Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1905-11-30
After Fifteen
Years
By VIRGINIA LEILA VENT
Copyright, 1895. by l. ID. Marshall

VIC lulSSFu ON' oil. luuCcu, lUu
stayed away so long | 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
Oh Tuesday morning
so you missed me, did youT" 1t was
good to be missed, and it warmed the
cookies of this old bachelors dry heart.
well, had a nice time in the country,
little one" said he
All" said the child, leaning slightly
forward on her crutch, lit must be like
ralryland 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 then the shaded" She had long
vista of thoughts in her eyes-an entire
forest She was to all appearances a
pretty child of twelve, with delicate
features and a mass of brown hair.
Just now some rays of sunlight slant
ing upon her head from the platform
above made ii sparkle like gold.
do you know" she went on seeing
that her customer was in no especial
hurry to catch his train, Il often pic
ture the woods to myself-trees grow
ing up by themselves without being
planted, squirrels running over the
bouGhs, birds singing in the branches.
Oh. 1t must be wonderfulr'
How would you like to 90 with me
some Sunday to see the woods" asked
the man. They are all around the city
here, to be seen for the mere riding TO
them in the cars
"Oh, | should love it, The big dark
eyes looked disproportionately large
In the pale, tiny face. "And | think
mother Will be sure to let me-" added
she gravely. You see, I've told her
about you so many times"
Somehow the whole Of July slipped
by and Little Timber Toes" did not
get TO see her dear woods nor the
squirrels nor the birds. To be sure,
there was no immediate hurry about
It. There was always the facile ex-
cuse, Next week, perhaps-or week
after next"
However. there came a morning
when as Mr. Fawcett stopped to hand
over his coin and take back 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 Ill 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.
Eyes, she's up there all alone, poor
little kid. I've just been a-takin' her
some Cruel Holy saints, but it's hot
up in that attic She mopped her
brow in confirmation of the statement.
The door of the little attic room was
open but TO the man standing there
quietly in the hallway 1t all seemed
quite dark. The shutters were bowed
tight, but the August sun threw tiny
shafts of light through the Stats. AS
his eyes became used to the half light
he saw Little Timber Toes" sitting
close against the wall, where she had
been driven by the advancing heat
from the window. For coolness she
had piled her hair on top of her head.
1t gave q certain air of distinction.
Her exquisite, small face, her shapely
little head resting against the dingy
wall here in this poverty reduced room.
had the antique perfection and grace
OF an old cameo In a defaced and
scratched setting
He waited for her to move, to look
up He imagined she would hear him
breathe, the room was 80 still, but he
had to knock twice before she seemed
able to disconnect herself from her list
less reverie. Then
"Oh, oh! II was wishing you might
Gomez She reached out her hand for
his and held 1t tight. do you know"
stroklng the hand she clasped with her
free one as IL to make sure her words
would not hurt him, II kind of thought
you'd come. even If you did forget
your promise about the dear woods"
She smiled. one Of her gay, volatile,
eapricious smiles. And by that he saw
that she was better.
His conscience smote him somewhat
He changed the subject abruptly
Flows mother?" he asked
Pretty we'll thanks. She's in the
tailor trade now"
THE tailor trade, is she? Then
shirts didn't payf"
Not so well as trousers. It's the
buttonholes, you see The child was
profound In her practical wisdom.
Fifteen minutes later, as Mr.. Faw-
cett was opening the shutters to let In
the evening air slightly built woman
-.
was very tired. but for the sake Of the
child she brayely summoned gay
smile, putting her face on dress pa
rade. as IL were For second seeing
that there was a stranger in the room,
she stood uncertainty in the doorway;
then she went toward him.
Il think. sir" she said, with a certain
quiet dignity-'I think you must be
the gentleman who's been so kind to-
kitty cried the man, taking an un-
conscious step toward her. Then they
stood and stared into each others won
dering eyes
She. worn with work and worry, was
the first to lose control. She dropped
into a chair presently and began to cry
softly. He, for his part paced the
room in daZed fashion He recalled
Little Timber Toes innocent disclo-
b., a.,