The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1910-04-21
49,;
2%1'

noticed WOTD-Out OLD man.
But | can help you, sir declared
| Mary. Il live just around that block
yonder-number elcven-and my
papa and mamma are very kind peo-
pie. They will find something for
you to do, | am sure, If you will call
there and say sent you. | must look
little further for that poor kitten,
but Ill run home very soon. Please
do 20 to my house-number eleven
and ask for my mother. Mrs. Stone,
and tell her sent you to her
But, little girl. / fear she'll think
me common beGgar. and | couldn't
bear to be thought that. for never
begged a penny in my life | have
been seeking for work-averywh
but cannot find any one who VIII
employ such good-for-nothing old
man. fou see. child, after the body
has become broken by hard labor, the
face aged by time. no one wants you
about. They think an old person
can't work. But l could work and
work we'll If only had the chance"
I'm sure you could" said Mary.
all sympathy. Il know YOU are an
honest man. We want such man to
| work for us. Please go round TO our
house and tell nay mother that L
Mary-scnt You. I'll be there as soon
as / can find that poor kitten"
We'll. I'll go. and thousand
thanks TO YOU, little girl" said the
| old man. IF I were more sprightly,
| I'd hunt the kitten for you, but my
| legs are not very nimble any more.
| If your mother has work for me. I'll
see you again, and thank you thou
! sand times more"
Then the Old man. repeating the
name. Stone" and the number,
eleven" went off round the corner
Of the block. aud Mary continued
looking for the kitten. She went on
down the alley, and just as she was
about TO give up the search for sec
ond time she came full on the kitten
crouching against fence, while some
boys from across the alley threw
| stones at it. 1t seemed to have lost
all its strength, and crouched there in
its misery, waiting for death. Mary.
shaming the boys till they sneaked
off behind a barn, stopped down and
stroked the kitten tenderly. Then, as
the little thing did not try to get
away, she picked it up in her arms
and went homeward as fast as she
could run.
When she entered the living room
she was a little surprised al the sight
| she beheld. There, seated in a COM
| Portable chair. his hat on the floor
beside him, was the poor old man she
| had befriended in the alley, and talk
ing to him as though he were an old
friend was Mrs. Stone. And while she
talked she busted herself making a
cup Of tea for him.
Now, Mary had expected her moth
or to find some light employment for
the old man, but she had not expected
to see him seated-like some privi-
legged friend-in the living room, a
cup of tea being made for him by the
lady OF the house. But her mother
was not long in explaining how 1t
happened that the old man had not
been sent round to the kitchen door.
where Cook would see that he was
supplied with food.
We'll. dearies," said Mrs. Stone,
II shall now introduce you to an old
friend-my fathers most faithful
servant, one VINO lived on our farm
when l was a little girl, like you are
now. I used TO call him 'Somas,' not
being able 10 say Thomas And I
knew him the moment | laid eyes on
him at the door few minutes ago,
and before he had spoken three
words, | said, Why, it's old SomaE'
And | had not seen him for fifteen
years, not since my marriage, when I
| came here to live. such long way
from the old home. And then, as YOU
have heard me tell. father and mother
| sold the old place and went to live
with my brother. where they both
died few years ago. as You remem-
Der. But we had all lost sight Of good
| Thomas-ard here he comes in. so
Unexpectedly. And / an so glad to
have him with Us. Hes worth his
weight in Gold. And such a gardener
las you used to be, Thomas. oh, such
strawberries as you did raise
And I'll DO ii again, If you'll give
the chance" declared Thomas, his
age seeming TO slip from him while
the hot tea he was now drinking vas
warming him up. Yes, III be as
happy as any man can be if l may
work for you. Miss Lucy, excuse me,
| mean Mrs. Stone. l always think
of you as little Miss Lucy" And the
old and trusted servant smiled like a
happy child.
"Oh, you shall never leave u.s."
said Mrs Stone "But-Mary, dear.
where did you get that poor kitten?
1t looks as though it were half dead"
"Oh, I'd most forgotten my poor
little waif," said Mary. putting the