Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-03-28

"Goly! got yo' wish mighty soon dis time,
Miss Pcppnr'. Run for de- constable I'll
hold him. Could hold dozen like him OF
two or free"
"Let him alone, Ona" said her mistress,
while the boy stood without making the slight
est resistance.
'Ain't he to be drug to de lookup 2" asked
Ona, with toss of her turbaned head.
wait till we hear what hc has to say,
said Miss Peppard Then turning to the boy,
she asked, as mildly rs ever: "Of course you
haven't brought me back
Yes, | have, interrupted he. "IIcrc 'ts,
money and all, 'cept what I had to take to
fetch me out here | found your name in it
on card, and where you lived
But, bless YOU exclaimed the old lady,
more and moro 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 Dc Iyor' Harry 80 said Ona, rolling up
her eyes until nothing but the whites were
visible, 'nebber hear of sich ting long as |
lib gibbin' hullsalo robbers drinks of milk in
my clean kitchen! An ] shan't do it, Spcct
robbers gifts thirsty as well rs uddcr folks.
dough- And She handed him the milk.
which lac drank eagerly.
"Now 90 ON. said Miss Peppard. "Uhy
did you steal my pockct-book aud why, hay
ing stolen it, did you bring it back Are you
| a thief"
"S'posc -I-am," hc stammcrcd: .'but /
don't want to be no more. ! wouldn't Il took
it year ago, when my mother was alive :
but she died aud father hc went To- prison
soon after for bcatiu' another man aud
hadn't no friends aul it's hard gittin' along
when your mothers dead, aud You haiu't no
friends, and your fathers in prison"
"rain't soft, dats de- fac, said Peteona,
! grnvoy
so | fell in with gang of bad fellers,
but | never stole uothiu' but things to eat till
| Yesterday. | come out of the House of Ref
| ugc two weeks ago
House Of Refuse" exclaimed Petcoma,
! holding up her hands. An a-settin' in my
clean kitchen, on my clean oil.clof! Wot
mex"
II was there for breakin a winder and
s,ssin d cop" said the boy with IL show of
| Indignation. land uothin' else, though they
did try to make me out reglar bad uu."
And then hc went ON, under the influence Of
Miss Pcppard'S steady gaze And the fel-
lers said was softy not to have the game
rs well aS the name, and so l went into
that store cause | seen n lot of folks there,
and stole your pocket-book. And'-drop-
ping his eyes and his voice there was pic
ter Of a little baby in it.
My sister Polly's child" cried Miss Pep
pard, her wrnkl,d cheeks beginning to glow
Her onliest child-'cept five" said Pete
onn.
And it looks like" continued the boy,
bursting into tears -''it looks like-my
te-sist,r."
Your little sst,r?" repeated Miss Pep
plrd, her own eyes filling with tears. as
she-with her mother :"
IS to be hoped she be, said Ona, with
sniff, ''or some o1der place whar she'll be
washed. Her brudder's dirty nun for hull
family"
Shes in place ten miles or more from
here, said the boy, with u woman who used
to know mother Mother give her fifty dol
lar, Just afor, She died. She managed to
save it and hid il from father somehow to
keep Dolly till my aunt in California could
send for her; but my aunts dead too and
I'm 'frlid Dolly II have to 20 in the Orphan
Asylum after all Father don't care nothin
bout her. But il she does if I'm good
boy | can 20 to e,o her but if I'm IL thief
And when | saw that picture | said | trW be
good 1t seemed as though the baby was
a-lookiu' at me and wautin' me to kiss her.
Nobody ever kissed me but her and my moth
cr. Here's your pocket-book.
Miss Peppard took it from his hand. opened
it, found its contents rs 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, $50 rs to be n credit instead Of a
shame 10 your baby sister"
"Ies,' answered the boy.
TT, mostly yc, maam in desc parts,
corrected OnA.
"Well, I'll try you," said Miss Peppard.
You ,'-s starting from lis chair,
YES, l. | want some plants and seeds
from the store whrr you sto-tool, the pock-
ct book, and Avn going to trust you to get
them for me. But before you 60 there, do
you know any place where you can buy a
suit Of clothes from shoes to hat, for IL very
little money =
"lrs ina'am, answered the hoy, in voice
that already hal a ring Of hope in it. Sec
onl-haud l}obbys"
"Wcll, go to second hand 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 take a
bath Z"
IS to he hoped he do, D." said Petoona.
Yes, ma'am."
Take bath, pat on the new clothes,
tmow"-with slight motion Of disgust
the old ones away"
IS to be hoped he will, ," said Pcteona.
Then go to the seed store and give them
the note ! will writ for you. And here are
two five dollar bills"
"A',' dar money is soon parted :" excl"im-
ed Prt,nua No matter bout d,' fISt word" !
Bat the boy fell on his knees lrfOru Miss |
Prpparl and sohbcd outright.
''Au' hen nrbh,r come back any mo-" |
sang Ona at the top Of her voice, rs she went /
about her worl; that afternoon after Dicks |
departure- no, he'll ncbbrr come back any |
mo-
But lie did. Just as the sun was sinking in
the west, hice-luoluug dark-rytd, dark
haired boy, dressed in a suit Of gray clothes
little too large for him, aud carrying pack
age in his arms. came up the garden path to
the door Of q mite Of II cottage. 1t was Dick, |
so changed P,teona scarcely knew him, and |
the package contained the seeds and onion
sets and young lcttucrs and culbages, and be-
fore dark he had planted them all, under the
supermtcndencc of Mis- Prpplrd, in the mite
of garden, and Mrs. Brown had no chance
of sending her compliments hat season.
And now, ma'am," said Dick, after sup
per- I'm go. | thank you ever 50 much and
| wish my mother had known You"
'P'r'Rps she knows her HO,T, said Ona.
And | ''W be good hoy-I will, indeed"
with the help Of God said Miss Pep
pard, solemnly.
with the help of God, >" repeated the boy,
in low voice.
But l guess you'd better stay here to-
night continued Miss Peppard. "You can
sleep in the wood-house. Prtrona will make
you up a comfortable bed there
'Shant do no such ting" said Peteona, de-
family
"Ona - reproved her mistress
It'll my dishes is washed, mean, Miss
Pcppar'," said Ona.
And then tomorrow morning you can
start for that baby I've always wanted
baby. Cats and dogs and birds are well
enough in their way, but IL baby is worth
them all"
"Golly aOr you're talkin' Miss Peppar'!"
shouted Ona "I'S always wanted baby-a
yrjfs boIu-- Niuoar boIiag oiuit p,u,b