The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1901-06-19

the scat beside him.
DO you know" Chester began slow
ly and uncertainty, "a young fellow
around here named Garvan? was
told | might find him somewhere
about; and thought perhaps you
might have seen him."
The Baby gave a quick, keen glance
and then said, with scronful impa-
tience-
Nav! How'd known? What
dye want of him?"
We'll. you see." Chester said, "his
mother lives in Corning and she has
a pretty hard time of 1t, and I wanted
to see him about II. He ran away
from home, you know. long ago. His
friends--I mean his mother and all the
people who knew him and used to like
him when he was n smaller fellow
they can't tell whether he's dead, or
sick, and that's pretty bad for them.
When you care very much for per.
son, and the person goes away and you
never see him nor hear of him even,
It hurts a good deal. And his mother
cared very much for him. for he was
dearer to her than anything in the
world"
Chester paused. The silence in the
waiting room was complete. The boy
sat still and did not seem astonished
by this strange story.
Perhaps you know" Chester went
on, that his mother lies all alone
now, and has no one belonging to her.
The people around where she lives
take care of her in a sort of way. She
needs to be taken care of now, you
know. She's not so very old, but she's
feeble, and she always has a sort of
tired appearance, and she's always ex-
pecting and watching for this boy of
hers"
Nearly all the saloon keepers and
store keepers know Mrs. Garvan. Her
boy used to go around those places a
good deal. you see, and she keeps
thinking she'll find him in some of
them. She goes often at night and
asks those people If they've seen her
Baby. She always tells them II ever
they see him to tell him. that his
mother wants him. And she does
want him very badly. Why, she's
nearly all the time crying alone by
herself"
The boy shifted uneasily.
Everybody wants to do something
for her, but nobody can bring back
her boy, and that's what would do her
the most good. Oftentimes they find
her sitting alone with something that
used to belong to her boy-something
that reminds her of him-they find
her like that crying silently. Queer,
don't you think it Is, how mothers
will go on that way?"
The Babys head was in his hands,
and he seemed to be critically observ-
ing the floor. But he answered at
once, and in the same tone in which
he had spoken to the lady
"Yes, sir,' he said, without looking
up.
ut seemed to me-" Chester went on,
quietly, that If this young Garvan
only knew how she feels about it, he
would go back to Corning and try to
make her as cheerful as she used to
be. He doesn't know about her,
guess, and he wouldn't stay away, per-
haps, If he knew how much she cared"
Chester paused moment and then
continued
And so | wanted to tell him to go
right on to Corning as soon as he
could. And perhaps If | gave you a
ticket to Corning you might be able to
see him and give it to him. Do you
think you could?"
The Baby did not raise his head,
and Chester bent to catch what he
said.
Yes, SIR" the boy whispered.
That's good" said Chester, cheer
fully. rising from his seat.
He stepped across the floor, bought
ticket for Corning and came back.
The Baby was still sitting with his
head down, but CHESTER put the ticket
into his hand and told him that there
was a train leaving 10 minutes later.
Then Chester went outside and walked
up and down the platform.
tits a risk, of course" he mused,
spending my money on tickets that
perhaps will not do any good. But
other fellows risk money in worse
ways and why shouldn't l put mine
into this bit of humanity?"
That night, in one of the seats OF
the late train into Corning, little
boy sat alone with his face pressed
close to the window pane. He did not
notice the lights that flashed by in
the darkness, nor the different sta
tions, for he was crying quietly, not
at all like a hardened and bad boy
Some months afterward Wainwright
wrote the following paragraph in a
letter to Chester
you may remember our friend
Mrs. Caravans Baby whose acquain-
tance you made in the streets of FL
mira. Perhaps you will be surprised
to learn that he is now one of our
most respectable citizens. He is work
ing in one Of the stores down town
: When l saw him the other day he
was dressed very neatly, with his shoes
polished and his hands clean. and his