The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1897-12-04

sWaJihB lamp.
It was early rather than late when
the few through passengers from Chi
cage, stir. sleepy and cross entered the
great empty station-quite two o'eloek
Two weary-looking men, with that not
to be disguised air Of reproach with
which innocent travellers by a delayed
train are always greeted, came down
the long platfrom.
Little Jamie, half-carried BY Miss
Angels firm hand, stumbled sleepily
and was scarcely aroused by her CHEEKY
assurance.
Here they are, Jamiel That is
Judge Adams, 1 know, and the other
must be your papa"
But while the recognized stranger ex-
tended a courteous greeting to the lady
the other looked au1iously about, dived
into the waiting-room and ont again,
muttering audibly:
Didn't come, after all! Can't depend
on a woman, only to change her mind, =
as he turned impatiently into the street.
"You are wondering about my little
charge Janet began, and found her
voice trembling with fatigue and excite
ment. Where could that man be?
Jamie Pine has come from Vermont
to meet his father here. Perhaps it is
not strange they have missed each
other, but how shall we proceed to find
him?"
"Pine, did you say?"
The judge looked sharply at the child,
who seemed the least interested of the
three. What is the mans business? ~
Jamie says he works in a lumber
mill"
Jim Pine!" a train hand standing
near interrupted. George! who's go-
ing to tell that baby?" he almost whis-
pered. "Come over here, mister"
He turned his big black thumb over
his shoulder, and Judge Adams fol-
lowed.
"Never heard of no such thing outside
a story book" he calculated, hoarsely.
Lawyer, amt you? Seen you in court,
seems to me. Say, that must be Jim
Pine, sent up for life last week, count
of that killing scrape down IN the lum-
Der district. An that little felleri
Rough, amt ftp"
Miss Angeles imagination had not all
been mortgaged to the realities of 40
years; she felt she knew a dreadful
story, though she heard not a word.
Something has gone amiss, / know
she said, looking up at the troubled face
Of the man, who walked slowly back to
her. Jamie was fast asleep again, his
head prone on the iron arm Of the sta
ton bench.
This child must be put to bed. Cam
not you vouch for me at some nearby
hotel and make my peace with Mar
garet untilto-morrow-to-day, rather?'
Her smile was faint, ard she caught
at the back of the seat.
Margaret will forgive anything but
my failure to bring you home. There
is more uptown car; we can get il
if we do not delay. Come, little man.
Janet had expected to be pleased with
Margaret's husband, but she felt a rusl
of deeper feeling than mere liking a.
the tail man took the still unconscious
/ child in his arms and, directing tht
} porter with the baggage of the travel
crs, led the way to the rne She saw
him set his lips tightly as an old, glazeo
/, leather bag, bursting at the whitenec
seams, was deposited at his feet; he
pushed it over on its side, that the star.
ing white letters-"James Pine, Burton
i Yt."-might be hidden. And the LITTLE
James Pine slept on with his face
) against the broadcloth arm of the mar
. who last week sentenced his father
And the grandmother and wife slept I'm
der the shadow Of a Vermont hill, al
unknowing that their petted baby wa
adrift on such a troubled sea.
, Jamie seemed not greatly surprised
/ when he was fairly awake that his ia
1 Their was not to be found.
| II s'pose maybe he's dead. All mi
: folks are dead. 1 guess / don't belong
to anybody"
He cried, but in a subdued, tear-at-a
time fashion that made everybody
heart ache, and sent Janet down on he
knees beside him, while she gathered
! him close in her arms.
Eyes, you do, Jamie. You belong t
) me. | hadn't anybody, and you hadnt
: and SO the dear, kind God gives us t
each other"
/ If the judge and his wife would hav
: protested, the sight of Jamie's radian
: countenance and Janet's own satisfac
4 ton closed their lips.
S "And you should not go home now.
e Mrs. Adams declared, when her frien
j proposed to return to Loudon at ono
with her newly acquired interest, Il
4 you emptied a whole orphan asylum i
at our front door. / had rather haV
4 Jamie. lear little fellow, than Evely
a Ford's poodle. She stayed six week
with that dog. / did not blame War
e for saying he should use his dil
s erection as to what he escorted from til
station next time
d Janet would nave laughed in he
hearty, out-loud fashion, but they wer
I standing neal Jamie's cot, and he wa
4 asleep. The child had nearly reache
the point Of utter exhaustion.
'The judge surrendered at sight
i us" she said with a smile. 1--WE woul
: have appealed to any human sympath,
: 1 am sure. What a story / have to te
: Kate Dutton! Unjust go now to write,
!, But she stopped to lay a stragglin
lock of fair hair in place.
"My own little boyl" she murmuret
~ \ M