The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1879-04-02

"Your little sisterP" repeated Miss
Peppard, her own eyes filling with tears.
els she-with her mother?"
as to be hoped she be-" said Ona,
with a sniff, or some odder place whar
she'll be washed. Her brudder's dirty
nuff for hull family"
"She's in place ten miles or more
from here" said the boy, "with a 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 I'm 'fraid
Dolly'll have to go in the orphan asylum
after all. Father don't care nothip'
bout her. But il she does, If I'm a
good boy, I can go to see her; but if
I'm q thief And when / saw that
picture said 1 will be good. 1t seemed
as though the baby was -lookin' at me
and 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
fve minutes in deep thought.
"You want to be good, honest
credit instead of shame to your baby
sister2"
eyes" answered the boy.
"It's mostly yes, ma'am,' in desc
parts" corrected Ona.
"Well, I'll try you" said Miss Pep.
pard.
"You r'-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 go there, do you know any
place where you. can buy q suit of
clothes, from shoes to hat, for very
little money!"
"Yes, ma'am," answered the boy, in
a voice that already had CLEAN of hope
in it "Second-hand Bobby's ?"
"Well, go to secondhand Roberts,
buy the clothes Blythe. bye, what is
your name ?"
Dick Poplar"
"And, Dick" continued the old lady,
do you know any place where you can
take bath ?"
"'S to be hoped he do" said Peteona,
Yes, am.
"Take bath, put on the new clothes,
throw with slight motion of disgust
-"the old ones away -
"'S to be hoped he WILL" said
Peteona.
"Then go to the seedstore and give
them the note will write for you. And
here are two five.dollar bills.
can dar money is soon parted u ex
claimed Peteona. "No matter 'bout
de fust word"
But the boy fell on his knees before
Miss Peppard and sobbed outright.
cam he'll nebber come back any
mo-" sang Ona, at the top of her voice
as she went about her work that after
noon after Dicks departure" no, he'll
nebber come back any mo'.
But he did. Just as the sun was sink
ing in the west, ce-looking, dark
eyed, dark-haired boy, dressed in a sui
of gray clothes little too large for him
and carrying package in his arms
came up the garden path to the door o.
the mite of cottage. It was Dick, &C
changed Peteona scarcely knew him
and the package contained the seeds anC
onion-sets and young lettuces and cab
bages, and before dark he had planted
them all, under the superintendent O
Miss Peppard, in the mite Of garden
and Mrs. Brown had no chance of send
ing her compliments that season.
"And now ma'am," said Dick, aftel
supper, "Il go. thank you ever 81
much, and wish my mother had know
you"
"P'r'haps she knows her now,
said Ona.
"And 1 will be a good boX-I will
indeed"
"With the help of God," said Mis-
Peppard, solemnly.
"With the help of God," repeated
the boy, in low voice.
"But guess you'd better stay her,
tonight" continued Miss Peppard
"You can sleep in the woodhouse. Pc
teona will make you comfortable be-
there"
"Shant do no such thingl" said Pc
teona, defiantly.
"Ona reproved her mistress.
"Till my dishes is washed, 1 mean
Miss Peppar'," said Ona.
"And then tomorrow morning yov
can start for that baby. I've alway
wanted a baby. Cats and dogs an,
birds are we'll enough in their way, bu
a baby is worth them all"
"Golly now you're talkin', Mis-
Peppar' shouted Ona. "Ps alway
wanted baby-a wife baby-too."-
"And If Won choose to staY in Sum
mertown," said Miss Peppard, "yo1
may have home here until you cal
better yourself. There's plenty of worl
for you and the youth upon whom W
have depended for errands and gardel
help, etc., -
A drefful smart, nice, perlite boy I
chimed in 'Ona " as lazy and sassy a
he can lib. An I'll call you in de morn
in wen de birds arise, an wen hab da
ar angel here in iiffy; an won't de ca
an dog an birds look pale wen da
noses is outer j'int. But dar noses !
! I. - L.. IL.