The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1895-10-26

she ran off and brought the pan half full
OF the ripe, red berries and held them out
toward him through the fence. Myrtle
politely refrained from interference, al
| though she had a strong desire to box
| Daisy's ears. The lad looked question
ingly at the older girl, who nodded. He
took handful of berries from the pan
eagerly, and then looked ashamed of his
hasty motion. Myrtle hesitated, then
| asked, shyly,
Are you hungry"
EYES," he said, Il am very hungry. /
had no supper and l have had no break
| fast"
Myrtle turned away and went quickly
| toward the house. Daisy stayed to culti-
vate this new acquaintance.
"Auntie'n give you some break fast.
She always does,u she volunteered. My
! names Daisy Waters. What's yours?"
"Charie Charlton" be answered with
! an amused smile.
"Is your papa's name Will Charl-
toni"
"Yes, it was" sadly. "What makes
you ask me?'
II saw his picture once. / found it in
Aunt Nellies writing desk one day last
summer. | was too little to know any
better then. / wouldn't get into any
one's desk now. Grandma says it amt
onerble. / took the picture aud asked
grandma who it was, and she said it was
a man they used to know, and his name
was Will Charlton. She told me to run
and put il right back where l found it,
and / was going to, bat just then Aunt
Nell came in and her face got just as red
wnen she saw that pictured She snatohed
il ripht out of my hand and said if [ got
into her things again she'd give me a
good shaking. Then she went upstairs
and slammed the door. Maybe / ought
not to tell that, though, for she polly
giZed to me about 1t"
Daisv paused, breathless, from this
lengthy oretorical effort.
"What is your aunts manner" asked
the tramp eagerly.
nellie Darrow," answered Daisy.
She looked at him wonderingly as he
sprang up quickly, the straw berries fall
ing unheeded to the ground.
'Did your aunt ever live in a place
called Rocklin?"
Eyes: but mamma died when | was a
wee little baby, and then Aunt Nell and
grandma came here to keep house for
papa. I've got two cousins that live
here. too. They haven't even any papa.
Old Tom Gray calls this Aunt n CLIPS Or
phan Asylum"
Myrtle came running back.
Aunt Nell says for you to come in aud
get some breakfast"
THAT'S viii Charlton's boy out there,
Aunt Nell" she said. The sweet faced
woman, cutting bread at the table, let her
knife fall at these words. Myrtle aud the
boy entered the kitchen. "Will Charl-
toms boy?'' she said.
Il am Charley Charlton,' he replied.
"If you are Miss Nellie barrow [ have a
letter for you"
Aunt Nellie put one of her hands on
his shoulders, and with the other turned
his face to the light.
Yes, you are his child" she said.
where are your parents?"
mamma and papa are both dead"
His lips quivered. He could not help
it. lie must cry, although the girls were
looking at him. lie buried his face IN his
sunburued hands and sobbed. In an
other instant Aunt Nellie's arms were
round him, and her tears mingled with
his own, while the little girls Rugged each
other and cried too, just because Aunt
Nellie did.
When he had eaten the plain but pleu-
tiful fare that Aunt Nellie placed before
him. when be had paid visit TO the bath
room and exchanged his ragged suit for
one that the boy cousin had long ago out
grown. then only did Aunt Nellie let
the boy tell his story, and she herself was
the only listener. He told her how, in
the unneathful air OF great city, his
three little sisters had sickened and died.
how his mother had grieved herself to
death; how dread disease had fastened
itself upon his father and he, too, had
left him: how that father, on his death
bed, had written letter and placed it in
his hands, had told him Of the only friend
he had in the wide world, and how and
where he might find her. Then he died,
holding his child's hand.
Oh, the pathos OF the little sunbrowned
face as he told how, when he reached her
old home, she was gone and he could
find no one 10 tell him whore she was
She had lived there long ago, they told
him, but she had gone away, they knew
not where. So he had dritted on, work.
ing when he could find work, sometimes
eating, more often hungering: often
weary unto death, but always clinging to
the precious letter, hoping to some day
find the kind lady. who, his father had
said, would help him. The child was still,
and his large, dark Dyes rested on the
sweet, plying face of Nellie barrow
Questioningly and wistfully.
For answer she clasped him in her
arms and kissed him on the forehead as
she had once kissed his dead father.
This shall be your home. Charley, as
long as | live. Give me the letter now,
my dear. and go out where the girls are
Some day you shall read the letter, DEAR"