Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-05-11
Of intelligence. His mind appeared to be

a blank of all but fear; sometimes, if con-
fused memories came to him, and he ut
tered a loud word, it was only to cover |
at the sight Of old Hanna's lash, and its
stronger and more recent memories-a |
little fellow still: he had not grown two J
inches in two years.
One twilight, a basket of crusts on his |
arm-out of which do all they could, he
would nibblc-he was told to follow Burt
into the street, an old man with sack on
his shoulders, and not to lose sight Of him.
And when the experiment had been tried
often enough, Burt went some way far
ther into the country than usual and little
Sam was showed through cellar grating
to 60 up and open the way for Burt and
those who had been awaiting him; and
that night little Sam began his career of
house breaking.
But all of little Sans share in the
transaction was sort of inchoate terror
not do as he was told. And as for what
the men did after he let them in, he had
not so much idea as the mouse in the
wainscot had; nor, if he had known,
would he have been able to see any
wrong in it. If they wanted pleasant
things, why shouldn't they have them?
Being satisfied, and in good humor, they
would give him the fewer blows.
But only few months after that be-
ginning Burt and Bobbins were in their
prison cells, old Hannah's den was broken
up, and Sam and the other little outcasts
were homeless; or rather they would have
been had not Sans proficiency with locks
been known in the craft, and he at least
and thus the series Of the most unaccount-
able and daring burglaries ever known in
this part of the country went on uninter-
ruptedlv.
1t was bright moonlight night when
the three confederates pushed and showed
little Sam up the great ropes of wistaria
and woodbine that he might crawl
through the open crack Of a small win
dow, with his customary instructions to
find door and open it for them. Once
within, he could see his way tolerably
we'll about the place, and he noiselessly
traversed one room and another, and had
reached the great upper hall, when his
fear of the men outside suddenly gave
way to more horrible fear; for great
beast rose and was beside him with one
leap-a huge mastiff taller than himself
For moment little Sam was paralyzed:
the next thing would be those white
fangs in his flesh; he knew he should be
devoured. But he could not scream He
dared not. And then the great creature
had put his two fore paws on Sans shout
der, and was licking his face and hands
and head as if he could not have enough
of him, till the child sank on the robe,
when he subsidized, and lay beside him,
with his nose between his paws, while
Sam looked down the long length of the
hall below, and saw the swinging silver
lamps, the white statue in its niche. the
glow of the bronze knight, the dark rich
ness of the rugs upon the tiles, all as if
he had seen it every night of his life
Meanwhile the dog steadily surveyed him
Sam thought, the dog was not going to
hurt him; in fact, he seemed in some
way like an old friend After all,
thought Tribune, this is no place
for little boys; they. ought to be in
bed. And he proceeded to show the
child the way, going off little, then com
ing back, taking portion of his rags be
tween his teeth, and endeavoring to lead
him on. 1t was new experience to lit
tie Sam. In other places the dogs had
driven them of, but this sleepy and lazy
old fellow showed nothing but hospitality
He followed whether he would or no.
The dog led him into a large room first,
with wide windows, through which a
flood of moonlight fell. 1t fell upon an
open organ with white glimmering keys.
AS Sam saw it, some idea Of singer sit
ting there seemed to rise on his fancy
a singer who had one arm around him as
she sang, and held his head against her
shoulder. What should he know of sing
ing? Since he had seen old Hannah,
singing had been unheard. AS he moved
the blackboard caught his eye, half Gov
cred with some uncouth characters in
chalk. He remembered now that he had
heard Of little boy who showed the big
children what he could do one night. He
crept toward the blackboard, and took up
the crayon and made one or two of these
misshapen letters over again. Then he put
down the crayon-those men were wait.
ing for him outside. But the dog still held
his rags, and by gentle motions led him
on, and into large sleeping with
its three little white beds where children
lay dreaming, and one little bed that was
empty. On this bed the dog bounded
and in every way he knew invited Sam
But Sam turned away and went back to
the play-room something seemed to de
light him in the white glimmer of the
large room, as if the spirits of dead pleas
ures fingered there. AS he stood in the
door the moonlight now lay full on the
great white rocking horse, call saddled
all bridled, all fit for fight and there
in front of the empty fireplace was lit
tie empty chair; the dog stretched him
self at his feet. 1t seemed so pleasant sc
warm, and comfortable! He was not SC
much afraid of those men outside as he
had been; the children's faces looked al
him in the white light of the roses on the
gilded trellis as if they wished him to
stay; the little head nodded and fell for
ward on his breast.
But all this seemed exceedingly out OF
the way to Tribune; and after while il
apparently occurred to him that if he
could not make Sam go to bed, he could
60 and speak to his mistress about it; and
it. was his cold nose in her hand that
woke Mrs. Dean from her uneasy slumber
In a moment she was out of bed.
"There is something wrong she said
to her husband. "What is the matter
with Trib?n And before her husband was
fairly awake, she had followed the dog to
the play-room, and there, with the moon
light falling round him, sound asleep,
his head upon his breast, in the little
chair before the empty hearth, she saw
her child.
For one throb Of her heart, one great