Middletown transcript., 1896-06-20
old face that had smiled upon him
when he returned handkerchief.

OLD race uuat naQ smiled upon Dl
when he returned handkerchief.
T Something of a sob sounded quit
close. He looked again. The whit
hair rested against the back of the sea-
! and-yes, she was cryingI
"Leddy." spoken almost too softf
ard timidly for one whose wits hat
been sharpened by rough contact witt
, the worlds elbows until his voice hat
acquired the shrilI assertiveness of the
gamin, II say. Teddy, won't yer taxi
this quarter? It's all 9l've got bu
p'raps it will help yer piece out so yel
: 4 kin git illrough.o
/ She looked at the money in the
smutiy band and smiled
/ '.'But shall have no chance to repay
you."
'I'm goin' ter Greenfield, ton,'' he
said quickly.
/ "Then will take it, and thank you
for kind-hearted lad. Have you friends
in Greenft ld?"
tGoin' ter see me aunt" The hu.
morous fiction came easily to his lips
perhaps l know her." The woman
looked doubtfully at the ragged little
fellow as though it was possible, but
not probable. What Greenfield per-
sou could claim this child as nephew2
.'Perhaps know your aunt" she re-
peated "What is-her name?'h
Now did Jakey the Shrewd repent of
his glibness. lie ansvered reserved
ly.
"Miss Tisha.. Prendergast."
"Miss Letitia Prendergast!" Her
eyes widened wi th astonishment, then
narrowed quizzically. ''Have you ever
seen her?"
.Naw'm" and he turned his atten-
tion wholly to the flying landscape.
while she leaned back glancing in a
pLzzling way at the stubby head visible
above the seat in front. Her interest
in this neglected-looking boy, who ten
dered her his only piece of money, was
increased by learning of his aunt.
Carelessness in signaling at the juno
| tion where it was to pass the express ;
on the part of the train itself overspeed
tomake up lost time-like an upheaval
of the world it came; the shrek of en-
gines as the express rounded the curve;
a binding crash and shock, the spit of
escaping steam; the roll and slide of
cars down steep embankment. The
white-haired women tried to rise from
the corner where she found herself
flung, but broken seat held her down
Outside someone was calling: "Waterl
water! for God sake, water! The cars
are on fire!'' Must they be burned to-
gethen then-the dead, the dying and
those struggling in frantic terror for
for the life that still seemed SO sweet2
"Shove, Teddy, shovel" said voice
at Ler elbow. "I'm liftin', too. Shove
an yer'll be up"
How they got out of that car neither
the lady nor Jakey could have told.
The former knew only that without
Jakey's aid she would have been among
those that perished in the crushed car
ere help could reach them, and when
she found that his arm was broken and
that be was swooning at her side with
pain, it WAS she who took charge of
him and had him conveyed to her
mansion at Greenfield for now, that
she was among her own neighbors, she
could command assistance instead of
imploling it.
Jakey's coHvalescence progressed
rapidly, and his appearace, thanks to
the lady's generous purse, improved at
the same rate. But one day, after
fortnight's sojourn, he came to her
with this remark.
tsLeddy, guess as how I'll be goin'
some-eres elsel"
"Why, Jakey, are ycu ired staying
here2n
"Tiredl" He did not know how much
his intonation revealed to his benefac-
tress. 81 jus' guess as how yer won't
want me no more when l let on.
"What?''
81 KEEP yer ticket that day. picked
it up with yer handkerchief. lie was
a handsome boy now that he was pro-
perly washed and comoed and dressed.
yet how pathetically little and forlorn
he looked standing there with his arm
in sling. She understood how much
harder for him was this confessio n
than his bearing during the accident,
of which she could not think without
a shudder. AN l tole yer wopper
'about me aunt in Greenfield. Amt
got no aunt.
Yes, you have,' she said. Miss
Letitia Prendergast. /"
He colored to think of having given
his imaginary relative a name. 1t |
seemed such bareface impudence now
from the new standpoint 10 which he
had grown.
II saw the name on the 'spress box
an it stuck in me head. | kim here
cause Greenfield sound like grass with
out sign ontoit. When yer asked me
| said Miss Tisha Prehdergast, cause
twas easy-nn' somehyw didn't mind
tellin' who..pers then. He sighed a
sigh that seemed to Come from the very
depths of his heart. Nov, Teddy, I'll |
be goin'."
She took his resolute face between