Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1889-01-11
How long have you known


Her mother. [ believe, has known better
| circumstances, but became reduced. like
many others in cities, and is now,
think, very poor indeed. The mother is
| sickly too, | believe"
"Nhcn she comes again, Mrs. Badger,
it is my desire that you see she is prop
| crly clothed. It is simply preposterous
to send a child out so thinly clad on
such raw, Indictment day as this" and
the doctor buttoned his great coat about
him and stepped into his carriage to
make his daily round of calls; but first
of all he drove to the snuaid abode of
Mrs Maginnis. for DIR. Howard was never
known to neglect the humblest child of
earth, when such were sick and suffer
ing,
But all that day. and many subsequent
| days the good doctor was haunted by
the wlstful eyes of the strange child
whose way in life seemed to him SO hard
and unnatural. lie inquired Of Mrs.
BADGER many times to know if she had
seen or learned any more of quaint little
Odds-and- Ends; but Mrs. 3. declared
she had not seen hide nor hair of her
ice the morning she brought the mes
sage from Mrs. Maginnis, and that hard
wcrkingwoman had lost the run of her
entirely.
1t was a whole year from that time
when one evening DR.. Howard was hur-
rying along a crowded thoroughfare. He
was startled by sudden cry and con-
fusion of voices, as a runaway horse
dragging the remnant of a carriage came
leaping and plunSing along the street.
One glance showed the excessive danger
of child who was midway upon the
crossing, and directly in the path Of the
furious animal.
Another instant and DR.. Howard and
the child were both down in the mud of
the street, and the dangerous creature
was at baT. The doctor had snatched
the child from beneath the very hoofs of
the horse, and with the other hand
seized the bride of the foaming, wild
eyed animal, and the next moment, as
assistance came, fell with the rescued
one prone in the street. Recovering him
Of the burden that lay quite unconscious
Or his arm and behold the countenance
of-Odds-and- Ends!
A carriage tore him and the new
found wanderer quickly to his Office,
where, in a short time Odds-and- Ends
was restored to consciousness, and her |
delight knew no bounds when she recog-
niZed her preseryer.
''Where were you going when the !
accident happened" asked the doctor.
Odds and Ends was silent
"You need not tell me unless you
wish," said the doctor.
~ may as we'll tell you," she said,
after pause. Il was going to a pawn |
shop-mamma sent me with this ring; it !
is an opal, and a dear friend gave it to
her before ever she saw my father. She !
has kept it all this time because she liked .
the one who gave it to her very much,
and she did not want to part with the .
ring. But, you see, we got very poor,
and mamma was sick, and this ring was
the last we had to part with, except
mammals wedding ring Saying which, /
Odds-andt nds took the ring from its
little casket and slipped it upon the doc |
tors smallest finger.
What was there about the act that
caused the mans face to change to
paiIid hue and his firm hands to tremble
like leaves in the winds of October?
Did he attach any superstition to the
brilliant and changeful colors of the
opal, or was some old memory of the
past, long latent, now asserting it's ex-
istence?
margaret. Margaret" he said in
tremulous voice, ''take this bank~note
to your mother, and leave me the
ring"
Haven't you made mistake, sir?
This bill has fifty on it."
mo mistake, Margaret The ring is
worth much more: indeed it is price
lcss,' and he turned away his head that
the wondering eyes OF the child might
not witness his emotion.
"Fifty dollars! Oh, what will poor
mamma say! I must hurry now, for
she will be anxious about me. Good
night"
"Wa;t, Margaret, I am going with
you"
In a"few minutes, little Margaret or
Odds-and Ends, with her perserver, was
being wh1rled rapidly in the Doctors
carriage to the poor dwelling she called
home.
Doctor Howard, on entering the abode,
was struck with amazement, for used as
he was to seeing poverty in all its forms
he had seldom witnessed so cherries an
apartment IN winter as this, where he
now, by train of unexpected circum-
stances, found himself
ooh, mamma, [ have been almost
killed, I have; but this kind doctor, the
same one you head me tell about you
know. saved me, and he has brought me
home, mamma, and see-see-the bank /
note-and -"
"Hush," said the doctor, imperatively.
In1 Fo1, D.I