Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-04-13

"Yc amt very bad, air ye. little I'M?
was his greeting. ,
mo. I'm gitling along all r.gi;: amt J.
sister,
yer lynn there. Joe. and ter know tw'r'
an my fauiI.
oh no. Jim. don't say that. cha
But | tell Yer ! will say it,, Said tnr
large one quite hercely. II don kccr
though the whole bloomins show kno"
ID was me. I've been an told the guy nor,
Joe. and asked i'm ter give me the satk
fer IT, only e amt done IT. leastwayS not
yet"
You shouldn't a gone and done Il
Jim. on account of the missua.'
oh bless yer, she edged me on. she
did II was like this. miss" he added
pulling his forclock in my dir, ction. 4
| 'ad 4 grudge at this ere little I'M Wot
fer? Wen. becos :" was a good I'm an
| trip i'm up. w en- q got in my way IN
| the yard that day something uriul got in
| ter me, and didn't give i'm no ward
Don't yer go fer ter b'licvc i'm. SIS
| ter. Els kiddin. like = often does.
| Bat, though Joes smile was chi.dike
| and reaSsuring. elected 10 take sir Jim
Bates at his word.
1t was not dIincult To read between the
lines. and to guess something Of The
| bunyinS little doe had suffered at The
| Ia 'te'snd.
Il hope you'n make il up to him. my
man.. ! said as | turned IL leave them
| together. 'lIcll need II all"
| tie stayed as long as "" allowed him.
and when he went away Joe was radiant.
| ''oh. bless Yer, :" amt a bad sort. Jim
| allus knew it," he Informed me trium-
| phantly Fancy i'm tellin the 'guvnor
| wasn't IL game
1T was right. At least. You cant ex-
| pect III. to he rapturoua over him. dear
| can YOU now | saw his fac" nlsh and
wondered what caused it. lie enlght-
| cncd me presently.
| 1T "oes git over me ter ear yer a
| calm me my lear as If | was "a Kid
he said suddenly. stopped over him then
and kissed MIN. For something noble
and sincere in this wait Of the street
| see what effect it had on him, bat went
| off to see whether Katie was ready to ac-
| company me. She WIS. and We had no
difficulty in finding the address which
Joe, had given ms. 1t was q narrow street
opening off the Walworth road. a typical
| London slum. which once upon Il time
would have filed us with dismaE. But
We had explored many more unSaVoury
places, ana We managed To pick our way
without adventure to oar destination. Ii
was. indeed. as Sally had said. very
| poor placo-a back room, low dark and
stufly. looking out upon a microscopic
yard. much adorned with broken bottles
, Sally was on the look out for us; she had
even come far as the mouth of the al
ley 10 escort us in. \ ii of ShyncsS seized
her when We arrived. ami she had not "A
! word to say as she piloted us in. The
| interior was as clean as il was possible
for one pair of small hands to make ID,
| and the little inmates most ri;iful
groun. they seemed to me-cquaily inn
| macllatc. bright spark Of fire shone in
the little CRATE, put on. We afterwards
learned. in our honor: and. when she h;i /
, pat the baby into katieS out-stretched
hands. Sally asked Us If we would like :,
| cup of tea. We said we would-that in
| fact. We had come for (which seemed
| TO tickle the baby. for he Crowcd loader
than ever; To watch the proud delight
with which Sally played the part OF hos
| tess was refreshing and pathetic. Little
Rue sat on the end .of the fender. and
sucked her thumb. and looked as old
fashioned as possible. | had brought Il
| basket with me. and il was when | 10
gan 10 empty tho contents that Rue be-
traycd signs Of lively excitement.
While she got tea. Sally talked. ana
we soon learned ali the particulars we
needed to complete their little history.
Their thcr ships carpenter, had been
dead for eighteen months; their mother
had died in giving birth to the baby; and
since that time these chidren-they were
| little morc-had managed To keep the lii
tie home iT ~ and 10 be happy as
pla wing at housekeeping.
saw that katic's heart was in hcr
mouth :" that the tea was got down with
Something's 90; t. hc done for them
sister. she said the momeat got ont
Of doors, after a most delightful hour.
Don't YOU wish Dickens could have seen
| Them Nobody else could do them JUS
| tice."
| 'It is wonderful. | said drcaitily. 1T
500 ms 10 IT" tha' The spirit OF their mar
ents must be watching over them. How
eise are they kept untLinted in such an
atmospheric?
Why. God looks after them of course .
answered Katie simply. But people
ought to know about them; they ought IL
be sent to the country.
There's one thing We might do. Katie.
and that is to send the story to the news
paptrS--to the Times or the Telegraph
| katie'S face Shona at this suggest ion.
and that very night We completed The let
ter. We did not know what We wcr2
bringing upon ours. Ives in the way OF
correspondence. People wrote by the
| score offering to make all sorts of pro-
vision for the little family. 1t required 4
| great deal. of discretion to deal with
| them. In the end a country house WAS
| found for them. where they We're happy
| together. aud wher' the old Self-reSpeCt
ing life could be- carried On under bright
er and happier auspices. Tn. last heard
| Of Sally was that she was beginning IT,
make hearts acne in the little Essex vii
lage where a kind Providence had guided
| them To happy home. Iiut | also heard
that they ache in vain. as she remains
entirely devoted to Rue and the baby.
and above al to big brother Joe, under
gardener at the Manor House.