Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1905-12-01
After Fifteen
Years
By VIRGINIA LEILA WENTZ
Copyright, 1905, by /. d. Marshall

For almost tWelVemonth now Mr..
Fawcett had bought his daily morning
paper of Il certain little newsgirl be-
meath the steps of his l. station. Little
Timber Toes" was the nickname the
boys had given her She was cripple
and carried n crutch.
I've missed you, sir. Indeed, you
stayed away so long l began to think
you weren't coming back at ALL" Lit
tie Timber Toes" laughed at her own
falsehood showing all her fine, infan-
tile teeth at once Mr.. Fawcett had
spent Sunday with some of his New
Jersey relatives, and this was the greet
ing he received from under the l. stairs
on Tuesday morning.
80 you missed me, did you?" 1t was
good to be missed, and it warmed the
cookies Of this old bachelors dry heart
well, | had nice time in the country,
little one" said he.
"Ah," said the child, leaning slightly
forward on her crutch, lit must be like
fairyland in the country. Mother used
to live in the country, and she's told
me all about it. And did you go in the
woods-the deep woods? They must
smell so fresh and cool and delicious
And tban tho shadaw She had n long
vista of thoughts in her eyes-an entire
forest She was to all appearances a
pretty child of twelve, with delicate
footrres and a moss of brown boi,
Inst now some rovs of sunIiobt slant
inc unon hor be,d from tho n1otform
ohova made II snorkla like gold
.Do vou know, - sba wont on seaing
that hor customer was in no esneciaI
burrv to catch bis train "I often mic.
ture tbn woods 70 mvseIf-trees grow
inc I'M Inv themselves witbout being
nIonted souirrels running over the
horchs birds sinoino il, tho branches
oh If must he wonderfulr,
"IT,w woulJ Won like IN 90 with me-
some Sunday 70 seq tbe woodsP ?, asked
tho man o,Tbov are all oround the CITY
here IN be seen for tbe moro riding to
them in the cars"
"Oh. l should love it," The big dark
ewes looked disproportionately large
in the pale. tiny face. "And [ think
mother will be sure TO LET me-" added
she grayely. You see, I've told her
about Won so many times"
Somehow the whole of JuIv slipped
Inv and Little Timber Toes" did not
rpt 70 soc her dear woods nor the
souiyrels nor the birds. To be sure,
there was no immediate hurry about
if. There was always the facile ex-
cuse. Next week. Derhaps-or week
after next"
However. there came n morning
when rs Mr., Fawcett stopped to hand
over his coin and take back a paper
he found Little Timber Toes" place
was vacant. Evidently she was late
today. On his way home he would stop
again. The place was still unoccupied
in the evening: also the following
morning. A policeman on the corner,
| being consulted. thought the child
might be i'll and gave Mr.. Fawcett the
address where. she was supposed to
| live.
"Of course she's ill.," mused the man
as he set out to find her late that aft
ernoon. Her little face has been un-
commonly white of late and her eyes
uncommonly big"
On his way up the narrow stairs in
| the miserable tenement in which the
| child lived a buXom woman passed
| him. 1t turned out to be the janitress.
Yes, she's up there all alone, poor
little kid. Eve just been a-takin her
some Cruel. Holy saints, but it's not
up III that attlc! She lhoppeu ner
brow in confirmation OF the statement.
The door OF the little attlc room was
open, out 10 the man Summing lhere
quietly i'll the halfway IL all seeiheu
quite dark. The shutters We're bowed
tight, but the August sun threw uhy
shafts of light through the stats. AS
his eyes became used 10 the nan llsht
he saw Little Timber Ioes sitting
close against the wall, where she had
Deeh urlNeh ny lue uuN"licihS he"'
from the "'Huo"' vi "ooiiieSS sue
fad plieu her halr OH top Vi her he'u'
1t gave certain ar Oh aiStihctloh'
llet exquisite siiiall i"ce' ner snapeis
httle heall reStiIis against lhe olnsS
wall mere III thlS poverty reuuceu rooli'
had lhe unique perlectloii anu grace
Oh an OH cameo Ill II uei"ceu anu
scra'cheu Settihs'
He waited for her to move, TO look
up. lie imagined she would hear him
breathe, the room was so still, but he
had TO knock twice before she seemed
able TO disconnect herself from her list
less reverie. Then
"Oh, oh! IL was wishing you might
come" She reached out her hand for