The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1894-06-23

Mr.. Gust, the city surveyor, lives. But
the boy can show you; he knows the
town as well as do.''
THANK you," said the stranger. "I'll
take the boy in with me and drive up
to the place." ut the same time beckon-
ing to the lad to come to him.
Never go with strangers, joe" said
the boy, with scared look; and then
he bounded off like deer.
"Drive after him." shouted the
waterman. "He1l go straight home"
The team of shining blacks was soon
following Joes steps in his fight; but
the handsome driver took care to APP
proach only near enough to keep the
boy in sight until he entered the door
of pleasant residence on Sycamore
street, and disappeared within. Then,
being satisfied that he knew the boys
home, the stranger drove westward on
Lower Market street, and up Main
street to Dennison's hotel, where he
found quarters for himself and team
But Joe had not gone into the resi-
dence of his foster parents. In his
fight-for he had been really alarmed
by the strange gentleman's desire to
get him into the carriage-he had run
into the first house in which he knew
he should find friends. And that was
the residence of Mrs. Gusts aunt--an
elderly lady who belonged to that
class of housekeepers sometimes spoken
of as painfully neat" This Mrs.
Lawrence was known to Joe and to her
friends generally as "Aunt Ruthy,"
and the nominal head of the family
Mr.. John Lawrence-as "Aunt Ruthy's
husband" No child had been born to
them, and none was ever willingly per-
mitted to set foot in Aunt Ruthy' pain
fully clean rooms-except little Joe,
Joe was neat, orderly, never made
| litter, never removed anything from
| its place, and never asked questions.
He was accustomed to call often to see
Aunt Ruthy, when he would clean his
shoes carefully on the mat and gently
knock for admission. In one corner of
her sitting-room stood tall, old-fash-
Toned clock, whose unceasing ticls-tack
had fascination for Joe which never
lost its force. He would sit silent by
the hour watching the tall clock, and
repeating in a whisper to him
self its ominous ticlS-tack, and
counting the strokes when the
| faithful time-keeper announced
the hour. And while Joe thus watched
| the clock, Mrs. Lawrence, as silently
as Joe and even with more interest,
| piled her knitting needles and watched
the boy. 1t was not very difficult to
| divine her thoughts. Through the
long years of her married life she had
sorrowed for the absence of at least
| one child to break the monotony of her
| silent hours and give her matronly
heart something to expend itself upon.
She had gradually grown almost
morose; her excessive neatness had be-
come an absorbing passion, and for
| some years past no child-especially no
boy-had crossed her threshold with
out giving her nervous fit." But
Joe was an exception. "He may be an
idiot" said she, "but he has sense
enough to let things alone, make no
dirt, and speak only when he is spoken
to-"
When Joe entered her house pursued
by the mysterious stranger, and with
an expression of fright upon his hand
some face, Mrs. Lawrence was so
thrown off her guard against the ex-
preston of feeling that she caught the
boy in her arms, gave him motherly
kiss, and attempted in kindly way to
learn the cause of his alarm.
"Never go with strangers, Joe,"
said the boy, repeating his
foster mothers frequent caution,
and peering out of the window. MAN
out there, Aunt Ruthy." But as no
man out there was to be seen, Joe soon
regained his usual composure, and say
ing: Tell Aunt Ruthy goodbye" he
started with a merry laugh for home.
In the street, with sudden start he
said: Quarter to twelve-be home
when the clock strikes twelve, joe"
And he reached his own door as the
clock within was striking the hour.
After dinner at Dennison's hotel, the
gentleman who in his carriage had fol-
lowed little Joe, walked down Mai
street to lower Market, thence east
ward to Sycamore, and on that street |
up W Vic uOOT VI Tic uOuSC WIeTc Joe
had disappeared. Mrs Lawrence re-
ccived him at the door and invited him |
in; but seeing that he was about to
enter with dusty boots, said very po-
litely, There's mat in the hall, |
please" After entering, the gentle
man said as he took proffered chair:
my name is BLACKWELL. 1 live in
northern Kentucky; and am inter
ested in learning something of the boy
Joe who is staying with YOU"
Mrs, Lawrence became suspicious at |
once She resolved to know as little
as possible about Joe until she found |
out the strange gentleman's motive for
inquiring Therefore she only said in
reply:
docs this room look as If there was
a boy about the house?"
"Well. madam" said the self-styled
Mr.. BLACKWELL with a smile, II hardly
think it does; but have learned from
Mr. Dennison at the hotel that you
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