" And she handed him the milk, which
he drank eagerly.
Nov, go ON said Miss Peppard. "Why
did you steal my pocket-book? and why, hay
ing stolen it, did you bring it back? Are you
Il thief?,'
"S'pose-I-am," he stammercd; "but |
don't want to he any more. | wouldn't "a
took it year ago, when my mother was alive;
but she died, and father he went to prison
soon after for beatin another man; and had
no friends; and it's hard gettn' along when
your mothers dead, and you hain't no friends,
and your fathers in prison"
"Tain't soft, OATS de fac" said Peteona,
gravely.
80 | fell in with gang of bad fellers, but
never stole nothin' but things to eat till yis-
terday. I come out of the House of Refuge
two weeks ago"
blouse of Refuge" exclaimed Peteona,
holding up her hands "An' a-settin' in my
clean kitchen, on my clean oil-clofl Wot
neX?"
II was there for breakin' winder and sas-
sin cop" said the boy, with a show of in
dignation, "and nothin' else, though they did
try to make me out regular bad un" And
then he went on, under the influence of Miss
Peppard's steady gaze And the fellcrs said
| was a softly not to have the game as well as
the name, and so | went into that store cause
seen Il lot of folks there, and | stole your
pocket-book. And'-dropping his eyes and
IL
in it,"
MY sister Poly's child p cried Miss Pep
pard, her wrinkled cheeks beginning to
glow.
Her onliest chld-cept five" said Petco-
ma.
"And it looks like" continued the bow
bursting into tears-"it looks likc--my-little
sister"
Your little sister" repeated Miss Peppard,
her own eyes filling with tears, rs She
with her mother y
"'S to he hoped she be-" said Ona, with a
sniff, cor some oddcr place whar she'll be
washed Her bruddcrs dirty huff for hull
family"
She's in Il place ten miles or more from
here" said the boy, with n woman who used
to know mother. Mother gave her fifty dol
lars Just afore she died She managed to save
it and hide il from father somehow, to keep
Dolly till my aunt in California could send for
her; but my aunt's dead too and Pm 'fraid
Dolly'll have to go in the Orphan Asylum af-
ter all, Father don't care nothin bout her
But if she does, if I'm good boy, | can go to
see her; but if I'm thief And when saw
the picture | said | will be good. 1t seems
as though the baby's was a-lookin' at me and
wantn' me to kiss her. Nobody ever kissed
me but her and my mother. Here's your
pocket book
Miss Pcppard took it from his hand, open
cd it, found its contents as he had described
thcm and then sat for full five minutes in deep
thought
you want to he good, honest boy" she
said at last $50 as to he credit instead of shame
to your baby sister,"
YES" answered the boy.
Its mostly yes, ma'am, in desc parts" cor
rectcd Ona.
"Wcll, I'll try you" said Miss Pcppard
"GOu n'--starting from his chair
Eyes, !. ! want some plants and seeds
from the store where you sto-took the pock-
ct-book, and | am going to trust you TO get
them for me. But before you go there, do you
know any place where you can buy suit of
clothes, from shoes to hat, for very little
money"
"Ycs, maam," answered the boy, in voice
| that already had Il ring of hope in it, SEC
ond-hand Bobby's?"
"Wcll, go to second hand Roberts, buy the
clothes By-the-bye what is your name ~
"Dick Poplar"
"And, Dick" continued the old lady, edo
you know any place where you can take a
| bath 2"
as to be hoped he do" said Peteona.
eyes, ma'am."
"Takc bath, put on thenew clothes throw
with slight motion of disgust-'the old
ones away"
as to be hoped he will" said Peteona.
"Thcn 30 to the seed store and give them
the note | will write for you. And here are
two five-dollar bills"
AN dar money is soon parted" exclaimed
Peteona mo matter about dc fust word"
But the boy fell ON his knees before Miss
Peppard and sobbcd outright.
q L., I,in hn
| Ona, at the top of her voice. as she went about
her work that afternoon after Dicks de
parture-"no, he'll nebber come back any
mo-"
But he did. just as the sun was sinking in
the west, nice-looking dark-eyed dark
haired boy, dressed in n suit of gray clothes 6
little too large for him, and carrying pack
age i'm his arms, came up the garden path &c
the door of the mite of cottage 1t was
Dick, so changed Peteona scarcely knew him
and the package contained the seeds and onion
sets and young lcttuccs and cabbages, and be
fore dark he had planted them all, under tho
superintendent of Miss Peppard, in the mite
of a garden, and Mrs Brown had no chance
of sending her compliments" that season.
"And now, ma'am" said Dick, after supper
"Tll 60 thank you ever so much and
wish my mother had known you"
"P'r'haps she knows her now" said Ona
"And | will be a good boy-I will, in
deed"
with the help of Goo" said Miss Peppard
solemnly.
with the help of God" repeated the boy
in low voice.
But Iguess you'd betters stay here tonight,
continued Miss Peppard "You can sleep il
the wood-house. Peteona will make you VI
a comfortable bed there"
"Sha'n't do no such ting p said Peteona de
family
Omar reproved her mistress