Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1879-03-27

Do you know the thiefT'
"I'm him." was the answer; and he
raised q pair of dark eyes, that looked
like the eyes of hunted animal, to her
face.
"My consciencep exclaimed the old
lady, and fell into chair that stood
near, while Peteona dsrted out and seiz-
ed him, shouting: "Golly! got yo' wish
mighty soon dis time, Miss Peppard. Run
for de constable. I'll hold him. Could
hold dozen like him-or two or Free"
"Lst him alone, Ona,"' said her mis-
tress, while the boy stood without max
ing the slightest resistance.
"Ain't he to be drug to de lock up?
asked Ona, with a 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" r
eyes, have" interrupted he. "Here
tits, money and all, 'cept what l had to
take to fetch me out here. found your
name in it on q card, and where you
lived"
But. bless you'll" exclaimed the old
lady, more and more surprised, "what
made you take it if you were going to
bring it back? Come into the kitchen
and tell me all about it. Ona, give him
drink of milk.
"By de Lor', Harry!' said Ona, roll
ing up her eyes until nothing but the
whites were visible, "nebber hear of
SIGH ting long as lib gibbin' hullsale
robbers drinks Of milk in my clean
kitchen! An I shan't do it. Spec5 rob-
bers gets thirsty as we'll as odder folks,
dough-" And she handed him the milk,
which he drank eagerly.
"Why did you steal my pocket: book?
and why, having stolen it, did you
bring it back? Are you thief?''
S'pose-I-am," he stammered;
"but l don't want to be no more. I
wouldn't a took it a year ago, when my
mother was alive; but she died, and faith
er he went to prison soon after for beat
! ing another man; and l hadn't no
! friends; and it's hard gittin' along when
your mothers dead, and you hain't no
friends, and your fathers in prison.
! "Tain't soft, dat's de fac','' said Pc
teona, gravely.
! $50 fell in with gang of bad fell
lers, but never stole nothin' but things
to eat till Yesterday. I come out Of the
house of refuge two weeks age" "
BLOUSE of refuge!' exclaimed Pc
teona, holding up her hands. AN a.
settin' in my clean kitchen, on my clean
oil.clof! Wot nex'?"
81 was there for breakin' winder and
sassin' cop" said the boy, with show
of Indignation, and nothin' else, though
they did try to make me out eg'lar
badun." And then he went on, under
the influence of Miss Peppard's steady
gaze: "And the fellers said I was a
softly not to have the game as we'll as the
name, and so | went into that store
cause 1 seen lot of folks there, and l
stole your pocketbook. And"-drop-
ping his eyes and his voice. there was
u picter of little baby in it."
! "My sister Polly's child" cried Miss
Peppard, her wrinkled cheeks beginning
to glow.
Her onliest child-'cept five," said
Peteona.
! "And it looks ike,'' continued the
boy, bursting into tears-"it looks like
my-llttle-slSter.
"Your little sister," repeated Miss
Peppard, her own eyes filling with tears.
CTS she-with her MOTHER"
"It's to be hoped she be- said Ona,
with a sniff, cor some odder place whar
she'll be washed. Her brudder's dirty
huff for hull family"
"She's in place ten miles or more
from here,' said the boy, with wo-
man who used to know mother Mother
give 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 Pm 'fraid
Dolly'l have to 60 in the orphan asylum
after all. Father don't care nothin'
! bout her. But if she does, if I'm
good boy, I can go to see her; but if Pm
thief And when I saw that picture
l said l acil be good. It seemed as
thong h the baby was a-lookin' at me an
| wantin> me to kiss her. Nobody ever
kissed me but her and my mother.
Here's your pocketbook."
Miss Peppard took it from his hand,
opened it, found its contents as he had
described them, and then sat for full
five minutes in deep thought.
"You want to be good, honest boy"
she said at last, I" so as to be credit in.
stead of shame 10 your baby sister,
EYES," answered the boy.
"1ts mostly yes ma am, in desc parts"
corrected Ona.
"Well, I'll try you," said Miss Pep
pard.
"You!"- starting from his chair.
"Yes, l. want some plants and
seeds from the store where you sto-
took the pocketbook, and am going to
trust you to get them for me. But be-
fore you 60 there, do you know any
place where you can buy a suit OF
clothes, from shoes to hat, for very lit
tie money!"
Eyes, ma ann answered the boy, in
voice that already had a ring of hope
in it.
Secondhand Bobby's."
7 "Well, 20 to secondhand Roberts,
buy the clothes By-the-bye, what is
your name?'
"Dick POPLAR
"And Dick" continued the old lady,
"do you know any place where you can
"'s to be hoped he do," said Peteona.
eyes, ma'am
"Take bath, put on the new clothes,
throw "-with a slight motion of dis
gust" the old ones away"
"'S to be hoped he will" said Peteona.
"Then 60 to the seed store ana give
them the note I will write for you.
And here are two fve-dollar bill"
An dar money is soon parted! !" ex-
claimed. Peteona. emo matter bout
the fust word"
But the boy fell on his knees before
Miss Peppard and sobbed outright.
can he Il nebber come back any mo-"
sung Ona, at the top of her voice, as she
went about her work that afternoon
after picks DEPARTURE no, he'll neb-
bor aor,nn h~nb o,~, no.