Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-01-02

unconscious. sorrow-stricken victim
the sport grew tame and they scam
pered on for something worth their
while.
All but one. a little fiaxen-haired girl
OF seven, perhaps even more lily clad
than the rest. She fingered and as
soon as her companions were out of
sight shyly slipped up to the unheeding
stranger Oh the seat and nestled at his
side.
I'm not afraid OF you" she gently
hsped. He seemed not to hear her, for
he paid no attention. did not even
move.
"Has somebody of yours died?" she
continued tenderly. He comprehended
that he was spoken TO. for he slowly
turned his head and looked at his lit
tie sympathizer. He gave a start
looked at her again. then laughed
quiet. mirthless laugh and answered:
Il guess all of them have died to
me-"
oh, that is dreadful. It's bad
enough to lose two or three" replied
the good samaritan, as she puckered
up her rosy lips. How did they die?"
L went away" he talked as il to
himself, "and when l came back they
were gone. They died. perhaps, be-
cause l was gone so long"
Then why were you gone so long?'.
Il didn't intend to stay so long" he
continued in the same listless way,
but I'm sailor. When l left my
wife and baby girl. she had golden
curls like yours, was off for voyage
to last six month in the southern
seas. Our ship was wrecked below the
line somewhere's, one OF the euuinox's
gales, and l hung on spar until l was
beached on one of those thumb-nails
they call south sea island l s'pose
1 was luckier in a way than the rest of
them, for they brought UP in Davy
Jones' locker, but I had to live with
some woolly-headed niggers for over
four years, without ever seeing a hu-
man beings face. But all the time I
lived on the thought of some time COM
Ing home 10 my wife and my baby, my
little girl with hair ike-like-yours.
Well, one day a ship, Yankee ship,
hove in and brought me right here to
port. l wish it hadn't"
Because they were dead?" she whis-
pered
YES" he answered, ito me-
Il know what it is to have some
body die" and two big tears glistened
in the little girls eyes MY mamma
died"
Your mothers dead? Such a wee
bit of thing as you to live without a
mother?" The pig. unlSempt, awk-
ward seaman was forgetting his own
troubles.
Yes, 1t was over a year ago that
mamma went to Heaven and now am
alone"
AS she pressed closer to him a
brawny arm went about her and a
great, red hand covered hers.
Have you no fatker?" he spoke
softly.
"Oh, yes, have a papa, but he is
not good to me. He stays out all night
He does not come home for DAYS some
times; he talks awful cross to me; he
does not love me-"
He doesn't love you, and you have
curls like-like gold and eyes like.
he pointed upward
No, / know he doesn't love me, be-
cause I've tried so hard to see"
What Is your fathers name. little
girl?" He was gentle and solicitous.
His name is Sturm. but mine is Eva
Sturm-''
Eva! Eva! but not the rest-not
Sturm" he cried explosively. and then
subsidized. do not be frightened, child
because I'm foolish, only Eva. Eva calls
me back. but with the name Sturm-
] see the nonsense of the thought"
But my name was not always
Sturm," she looked up into his face
and there was love light In her eyes.
MY papa's name is Sturm. but he was
not always my papa. Mamma married
twice My first papa went away and
left her: he was my real papa; his
name was Caspar--'
''Caspar!" shouted the frepzied tar.
as he grasped the little child lightly in
his arms, EVA Caspar! am your
real papa You are my baby. with the
curls of gold and the eyes of blue. NV
darling!" He lifted her In his arms
and she chung lovingly TO him. "You
are TO be lady. I'm rich. There was
in that far-off Island pearls. great sill
very pearls by the basketful and they
IRE all mine, and they are all yours, IL
you love me-
II love you, papa without the
pearls" she cooed.
The less the world knows about a