Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1881-06-30

get haul it amt so bad, but when we
don't we ketcG 1t. She's drunk tonight
and drove US out"
She pushed the hair back from his
forehead. "Is Nanny Sal your moth.
er?" she asked.
MOP cried the boy almost fercely
and then added, sullenly, Il amt got
none"
Slowly the gloved hand passed back
and forth over the yellow hair. The
lady's eyes were looking far away; the
face was like, so strangely ike, an,
other face.
care you hungry" she asked, sud.
denly.
answered her without the quick sob
and low 'TYes'm."
The carriage stopped, and the mon
ument again accomplished a descent,
opened the door, and stood staring in
blank amazement.
II am not going john" said his
mistress. "Drive home again" And
she added smiling: This little boy
crept in out of the cold while the car
riage was waiting. [ am going to take
him home. Drive back as quickly as
possible"
As the bewildered coachman shut
the door and turned to his perch the
boy made a spring forward.
''Lemme out !" he cried. II don't
want to 90 home. Lemme outl"
Not your home" said the lady,
gentlv.-"my home"
Tom stared at her in wonder, and too
much overcome by the announcement
to resist let her lift him up on the seat
beside her,
"My home" she repeated, "where
you can get very warm, and have a
good dinner, and long, long sleep, on
soft bed. viii you like that?
Tom drew a long, slow breath, but
did not answer. It was too wonderful
He-one of Nanny SAILS boys-to go
to the lady's house where the children
lived whom he had seen go in that
evening He looked up suddenly,
"Were all those children yourn ?" he
asked. With sudden movement she
drew him very close to her, and then
answered softly:
mo, not mine. [ had little boy
once, like you, but he died.
When the carriage stopped again
Tom was fast asleep-so fast that the
bewildered coachman carried him
into the house and laid him on bed
without waking him. The next morn
ing when the boys eyes opened, he lay
looking about him, hardly daring to
speak or move. [ don't believe he had
ever heard anything about the fairies,
or he would certainly have thought
himself in fairyland. Best of all the
the lady of the night before was stand
ing by the bed smiling at him. and,
smiling back, he held out his arms to
her.
| wish you could have seen him a
little later, when arrayed in Jacket and
trousers that made him think with dis
dain of certain articles of the same de-
scription which he had but yesterday
gazed at lovingly as they dangled be-
fore little table by the sunny window
taking short, a very short, prelimi-
nary view OF a gigantic beefsteak still
Indignantly sputtering to itself; a
mountain of smoking potatoes, an i'm
posing array of snowy rolls and golden
butter, and a pitcher Of creamy milk.
And [ wish, too, you could have seen
the same table still later, for the table
was about all that was left.
That was the first time that ever
saw Tom. Since then [ have seen him
very often. And now [ will tell you,
only [ am afraid you would hardly be-
lieve me, about the last time, and that
was not very long ago.
I was riding along one of the prettiest
country roads you ever saw, and when
| came to certain gate my horse,
without waiting for a sign from me,
turned in. AS we drew near the house
| caught sight of two figures standing
among the flowers. One was hand
some old lady with white hair, the
other young man. She was armed
With an immense pair of shears, and
he held in his hand his hat filled to the
brim with flowers. The sunlight, creep
ing down through the trees, fell upon
his close-cropped hair and yellow
beard. AS drew in my horse and sat
watching them, it all seemed to me
like fairy story. But it wasn't; for
the tall, handsome man looking down
with such protecting tenderness upon
the white-haired old lady was really
Iom-poQr, little, thin, cold, hungry
Tom.