St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1882-04-01
| Younger portion of the men commenced

Younger portion of the men commenced
to dance Justify and with great glee.
"Splendid music to waltz by, I de-
clare,,' was heard from every direction
"Where do you s'pose those children
got a hand-organ? Can't you play
little faster, sis?''
Will, taking the advantage of pause,
modestly passed around his hat, and
quite shower of pennies fell into it.
Nearly every one contributed one or two
pennies, and many more moved to give
as many as five; for they enjoyed the
fun, and did not dread to part with q
few cents, as thriftier people, who have
much more, often do. The children
went at the right time and to the right
place.
Dollie thanked them with very pref
ty blush; and when the bell rang, and
they were obliged to 90 to their work,
they said: Come again; some day,
won't vou?"
dolly said VIII, when they had
got out of hearing, "what pile of mon
ey we've got! Let's sit down here by
the side of tAe road and find out how
much.''
1--WE have three dollars lacking few
cents" said Dollie, after few eager
moments spent in counting, .'but do
not let us go home quite yet. There are
quantity of children in those little
houses by the river, and we may pick
up few pennies there
There is a new brig in this morning."
said viii, looking down the river. Il
wonder where She came from. I'm
going to be a sea-cap'n when | grow big.
Say, Dollie, what are you going to get for
mamma, and what are we going to have
for dinner? I'm almost starved" he
added, after little pause. So
cit will depend on how much more
money we get, Will | don't care to
spend very much of this, for we may
not be able to get any more for a whole
week. - -l *gr ..,-.sr-.
''Oh, yes we can," said Will; 1--we can
90 all round the lot with the organ, and
get great DEAL
A tall, brown bearded man who looked
strangely familiar was coming toward
them. He was evidently sailor, and
Dollie regarded him wistfully, thinking
of Uncle George. She could not re.
member how Uncle George looked,
for four years had passed since he went
away, and still she fancied that this
strange gentleman looked like him, but
perhaps it was only because he wore
sailor clothes He was walking as if
he were in a great hurry, and merely
glancing at the children. was fastening
on, when his eye suddenly fell on the
hand-organ in the wheelbarrow.
MY goodness! are you Dollie
Evans?' said he, stopping, and pushing
Dollie's hat from her forehead ''That
used to be Dollie's hand-organ, any
way And without waiting for a
reply, he caught her up and kissed her.
And this is Will. VIII, why, you
young rascal, why didn't you have
some Evans look in your face, so that
your uncle would know you when he
met you?''
II haven't got no uncle" said Will,
whose grammar was always uncertain.
"Uncle George was drowned at sea-
"Indeed! But if Uncle George was
drowned how can he be here? and GER
tainly am he. Uncle George came near
being drowned, but he wasn't; he was
picked up from the wreck of his vessel
by ship bound for China, so of course
he was bound to go to China himself,
and ever since he got home he has been
looking for you. They told me you had
moved to the city," turning to Dollie,
''but when [ reached there, [ found
that you had left, but no one knew
where you had gone. If it hadn't been
for that old hand-organ 1 should have
missed you to-day. You have both
grown out of my knowledge, but l could
not mistake that, any way. Why are
you wheeling it about?''
Dollie was shedding tears of joy. She
told the story of their circumstances in
few words. Uncle George shut his
mouth very hard. and VIII said after
ward that he saw tears in his eyes.
Let us go to see your mother as fast
as we can," said he.
Mrs. Evans was Rell-nigh overcome
with surprise and joy when she found
that Uncle George was alive and well,
and in the very next room, though Dol
lie broke the news very gently. Rob
knew him, and nearly went wild with
delight, and the parrot shouted
pleased to see you, pleased to see
you,' until they were obliged to take
him away upstairs.
Dolly and VIII never went about
with the hand-organ again, but they
prize it more highly than ever. Uncle
George, who had money enough and to
spare, bought back the old homestead
in the country, and before the straw
berries and daisies had fairly blossomed
in the fields, the family was established
there, Mrs. Evans growing stronger and
more ike her old self every day; the
children happy as the familiar birds in
the trees, and Rob pretending that he
was young again, and frisking like a