The Advocate and news., 1898-04-27
BY mAsLE DIccs.

depot, where she bought tlCkets Wnlch
she dropped into box as she stepped out
upon the platform. Down the track was
a rumbling noise, and a train Of cars
shot around a curve and came putting
up beside the platform. Then the man
who stood by the ticket box shouted
through his nose, Harlem train!" and
Tom was hustled into a car.
They looked very much like the cars
he had seen in Kansas, but 1t did seem
strange to be running along above the
street and even with the tops OF some
Of the buildings. The street was so mar
row and the train ran so near the houses
that he could look right In at the up
stairs windows and see the people work
ing and the children playing about; but
they were such dirty scrubby looking
children that Tom was disappointed, for
he had always thought city folks were
very grand.
"Well," thought Tom, this beats
everything. Railroads above the
streets!"
His aunt told him Ii was called the
Elevated road because 1T was built above
the street, and that 1t was made up so
high because there was no room in the
street below. Finally, after they had
gone about six miles and the train had
stopped at many stations, Aunt Sarah
got off and went down the stairway and
around the corner of the next street and
up the steps of very nice looking home,
which, however, was exactly like every
other house In the long row.
els this your house, Aunt Sarah?"
"No, 1t Is not mine, but | live here.
1t Is what they call fat home and many
other peple live here, too"
"A fat home!" thought Tom. II should
think they would call it high house
instead"
Upstairs she went, and Tom after her,
counting the flights and putting and
blowing like one Of the little steam tug
boats he had seen ON the water. Finally,
after they had climbed four pairs Of
stairs, she opened door and took Tom
into her home.
Aunt Sarah was very nice, and gave
him q room of his own with a little white
bed in it, which was so clean and neat
that Tom thought 1t looked very lone
some. He felt sad and did not know
what to do or say. He was on the point
of crying several times, but was glad
Aunt Sarah did not speak Of his mother,
for IL she had he could not have held
back the tears.
When 1t got dark Toms uncle came,
but he was such a very big man that
Tom thought he never could have been
boy like himself, and he was afraid and
peeped around the edge of the door at
him. But his uncle saw him, and smiled
all over his face. "Hel-lO there, you
Kansas boy! Come and see your uncle"
So Tom came out just little from be-
hind the door, but his uncle grabbed
him and sat him on his knee and looked
at him.
You're going to be my boy now, are
you not? I've always wanted a boy, and
l think you'll suit. Where did you get
that tan on your faee?"
"Hoelng corn, 'spect."
Nov, that's business; but come on,
your Aunt Sarah has supper ready"
That night he went to sleep wondering
IL there were any boys near that he
might get acquainted with, and the next
morning at breakfast he asked Uncle
Will about 1t.
ANY boys! Bless you, hundreds of
them, and girls, too. You just wait till
the street piano man comes around and
you will see them running from all d.
rections like they did after the Pied
Piper" Perhaps you don't know who
the Pied Piper was, just as Tom didn't,
and II you do mot you must ask some one,
for every boy and giFl should know tho
story os how he spirited whole town