Connecticut western news., 1890-11-19

older"
 'sWhereW asked Eiphalet.
 s'That's your business, not mine. didn't take him in"
 ''I don't know of no place unless it's back to Squire Perkins, and that's two miles off" 7f
 ''I guess it won't hurt him to walk two mile," said Mrs. Emmons crisply
 'tBut he don't know the way"
 Let him ask it. then. He's got g tongue in his head, hain't hep
 ''Wait till after supper, Sarah, and I'll go with him." interceded MT. Elm. mons.
 Supper! We've had all the suppe, we're goin' to hev in this housel' snapped Mrs. Emmons.
 ''Well, well," said the husband, '1et him set down and rest spell, and I'll go out and pick some O them yalle1 Antwerp raspberries and we'll give him bowl O bread and milk"
 '"The pans is all set for cream"
 ''Twon't do no hurt to disturb just one."
 Mrs. Emmons stood watching as her husband took little splint basket and went off toward the stone walled gar den beyond the well. Then she turned to the little boy who sat in the big chair, swinging his plump legs and sol emnly regarding her.
 Are you going to be my mamma?'' said he inquisitively.
 'sNo," she answered-and yet there was a something that stirred strangely in her heart at the soft, maternal word mo, I ain't."
 'sDon't you like little boys2" he asked.
 'sI don't think nothin' about it one way or the other" retorted she. "Where's your cap9 Just you take it, and go back along the road as straight as you can go, and don't stop till you git to Squire Perkins, and tell him we don't want no boys here.".
 Little Benjamin hesitated.
 ''Pd like to stay," said he, "and play with that nice yellow eyed cat. Pm tired-and Pm pretty hungry, too. l wish had a mother somewheresl"
 Here's slice O bread and butter for you," said Mrs. Emmons, "with a taste O currant jell atop of it. Now go!
 Because" she said to herself as the little fellow trudged down the path toward the road, biting into his slice o1 bread and butter as he went, "Eliphar let's that fond O children he won't never give up the notion of keepin' the child till he's gone for good and all"
 When MT. Emmons came in, the little basket heaped high with golden "Ant- werps," his wife sat knitting by the window and there was no one else in the room.
 ''Where's the boy2" he asked, looking around
 "Gone"
 "Gone whereY'
 'sBack to Squire Perkins O course Where else should he go9 I can't hex him here"
 Emmons set down the basket ano heaved deep sigh. He knew from years of experience that all remon strance would be in vain.
 'It's jest as you say, Sarah, said he Mrs. Emmons was little disap pointed. She had not expected Eliph alet to give up the matter so peaceably 'sHe was bright lookin' child," sai6 | she.
 ''Yes, he was," acquiesced Emmons 'sBut children are sight O trouble tI s'pose they be-" ''Cap'n Seba Brown was clever sor1 | O feller," said Mrs. Emmons 'T knowec him when he was boy. He married { pretty black eyed girl up Edinburgh way. How bad they would "a felt i they'd knowed their little boy was or the townl"
 q guess likely they would," saic Eliphalet, slowly rising. 'I think Sarah, I'll go down to the store spell It's sort O lonesome here" | A sort of pang pierced Mrs. Emmons heart as she watched him stride slowl, down the-hill.
 'It is lonesome" she thought, "anl I'm too tired to be much company fo him. I wonder if he'd be more con tented if we had 8 lively little fel Ter around like Bennie Brown won der how far the child's got2 Two mile is pretty consid able spell for Httl creetur' like that. P'raps he's got mos as far as the quarry road My good ness alive" she cried, jumping sudden ly from her chair as a ghastly recollec hon presented itself to her mind; 's never once thought he might stray int that old quarry road, where a fals step might pitch him down fifty fee among the sharp rocks. And such pretty little chap as he is, too! won der never thought O that."
 She caught her gingham sunbonne from its pegs and ran out into the pun pie softness of the dewy twilight.
 At the end of the lane she saw he husband leaning over the bars an staring at the pale crescent of the ne' moon.
 "EGphalet," said she, 'Tm morts 'fraid the little boyn stray into tha quarry road" .-.
 "Je-rusaleml" uttered Mir. Emmon!
 ''Let's go arter him! Or stay-you'r better walker than be. You go dow the road as fast as ever you can, an I'll wait here"
 "And s'pose I find him, what'n do
 "Why, bring him back herel"
 'sEhT'
 Bring him back here!" reiterate Mrs. Emmons. "He's pretty, fran spoken boy. l guess we can manas some way."