The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1881-03-26

to the wrong number, did not come to
hand until after 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 see them all, and
especially % her boy" ~
'sJust for one look from his dear,
brave eyesr' she sighed that evening as
she stood gazing at Toms portrait.
From the little easel beside it Lita's
girlish face smiled up at her.
20! Tom! Tom! ] did not think she
could be so cruelr' she said sorrowful-
ly, Ito rob poor old mother of hel
only boy"
One bleak afternoon, some two weeks
after Thanksgiving, Mrs. Raymond.
Senior, had just stepped from q toy
shop, with her arms full of bundles,
when she heard glad little voice shout
ing: Gamma G'an'mar'
"Why, Phil, you darlingr' 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.
"Give him to mer' cried Mrs. Ray
mond, dropping her bundles and snatch
ing the little fellow from the stranger
who had taken him up.
The crowd pressed about her, some
full of solicitude, others simply curious.
"What could they do for herP"
"Was the child seriously injuredP"
would she haye carriage ordered?"
But she did not seem to hear them.
"Permit me, madam" said q tall,
elderly man, who was evidently . ply
stefan, and, bending down, he passed
his hands carefully over the inanimate
form. s8 i4'8sf h
Not fatally hurt. / think" he said;
"but his arm is broken. Take him home
and have it set as quickly as possible. I"
Her own carriage was in waiting on
the opposite side of the street, and, the
stranger having summoned it 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 80 much longer to
carry him to TOMS" she said to her.
self, and then for the first time she
wondered how it happened that the
child should have been on the street
alone.
Where was Litap Where was the
nurseP 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 man! He has been
pretty badly shakenr' said the doctor.
"And am afraid he won't be able to
hold up his head again very soon. He
must be kept as quiet as 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 aud de-
claring that little Phil had been stole. -
- Shure an he was standin' l6rnint
me, lookin' in at the windy. an whin
l turAed meself to spake to him he was
nowheres to be sane. An, seq l, the
saints bliss the darlint! He's whit in
side. So walks in meself, thinkin'
loike as not he was at some o. the
counters; but niver a sight could Icatch
of the cherub, though whit 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
q 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 l could
spake the driver was of like a feyther
anint the wind; an whin screamed to
the poulice to stop i'm for a thafe, he
Jest laughed in me face. Och! shure,
an / wish was dead, nom, ruther thin
have the bad tidin's for yeas. Yeas
kin bate me to ajilly, if ye loikes, an
I'll not say niver word"
But her mistress sat looking at her
with frightened face. too overwhelmed
to speak or act. Tom had disappeared
before the girl had half finished her
story, and was already telegraphing in
every direction that saddest of mes
sages: 81 A child lost" Instinctively his
heart turned to his mother. But why
trouble herp'' he said to himself. It
would be time enough to tell her when
the suspense was at end, in whatever
way the end might come.
Late in the evening, Lita Watching
for him in state bordering on frenzy.
was startled by sharp peal of the bell.
"Shure, an it's telegraph nom.
Praps ye kin tell by the writin' who its
FROM" said Maggie, hurrying in with
the inevitable yellow wrapper. The
mistress tore it open with quaking
hands. "Quick, MaggieI Put ON your
shawl and come with me-" she cried.
~ n Il A = y n