The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1881-03-19
"You will go, won't you deary1" said

"You will 60, won't you dearyl" said
Tom, eagerly.
"No, / will not" answered Lita.-
"You can 60, If you like; but, as told
you before, have invited company to
dinner, and it would be somewhat awk-
ward to have you absent"
Tom, pushing back his scarcely tasted
breakfast, rose from the table in grim
silence and marched off, without even
giving her his usual goodbye kiss.
"Poor Mothcrl" he said 10 himself,
and, though he had intended to write at
once, he put it off until the last thing
before leaving the Office, hoping for a
message from Lita that might change
the tenor Of the answer; but none came,
and when at last he took up his pen he
was strongly tempted to say that he and
little Phil wonld cgmc, but. In doing
that, he would necessarily make Lita
seem at fault. So, using as an excuse
the fact that his wife had made other
arrangements before her invitation was
received, he expressed his hearty regret
and promised to drop in to see her as
soon as practicable.
''Poor Motherl" he said again, as he
dropped the letter into the lamp-post.
''She will be so disappointed I"
And could Lita have peeped into the
old home the next day, perhaps she too
would have said "Poor motheri" for
Toms letter, owing to his having, in
his preoccupied state of mind; directed
it to the wrong number, did not come
to hand until dinner was ready to be
served; and, sitting down alone, with
those empty seats staring at her-Tom's
own high-chair. that he had used when
baby, waiting for little Phil-the widow
could not keep back the tears. She had
so longed to sec them all, and especially
"her boy"
Just for one look from his dear,
brave eyes!" she sighed that evening, as
she stood gazing at Toms portrait
From the little easel beside it Lita's girl
ish face smiled up at her.
"Ohi Tom! Toni did not think
she could be so cruel !" she said, sor-
rowfully. "to rob poor old mother of
her only boy"
II.
One bleak afternoon, about two weeks
after Thanksgiving, Mrs. Raymond, Sr.,
had just stepped from toy-shop, with
her arms full Of Christmas bundles, when
she heard glad little voice shouted: -
"G'an'mal G'an'mal''
"Why, Phil, you darling |" she cried,
springing toward the boy; but before
she could reach him horse, Of which
the driver had lost control, dashed upon
the sidewalk, and the next instant the
childish figure lay bruised and senseless
on the pavement.
"Givc him to mel" cried Mrs. Ray
mond, dropping her bundles and snatch
ing the little fellow from the stranger
who had taken him up.
The crowd paused about her, some full
Of solicitude, others simply curious.
"What could they do for her1 Was
the child seriously injured1 Would she
have carriage ordered9" But she did
not seem to hear them.
"Permit me, madam" said tall,
elderly man, who was evidently a ply
sician; and, bending down, he passed
his hands carefully over the apparently
inanimate form.
"Not fatally hurt, think" he said;
"but his arm is broken. Take him home
and have it set Us quickly as possible. ="
Her own carriage was in waiting on
the opposite side Of the street, and, the
stranger having summoned il and lifted
her in, with the boy still in her arms,
she directed the driver to lose no time
in reaching home.
''It would take so much longer to
carry him to TOMS" she said to her
self, and then for the first time she won.
dered how 1t happened that the child
should have been on the street alone.
Where was Lita1 Where was the
nurse? She must telegraph to Tom at
once.
Fortunately, her physician. was her
next-door neighbor, and fortunately,
too, they found him in. Once or twice
the child had opened his eyes; but only
to close them with moan.
"Poor little mani He has been pref
ty badly shaken - said the doctor
"And l am afraid he won't be able to
hold up his head again very good. He
must be kept as quiet rs possible. -
And Mrs. Raymond, hearing it could
not help feeling, in spite Of her sorrow
and anxiety, thoroughly glad that, since
the accident had happened, she had the
darling under her own roof, where no
one could hinder her from caring for
him.
At Toms, meanwhile, the household
was in state Of woeful alarm, Maggie,
the nurse, having made her appearance
some two hours after the time fixed for
her return, weeping Historically, and
declaring that little Phil had been stole.
"Shure an he was standin' fornint
me, lookin' in at the windy at the wee
Christmases; an whin turned meself
to spake to him, he was nowheres to be
sane. An, siz I, the saints bliss the
darlintl He's wint inside. So walks
in meself, thinkin' loike as not he was
at some o. the counters; but niver
sight could catch Of the cherub, though
wint from one end Of the store to the
other. And whin ! comes out, there
was an ould Teddy (shure, an she had
the look Of Teddy, nom, bad as she is,)
jest alightin' into her kerridge, wild the
darlint in her arms. May the Blessed
Vargin save him! An afore could
spake the driver was off like a feyther
anint the wind; an whin scramed to
the poulice to stop i'm for thafe, he
| s..s i,,.A.i,aI q. xx.s face Och sl,,,ra