Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1883-03-01

more than the nnwillingnpss Of one
twice his size. As little Sat WASH
large enough ~ wait on the girls.
they rather sideR with their father.
and made the poos boys life rather
unpleasant By teasing him.
Thus matters went on for . season or
30; while one farm hand after another
came and went; and, although colts
and calves and pigs and chickens all
grew and fattened on the place, little
Sat seemed st a skandstill and failed
TO come up to Mrs. Pitkins' assertion
that ne would grow.
Its no use, Mary. waiting for this
boy to grow. / must take him back
20 the Poor House and get a larger
boy. You can 90 with me and Sc
lest the boy. but he must be larger"
Ms. Pitkins, with feeling Of ten
derness toward the little homeless
waif she had selected. hadn't the heart
to 20 and pick out q boy to supplant
him in the home that now seemed as
dear to him 20 if he Lad been born in
it, 70 Mr. Pitkins drove over alone.
while the farm hand took the wagon
and drove to the mill for lumber,
leaving Mrs. Pitkins. the two girls
and little Sut on the farm alone. ex-
cept little dog which Sut had been
allowed to adopt from the roadside.
the cattle on farm scarcely being
counted "a company by lone women
who can not look to them for the pro-
lection which even a boy or q small
dog can attempt.
Tramps. miserable dangerous out
casts, seemed TO be the constant ule-
mace Of unprotected farmers. especial
~ the women who are 80 often left
alone. Little Sut was in the barn.
with his dog, sorting potatoes. when
his attention was called by hearing
one Of the girls scream, aud looking
out, TO his surprise and horror. he
saw q man gnsh ont at the kitchen
door "a pursuit of one of the girls.
With a boyish impulse Sut ran out
with small basket of potatoes in his
hand. followed By the dog, which he
urged TO fierce attack on the man.
The little dog went calamity into the
fight and set his teeth 80 vigorously
into the fight and set his teeth SO
vigorously into the legs Of the tramp
that the girl was enabled to escape
from him and run to neighbors for
assistance. Little Sut realized that
there was work for him to do. The
screams which came from the house
plainly indicated that the one man
was not the only enemy on the place,
and with . shout little Sat rushed in
to find another tramp on the point
of overcoming Mrs. Pitkins and the
other daughter in y fierce struggle, in
which he had almost torn their cloth
ing off,
The noise that little SUIT made and
the vigorous fusilade Of potatoes that
he hurled at the tramp so disconcert-
ed him that it allowed the two wo-
men chance to escape and lock
themselves in ROOM upstairs.
Poor little SUIT aud his dog were
left alone to contend with the two
enraged tramps. Tho fight was un-
even and short, the dog was driven
from the field, anil little Suit alone
stood at bay. Suddenly one of the
tramps. who had been KEEPING an
eye open for danger. saw approach
ing the farmer 10 whose house the
other daughter had feel, and giving
the alarm, the two despera,loes rapid
ly made their escape to the thick
woods near by.
They had done their work cruelty
and we'll. Little Sut lay in one cor
ner motionless, where he fell, and the
nelghbors laid him on the bed, while
Mrs. Pitkins and her daughters
bent over him and frantically called
his name. There was gurgling sound
in his throat, and little stream of
blood trickled down the side OF his
mouth and stained the white rufiled
slip Of the pillow. Just then Suit
opened his ewes as Mr.. Pitkins re-
turned from selecting another boy to
NIL his place. A little cut on SUITS
breast showed wheree the knife had
penetrated his lungs. and the gurgling
sound was the blood that was forcing
its life tide inside.
did / drive en- Off"
That was all little Snt ever said.
but. with smile on his face, and the
blood streaming from his mouth, he
uled in the arms OF farmer Pitkins,
who had gone 10 swap him off because
lac was too small 20 10 anything.
A little grave down at the village
chnrchyard. kept green by three
grateful women, aud fragrant with
perfumes of flowers. is all now left on
earth Of little SUIT, but somewhere we
know he has gone whore they do not
think him too small.