The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-07-22

and then began wondering If he should
ever 60 back to the office.
"What'll say If he asks me? If 1
tell him, he'll think Pm a good-for-
nought, and, like as not, he'll turn me
off. Course he will. If 1 tell him
l mailed 'em all, p'raps he'll never
find it out. Yes, I'll go back. IT he
does find it out, he can't do no worse'n
lick me, and that won't make me feel
half so bad as the losin' 'em."
Jim went back and gave his best at
tention to the performance of his duties.
But it was long and heavy day. Mr..
Lane had pleasant, trustful way with
people with whom he came into contact,
increased by pity and liking for Jim
which led him to treat him with kind
ness entirely new to the little street
Arab. Jim could easily have borne
harsh usage, but this was too much for
him. Every pleasant word spoken to
him seemed to appeal directly to his
sense of right, so often in the cruel
fight for existence which had been or
dered for him, duled and smothered,
but now awakened into new life.
AS night came on Jim sat on a box
in the hallway outside the office, and
did little very earnest thinking.
81 can't stand it no longer; no, can't"
he said to himself, with forlorn look
through the open door at the pleasant
rooms in which he was already begin
ming to feel proud sense of part
ownership. "He thinkin' me de-
cent, honest sort of boy, as isn't the
kind to do mean, underhand things
and me losing his letters and never
tellin' him. P'raps them letters was
important. Yes, lawyers letters al
ways is. I'd rather be turned off any
day'n be goin' round here and hi m
lookin' at me as he does"
Jim gave himself no time to change
his mind, but the next moment was
standing before Mr.. Lane, who CHANGED
to be alone in the office. The eyes
which Jim lifted were very troubled
ones, but full of honest purpose to ac-
knowledge his fault, did not sink be-
fore the keen inquiring ones which met
them.
"Well, what is it?" asked Mr.. Lane,
as Jim hesitated, scarcely knowing how
to begin.
"Them letters" he stammered, the
color growing deeper on his already
flushed face. You thought mailed
'em all, but 1 didn't. 1 lost two of 'em.
Pm sorry, and I'll go away and I'll bring
back the close you give me-"
Mr.. Lane looked gravelY at the small
figure standing in such utter self
abasement before him. Everything
about 1.-THE thin face with its appeal
ing eyes, the STOPPING shoulders and
the air of general dejection-seemed to
unite in telling the story of how hard
life had been on him, and how heroic
was his truth-telling, which might result
in the casting away of the only good
fortune which had ever come to him.
The gravity melted into a smile.
al like boy | can trust" said Mr..
Lane.
eyes," said Jim, with despairing
sigh. "You thought you could trust
me to take care of them letters-and-
now you know you can't"
"Now / know / can trust you to tell
the truth; you needn't go, Jim. l want
you to stay as long as you can do the
square and honest thing. If you hadn't
told me, though, l should have let you
go tonight, for knew you had lost the
letters. Some one picked them up and
brought them to me."-Sydney Dayre,
IN Ne,D York Observer.