The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-10-10


help her then passed on like the rest.
| Their backs wer. no sooner turned than
she seemed seized with sudden impulse.
| Creeping up stealthily behind one of the
ladies', she snatched from the pocket Of
the fur cloak an embroidered hsndber-
chief; then darted over 10 where the pc.
liceman stood, and, thrusting the hand
kerchief into his astonished hand, said
eagerly ard rapidly:
ave shtole it, I've shtole IL. Take me
M, sure, aud sind me to the house av
| erection"
"Why, how-who did you steal it
from ?"
"Them ladies, lookin' this way. They're
a-comin' to have me took up"
The younger of the two ladies, who had
felt the slight twitch at her pocket, now
approached, claimed the handkerchief,
and looked with surprise at the flushed,
quivering face of the child, who chung to
the policeman, and never ceased to beg
him to carry her to the Judge.
al didn't see her do it, miss" said the
fiji rer, touching his cap, and looking ex-
tremely puzzled !" but suppose I'll have
to take her in if you make the complaint"
The lady bent over the child, and asked
gently:
"Why did you do this, little girl2 You
look as If you were in rouble."
The culprit looked full into the clear,
gray eyes of the questioner, hesitated,
tried to speak, then burst into a torrent
of sobs.
What do you suppose the lady did
right on the sidewalk with fifty people,
and don't know how many angels look
ing on Why, she just put her arms
| right round the ragged, trembling, sob.
bling child, and held her tight, the tangled
red locks of hair streaming over the soft
| brown seal.skin.
Mother she said 10 the other lady,
"let's take her home. If she's very
wicked, we can find it out afterward. Of
| fcer !"
Dear me, how he jumped It's quite
possible this gruff, long.bearded, stern
looking fficer had little girls of his own
at home, aud that under his blue coat and
broad leather belt there was very tender
fathers heart. AT any rate, he appeared
extremely anxious to do something-any-
thing, in fact, except make an arrest
for the bright-eyed little lady who ad-
dressed him.
| OiiCtT, pltds6 CHI n CdTTlHRe.
He looked as if he wished it had been
| something harder. But he did it quickly
and well. In almost less time than it
takes to write this, the carriage was drawn
mp by the curbstone, the girl and her two
friends had entered, and away they went
toward distant part of the city where
nice lady. people" lived,
"What is your name, dear ?" they
asked, on the way.
| "Reddy Sullivan, num-"
The ladies loo ked at her hair, and ex.
changed glances. That night they told
her they should call her Mildred it was
preitier than her old name.
When they reached home, they put Mil.
bred into the hands Of Polly, the pleasant
faced chamber.girl, who opened the door
for them, with instructions to make her
as clean and neat as possible, and imme-
diately went to their own room to talk
over this adventure.
What should they do with, the little
castaway? 1t would have been very
easy to send her to the Home for Little
Wanderers, or to any one of several other
places we'll known to them both. But
would it be just right. when there she
was, in their very arms 2
"One of the least of these" said Mrs.
Morton, the older lady, slowly. "Marga-
ret, don't you believe this is the kind he
meant ?"
But, mother, what can we do with
her =? And, perhaps she isn't we'll, COM
ing out of those dreadful Streets"
sin their Fiction quoted her mother.
"But she has father"
mot for the next two months"
"Mother-Id keep her."
Mrs. Morton patted the girls brown
hair softly. off you are willing, DEAR"
she said, "she shall STAY"
So she did stay. Once she obtained
permission to see her father, and told him
where she was. 81 shall be waitn' fer
yer" she said to him, timidly strokiug
the mass of grizzled red hair, as he bent
over his work.
A few days later, word came to Mil
dred that her father was sick. He had
caught fever from an incoming prisoner,
and his chances of life were considered
small, so the prison surgeon said.
He was lying on narrow cot when his
daughter reached him, and after looking
in bewildered way at her tidy dress,
raised one hand feebly.
The girl was by his side in a moment,
claspiug the rough hand in both his own,
and hiding her face on his shoulder.
"H)ld up your head" said the nurse.
"H-'s talking to you"
Mildred listened. Could that faint,
delicate whisper be her fathers voice
Reddy-sure it's poor father-pve
been-to y'z-"
The girls lips quivered, but she only
kissed the big hand passionateIy.
Yer said-yer wait-fer-me.
Reddy,-but-it's me as'll-wait-fer-"
There was long, long breath from the
little cot. Then silence. One more
breath, aud silence again. They waited
and waited.
."Come, little girl" said the nurse at
length, in gentler voice, aye mays well
CO." Aud now Mildred was indeed
fatherless.
The next few weeks were hard ones,
both for her and her kind friends. But
after time the April sun began to come
in brightly at the south windows, the
swallows darted to and fro above the city
roofs, and the starved child heart of the
street waif began to swell and grow like
the buds on the elms and naples.
That was last year; she is still at Mrs
Morton's, and probably will remain there