Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-11-12
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TWO HOME COMINGS,
BY Annie Hamilton DonneII.
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II Il was one Of Scarecrow poorest
days. They were all poor. There
We're seldom many errands to do,
and never, never enough to eat.
When a boy is only ten and lives all
by himself in the dreariest attic in
the dreariest tenement in the very,
very dreariest alley in a great city,
and when the errands fail-well, is it
any wonder boy gets downhearted? ?
Scarecrow was downhearted. The
invalid in the other attic across the bit
of a hallway had not heard him whis-
tie for three days. She could hardly
have imagined beforehand how she
would miss the shrill, CHEEKY sound.
When Scarecrow whistlcd it seemed
to make it easier for her to draw the
needle through the stiff white cloth
with her thin, weak fingers.
Poor little fellow, he's a-dreadin'
havin' her come home. No wonder he
amt whstlin'"' the invalid mused.
Was that what Scarecrow was
dreadng? Or was it something else?
There were so many things to dread.
| He crept downstairs again and out
through the noisome alleyway to a
corner on one of the busy streets.
There he waited on listlessly. 1t was
almost night when his good luck came
"Errand, mister? Gotter errand fer
a feller? Kin 1 run? gimme a try!
Ony fiver to go a mile-dat's de bar
| gain price,
"Eh, eh, what's that?"
| The looming figure half halted and
looked down absently into the anxious
face. Then it went on. Scarecrow
ran along beside it.
"Gotter errand, mister-say?"
"Oh you want job, eh? That's it"
eyes, sir-wot'll yer bet 1 does! De
doctor has prescribed a dose er vittles
fer me stummick. Oh, say. mister,
mister! Gimme a job!'
The figure slackened its pace again.
"But l haven't any job-well, well,
let's see. Come with me. / suppose
you might run on ahead with the lit
tie chaps green's"
AT florists up the street he bought
a load of trailing green vines and
cheap bright flowers and put them
in the boys hands.
Take them to Chandler street-one
hundred and seven. Here's a quarter.
Now run! the sooner you get there
the better"
Scarecrow gazed through a screen
of vines at the silver lying on his
grimy little palm. 1t took on enor-
nous proportions and twinkled glori-
ously, wealthily.
Il amt got no change-I runs 'em
fer fiver." he muttered.
The man towering above him
laughed good-naturedly.
"Well, run this one fer a quarter.
It's worth tit isn't any common err
rand" he said. And his face as he
strobe away was radiant with a sud
den joyful remembrance No, no, this
was no common errand! This was
an errand out of hundred-a thou
| sand!
The man smiled joyously In anoth-
er minute Scarecrow felt his hand on
his shoulder again, and another sill
yer quarter dropped through the vines
Into the small brown hand.
ITS worth it. Off with you!" The
man laughed.
1t did not occur to him to distrust
the tattered little messenger He was
not in a distrustful mood.
At Chandler street, 107, the lights
were all lighted. 1t seemed to be Il
regular illumination. Scarecrow could
see through the unshaded windows a
big, bright room, that seemed full and
running over with eager-faced little
boys Tall boys-short boys-curly
boys-straight boys-and one little
Killed boy who danced wildly about
One, two, three-Scarecrow counted
boys. There We're six of them. AND
what was this they were doing? The
little street boy stood watching then
outside
"We-l-c-o-m-e," he spelled slowly tC
himself, as one by one the big greer
paper letters were tackled up over til,
mantel in the big, bright room. Tht
word, complete, meant nothing def
mite to Scarecrow. He puzzled owe
1t curiOusly. Then he knocked loud
ly mt the door beside the window. I
troop of boys answered the knock witt
a beadlong rush.
"Oh, oh! it's the fowers!-Daddy'
sent EN-! y boys brought 'em!"
"The flowers have comew
"An' the smile-axelr
"They're red an pink an yellow
an they smell-myw
"Goody, goody-hooray"
In an instant little Scarecrow's arm
were empty, and the rush back to tn
bright-lighted room had begun. Scare
crow pluclled the sleeve of the rea
boy boldly and whispered:
Say. wot's de gamer he aske
) eagerly. "Wots dem letters in der
spell outp"