Wichita eagle., 1888-07-29

y
thinking that his small brain had been
turned. SIS she deadp'
They said she was, but father wasn't al
home to see, and I'm sure she was only sleep
ing when they put her in there. l think she's
awake now, for she always hears what l say
to her."
he stopped, evidently expecting me to be-
gin what | had to say TO her, and then, find
ing that only stared at him and remained
silent, he grirped my arm with his small
fingers and said:
'.Tell her about it now. You can tell it
better than me- for II always begin to
cry and he began then and got SO suddenly
violent in his sobbings that he had to hold on
to my arm with both hands and lean his face
on my sleeve.
Its not this mother l want to speak to-
it's the new one" l gently observed as soon
as the fit had passed off I'm afraid it's no
use speaking to her." and nodded signif-
cantly at the weedy turf.
''Oh, yes, it is l often speak to her, and
she hears me and answers me- That's how
l know she's awake again. he eagerly re-
turned.
SPEAKS TO you7 What does she sayT'
''She says, Keep Up your heart, Freddy;
I'll take care of you"
is that ellr'
That's all, but she says it over and over
again. Sometimes she says she's sorry I'm
SO hungry, but / don't think she can get out
to give me anything"
"Whyl"
81 don't know It's against tie rules. The
grave diggers don't ike it. One of them told
me So"
He was quite convinced that If she could
have got ont she would have come, she was
80 fond of him, and that she was conscious
and alive, and that she heard every word he
uttered close to the grave. He came in
nearly every day, unless the gate was shut,
and once he had got in through the iron rail-
ings, and asked her If she couldn't take him
in beside her, as he thought it must be
warmer, and wanted to get quite close into
her arms. But the only answer was the old
words, Keep up your heart, Freddy; I'll
take care of you lie had heard of heaven.
and had been told that she was there, but il
so, he was sure that the hole he had seen in
the turf was the gate Of it, and that she was
not far inside, or she could not have heard
and answered him.
led him out of the burying ground and
down by Lochend's close, his terror increas-
ing at every step, though l assured him that
his other mother" would not dare to touch
him while was by, and that l was going to
frlghten her out of i'll using him in future.
Contrary to my expectation, 1 found the
woman at home-a great lusty Irishwoman,
with fist like sledge hammer, voice like
a dragon and breath like an empty whisky
cask. The instant she sighted the trembling
slip Of boy sho set down the child she held
on the floor and made a wrench at him, say
ing in her harshest tones:
80 you've come back from jail, have you,
you young thief and vagabond. After being
away two days nearly, when 1 wanted you to
nurse the child. III just kill you for it''
The boy chung to me in desperate terror.
''Oh, take me back to jail" ne screamed;
''take me back where the policemen were so
kind 10 me, and gave me toys to play with
before big fire. l want TO so back to jail,
and l won't be frightened-oh. I wont! ]
won't! and won't cry when they take me in
before all the people"
You hear the young vagabond!" cried the
woman as dIsengaSed her clutch with no
gentle hand. "Wh no could make anything Of
such a little divil:n
Now, look here said sternly you've
starved that child till he grabbed at food on
the street like wild beast. If could have
got hold Of you yesterday you would have
been IN Jail now, / am certain
The woman held up her hands in affected
amaze,neut.
We'll, now, that is like his lies. Starved
himl and it's myself would give him the
very bite out of me mouth, and does it, in
deed, every day in the world. It's not much
l have to give; but sure he gets more kind
moss and attention than my own flesh and
blood"
He does not seem TO be greatly in love
with his home, / remarked as the boy chung
to me and continued TO implora me to take
him back with me, ''apd one touch Of your
great fist would drive him into the grave"
Them that does wrong is always afraid"
she answered volubly; land isn't it right for
me TO check him for stealing on the streets.
rs must say | haven't slept wink since l
heard Of IL from the neig hbOTs. Och, Freddy,
Freddy your own mother would be ashamed
Of ye," and SO she went on with an eloquent
-entence half mile long.
AT length / managed to make it plain to
her that the boy had been starved and cruelty
mes lected, and fairly frightened her into sub
mission by showing her the handouts and
to take her away then and thera
She believed he had been hungry at times, as
she was herself, but she would promise that
it should not happen again: and as for
thraShinS him, she had nos TIE heart to lay
finger on a motherlesS child. She had never
lone it and she never would
made no comment on the fulsome prom
seS, but turned to my boy and said:
Now, Freddy, You lear what your step
mother promisesl She's not TO thrash YOU
Tor this mistake. and she's to give you enough
to eat, so that you may never be tempted
again. You know the way back to the police
1flceP
''Yes-oh, yes!" he eagerly responded.
We'll, if you don't set enough to eat, or if
she IL uses you, como up to the police Office .
and ask for me. You understands
He nodded feebly, but the tears slowly .
,rept into his eyes, for he had evidently ex-
7ected that was about TO take him back to
he rare warm heaven in which h, had spent f.
/ day and a night. / held out ny hand to
lim, but he had not the sense to shake it
But, as l turned away, he reused up suffl-
,iently to grip me by the coat sleeve and say,
n low whisper, meant for my ear alone:
Couldn't You get them to let out my other
nother'n
/ shook my head, and laid a gentle hand on
lis shoulder as | answered:
mo, I'm afraid the grave digger was right,
md its against the rules But you keep on
linking of her words-you seel"
He nodded in the same spiritless, fearful
way, and so left him
/ do think that the woman was really terri
led, and meant to keep her promise. She
eemed a laundering, iupulsive, ignorant
Feature, who might have been as easily
waved to goodness as 10 cruelty. But when