St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-12-28

railroad depot. can't get 1t straight. though.
I've been tEnking about it more tonight
than I've doue for a long time. somehow. -
''John, - said Mrs. Harku,ss. turning 10
her husband. II think I've found ms Robert.
On, II could only be sure ~
By this time the interest OF the whole part1
was aroused. The excitement OF the woman
bad extrnds to each one, and they gathered
about her and the boy.
"Ths only thing connected with nv life
before the hospital zane into il is his
said Bob. Il found il In my pocket and
kept it,
Bob produced from an inside pocket some
thing which was wrapped in oisSin Next
to the outer wrapper was fragment Of a
poster. Inside this was a small Toy basket
esrved out of peach stone. When this WAS
displayed Mrs. Hardness dropped on Ler
knees At the 81 lie Of Bon.
~ knew itT'' she cried, while the tears
streamed down her cheeks. 'But let me
make assurance doubiy sure"
She hastily glanced at the fragment of pa.
per aud then with cry OF iey elaspeG Bob tc
her breast. The paper fell 70 the floor, and
the chief, picking y up, read:
ale Wi be held
a. the farm OF
eph Perkins
township, Lynn
the fixtures
ming tools
ct Perkins
II did not take long for every Que in the
room tD become con vinced that Bob had in
deed found his mother. Mrs. Hardness was
asked 10 furnish the missing links In the
chain OF evidence. Ii seems that ten years
before she WAS the wife Of Joseph Perkins,
young farmer in Connecticut. He died,
I l.av
plenty of debts. His wife sold out
/ The fragment of paper was
the remains of one Of the posters used to an
uounee the sale, and the peaeh-stone basket
was one of his boys playihings. After the
sale Margaret started for lows, intending to
make her home with cousin In that state.
She arrived in Chicago on Christmas eve.
While waiting in the depot with little r bert
for a west bound train he had escaped heI
notice for moment and disappeared. She
searched diligently for him to no purpose.
She stayed in the eity uutil all her little
means were gone, and then had to apply to
the authorities for help-to assist her on her
way To Iowa, having been unable to lind any
trace Of the BOY. Although Bob could not
tell exactly what bad happened him a large
scar on his temple seemed to offer an ex-
PLANTATION. The generally accepted theory
into the street aud been knocked down by q
passing team; that some one had picked hi m
up in IN insensible condition, taken him
! home, kept him for several DAYS, and, ind
ing him getting worse and delirIous, had re-
moved him TO one of the hospitals. After bis
recovery tue past was blank TO him, with
the exception of his 6rst name.
Turned out Of the hospital, he had
become a newsooy, and, finally, as described,
become connected with the railroad company.
As tO his mother, when she reached Iowa she
found her relatives as poor as herself. She
had gone IN work at the hotel In Sioux City
where she met Farmer Hardness, who Of
fered her the comforts Of a home, which she
accepted.
That there was a merry Christmas eve In
that farm house ON the prairie goes without
saying. Tue wind shriaked and howled out
side, the snow whirled through the air biz
card fashion all night long, but around the
warm sheet-iron stove filed with blazing hay
nothing but happiness reigned.
"Well, ] swamp was Farmer Harkness'
comment, as he passed around the cider,
'they allus said q railroad 'ud be a mighty
| go0d thing hereabouts. Seems as though II
was so, Iur afore its laid out it brings luck to
Margaret, aud what's hers is mine same as
mines hers, as | told her when we got
hilehed in Sioux City"
That happened two years ago. Bob Per-
kins, the ex Chicago newsboy, is now run
ping level for the company. The chief en-
gineer heard the story and has promised O
build depot on Farmer Harkness' land
when the road 10 flushed, and it IL to be
named after the Old man. Bob is of on
leave of absence this year and will spend
| Christmas eve with his mother