The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1912-09-26
0
FRECKLES
BY
Gene SGraaa0m.
Porter
COPYRIGHT. 1904. BY DOUBLEDAY. PAGE
O
CONTINUED from last weeks issue)
CHAPTER XIII
THREE oUrssEs.

UI ran on and followed her,"
" continued the angel. Free
kles was listening most attentively
now. when she got here all alone and
afraid" the angel went on. land saw
him coming to her. why. she was so
glad she up and married him, Just
like anybody else would have done.
He didn't want her to travel with the
troupe, so when they got to Chicago
they thought that would be good
place. and they stopped. and he hunted
work. It was slow business, because
he had never been taught to do useful
thing. and be didn't even know how to
hunt work, least Of all to do It when
he found Il: so pretty soon things were
going wrong. But II he couldn't find
work. she could always sing. so she
sang at night, and made little things
in the daytime. He didn't like her to
sing In public, and he wouldn't let her
when he could help himself; but winter
came. 10 was very cold. and Ore was e1.
psnsivs. Rents went up, and they had
TO move farther out to cheaper and
cheaper places; and you were coming
mean, the boy that is lost was com.
lng-and they were almost distracted
Then the man wrote and told bis father
all about It. and his father sent the
letter back unopened and wrote him to
never write again.
"When the baby came, there was
mighty little left to pawn for food and
n doctor. and nothing at all for nurse.
so an old neighbor woman went In and
took care of the young mother and the
little baby. Just because she was 30
sorry for them. By that time they were
away out in the suburbs on the top
door of little wooden house. among a
lot Of factories. and II kept getting
colder. with less to eat. Then the man
got desperate, and be went out to Just
find something to eat; and the woman
was desperate, too. She got up, left
and went into the city to sing for some
money. The woman got so cold she
put the baby In bed and went home
Then q boiler blew up In a factory
beside the little house and set 1t on fire.
"A piece Of iron was pitched across the
little house and broke through the roof.
II came down smash, and cut just one
little hand or the poor baby. II
screamed and screamed, and the fire
kept coming closer and closer.
"The old woman ran out with the
rest Of the people and saw what had
h0
going to be time to wait for the fire.
men or anything. and she ran into the
building. She could hear the poor
little baby screaming. and she couldn't
stand that, so she worked her way up
to II. There 1t was, all hurt and bleed
ing. Then she was scared almost to
death over thinking what its mother
would do to her for going OF and
leaving II. so she ran to a home for
little friendless babies that was near
and banged on the door. Then she hid
across the street until the baby was
taken In, and then she ran back to
see II her own house was burning up.
The factory and the little house and a
lot of others were all gone. The peo-
pie there told her that the beautiful
lady came back and ran into the house
to find her baby. She had Just gone
In when her husband came. and he
went In after her. and the house went
down over both of them"
Freckles lay rigid. with his eyes on
the angels face. and she talked rapid
~ to the ceiling.
"Then the old woman was Just sick
about that poor little baby. She was
afraid to tell them at the home. be-
left II, but she wrote a letter and sent
II to where the beautiful woman. when
she was III. had said her husbands
people lived. She told all about the
little baby that she could remember;
when IL was born. how II was named
for the mans elder brother, that its
hand had been cut on In the FIRE. and
where she had put It to be doctored
and taken care or. She told them that
Its mother and father were both burn
cd. and she begged and implored them
to come and get II.
-'You think it would have melted a
heart OF ice. but that old man hadn't
any heart to melt. for he got that let
ter and read IL. He hid IL away
among his papers and never told a
soul "A few months ago he died
When bis elder sou went to settle up
bis business he found that letter al
most the nrst thing. he dropped
everything. and came. with his wife.
to hunt that baby. because ne had
always loved his brother dearly. and
wanted him back. He had hunted for
him all he dared all these years. aud
when he got here you were gone-i
mean the baby was gone-and 1 had
TO tell you. Freckles. for you see Il
might have happened TO you ike that
just a. easy as to that other lost
boy"
Freckles reached up and turned the
angels face until no compelled her
eyes 20 meet his.
angel" said freckles st last,
catching her wrist -are you trying 70