Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1906-01-04
After Fifteen
Years
BY VIRGINIA LEILA VENT
Copyright, 1905, by l. d. Mar4llall


For almost a twelyemonth now Mi.
Fawcett had bought his daily morn.ng
paper of a certain little newsgirl ne
heath the steps of his l. station. Little
Timber Toes" was the nickname tie
boys had given her. She was a cripple
and carried a crutch.
I've missed you, sir. Indeed. you
stayed away SO long | began to tll-ik
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. NJ
so you missed me, did you?" 1t was
good to be missed, and it warmed Tie
cookies Of this old bachelors dry heart.
swell, / had a nice time ia the country.
little one," said he.
'Ah," said the child, leaning slightly
forward OF her crutch, 1T must be like
fairyiand in the country. Mother used
to live in the country, and she's toni
me all about it. And did you go in tie
woods-the deep woods? They must
smell so fresh and cool and delicious.
And then the shade!' She had Il long
vista of thoughts in her eyes-an entire
forest. She was to all appearances Il
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 pie
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. it must be wonderful
Elbow would You like to go with me
some Sunday TO see the woods? ?" asked
the man. .'They are all around the city
here. to be seer for the mere riding to
them in the cars
"Oh, | should love it!' The big dark
eyes looked disproportionately iarga
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 tines
Somehow the whole of July slipped
by and "Iittle Timber Toes dii not
get to see her dear woods nor the
squirrels nor the birds. To be sure.
there was no immediate hurry about
1t. 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 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 u%noccupied
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., unused 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 Ia
the miserable tenement In which the
child lived a buxom woman passed
him. 1t turned out to be the j~anitress.
eyes, she's up there all alone, poor
little kid. I've just been a-takin' her
anne eruel Holy saints. but It's hot