The Baltimore County union, the Towson news., 1909-09-18
FLOTsAM.
(From the Boston Post.l

(From the Boston Postl
Flotsam crept quietly to the old
derelect that had been beached high
and dry years before and stretched
himself out on the sand in its shade.
To be without kith or kin at six is a
hard proposition, but to be six and
have a round, baby face framed in a
mass Of golden curls, besides being so
small that one looks scarcely four, is
a harder proposition still, and theAt-
tie boy who was trying SO hard to
choke back the tears that would gath
er in his eyes despite his utmost eff
forts to prevent them realized it only
TOO we'll.
When old Uncle Ben, the light
house keeper who had rescued him,
died the winter before, big. good nat
ured Ned Grant had kindly taken the
little fellow home, but the winter had
been a hard one for the Grants and
Flotsam knew that they could keep
him no longer.
If he was only larger and older, he
thought, or if someone would come
for him as Uncle Ben said they would
ifthe someone would only be his Lady,
his Lady that came to him so often in
his dreams, and who called him-but
he never could seem to remember
what she did call him, for when she
held out her arms to him she always
faded away before he could reach her.
He would awaken with the echo of
her voice in his ears, but what she had
called him or who she was he never
could remember.
Uncle Ben had found him all alone
in a little boat floating out to sea one
morning after big storm. and had
named him Flotsam. He was all that
was ever found of some boat that
must have gone to pieces on the rocks.
The old lighthouse keeper believed it
to have been a private yacht and that
friends would come some day in
search of survivors or for news of the
wreck. But four years had rolled
away, the fourth taking Uncle Ben
with it, and as yet no one had come.
If he could stay there'a little long
er, he thought, perhaps the Lady
would come, but they were to take
him to the city in the morning and
put him out for adoption, then he
was sure she could never find him.
The tears that he had fought back
all day could be restrained no longer,
and burying his face in the sleeve oi
his little blouse he sobbed himself tc
sleep.
When Flotsam opened his eyes an
hour later he found that he was nc
longer alone, for two men were lean
ing against the old wreck. Their
backs were toward him, but he knew
they were strangers, and wondered II
they were not the people that were to
occupy the pretty cottage on the cliff
that summer. He was about to steal
quietly away when he caught bit oi
their conversation which caused him
to pause.
dyes" one of the men was saying.
IT would advise you to adopt little
boy about the age of the child you
lost. The sea will help her some,
but the child will bring back her
memory if anything will.
"Do you happen to know of any
child, doctor ~ asked his companion,
big man with dark, sad looking
eyes and hair tinged with gray. q
cannot promise to adopt it at first, but
if it will help bring my wife back tc
her old self 1 will take one for the
summer at least, though it will be
mighty hard to see another in my lit
tie sons place"
"No," answered the doctor, u
have no child in mind, but when
get back In town I'll look around and
see what I can do"
Flotsam waited no longer. Here
was man who wanted little boy tc
adopt, and he was a little boy to be
put out for adoption.
He came from behind the wreck
trembling but brave, and faced the
two men. Couldn't you please take
me instead of getting little boy il
town ?" he asked. "You see, I've
got to be 'dopted, and don't like tt
leave here just yet, cause I'm wait
ing for my Lady to come"
''Why, why !" exclaimed the doc
tor, good naturedly. $50 you wan
to be adopted. Don't you suppose
your mother would object, young
mani"
Flotsam shook his head. II don
'xactly want to be-" he answered
"but you see I haven't any father o
mother; I'm just Flotsam, 'caus'
Uncle Ben found me in boat ant
took me to live in his lighthouse
He's dead now, though, and nobody
wants me, so I've got to be 'dopted.
lust then breeze caught Flotsam'
shabby hat and blew it from his head
revealing a mass of tangled COLDER
curls. The big man, who had beef
listeninge agerly to the child's words
grasped the Doctors arm. Doctor,
he whispered huskily, doctor, tha
boy has the hair and eyes of my wife
he saws he was found i'll boat. Cal
it be possible-doctor, say there's
chance.
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