Sharp County record., 1879-03-20

hold a little wild, butfeted figure, for
l0rn and wretched, but smiling with a
4 great gladness in herlifted childish face.
rs it here Mr. Vance liyes' Florry's
father?''
"rm Florrv's father" he answers,
quickly, and catches at the child's slen-
der shoulder. 4" Florrv? What of her2
Have you brought us any newsp
" She's atmv house now says Dolly,
with short laugh. "Oh, nothing's
the matter. She's lying on esofa, and
she got lost this afternoon and Thought
I'd come and tell ve. I brought her
shoe so you'd know" holding it toward
him. &" I couldn't bring her, cause |
had hard work enough to get here NY
self"
And now Dolly is more astOnished
than she will probably ever be in her
life again, for this great tall gentleman,
so finely dressed, so grand, so handsome,
kisses first the little muddy shoe, then
catches no DOllvin his arms, old water
proof and ragged hood and all, and
kisses her little pinched face again and
again. oh, God bless you, dear" he
says, brokenlv. "God bless-bless-
bless voui" And so he carries her hur-
riedly into a warm, lighted room, where
a beautiful pale lady is lying back
among the pillows of a loUnge.
nv darling, look upl Oh, God is
verv good to us. Our FlOrrv is safel
This little one has come through all the
storm to tellus.n And then, somehow,
the gentleman and lady and Dolly are
all in each others arms and weeping to-
gether tears OF great JOY and thanksgiv-
ing.
So Dolly ridas back that night to Rsb-
bit Alley in an elegant carriage with
Florrv's father, and feels more than
ever like Cinderella as she leans back
against the cushions. When she reaches
home she guides Mr. Vance up the
long, dark stairway and throws open
the door. The little place is very quiet.
Polly is rocking her baby and Florry is
lying fast asleep on the old lounge. As
Mr.. Vance enters he star Is still q mo-
ment, hat in hand, looking about the
scanCily furnished room as if he were
blessing silently the poor little home
and all therein. As his glance rests on
FlOrrv he smiles softly, but his eyes are
full of tears. He crosses the room to
Polly and lays bank note on the table
beside her.
81 can not thank he says, simply.
Polly fiushes, and turns pale, looking
at the money as if she could not believe
her ewes.
No, SIR" she stammers out, ''it's
not for me. I've done nothing; it's
Dolly that ought to have it"
" Dolly shall have whatever she may
choose to ask for, " he answers, quietly.
"Tell me, Dolly, what shall | give you?
What would you like most to baVe?"
"Oh, a carriage for the baby" says
Dolly, promptly, and Polly laughs so
loud that the little Sleepy girl on the
sofa wakes up and begins to rub her
eyes. "Oh, that's my papa" she cries,
laughing, too, and stretching out her
arms. "I got lost this afternoon, papa,
and now I'm found again, and her
names Dolly. What you crying for,
papa2 Are you lost, tOO?"
Mr. Vance can say little else but
" Florry, Florry," as he bows his head
over hers. FlOrry clasps both hands
round his neck and kisses him, and pro-
ceeds to relate her adventures.
Ifell in the mud, and cried whole
lot, an awful long while, papa, They've
got baby, too; he sat on my lap, he
did. Dolly gave me milk with cracker
in it."
"And what shall we give Dolly? Tell
me, Florrv, what shall we do for her?"
Take Dolly home with US to stay
forever and ever" was Florrv's ready
answer. And so it was settled. At
least Dolly is still living in Florrv's
home, and Florry calls her lovingly her
pretty sister.-lAGry Ainge De We're, IN
the Christian Union.