Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-03-21

IN ran Off and followed her"
49, continued the angel Free.
klcs was listening most attentively
now. when she got here all alone and
afraid" the angel went on. and saw
him coming to her. why. she was SO
glad she up ar1 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 Il good
place. and they stopped. and he hunted
work. II was slow business. bccause
ne had never been taught TO do n useful
thing. and he didn't even know how to
! hunt work. least Of all to do il when
he found it. SO pretty sOou things were
going wrong But if he couldn't find
work. she could always sing. so she
Gang ut 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, It was very cold, and fire was ex
pensive. Rents went up. and they had
to move farther ont to cheaper and
| cheaper places; AMI you were coming
| mean. the boy that is lost was COM
/ ing-nnd they were almost distracted.
! Then the man wrote and told his 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
4 doctor. ana 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 so
sorry for them. BY that time they were
away out in the suburbs on the top
floor Of little wooden house. among a
lot of factories. and it kept getting
colder, with less to eat. Then the man
got desperate. and he went out to just
find something to cat; and the woman
was desperate. too. She got up, left
the old woman to take care Of her baby
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 boiler blew up in factory
beside the little house and set it on fire.
y piece Of iron was pitched across tho
liuIc bOusc and broke through the roof
It came down smash, and cut just one
little hand of the poor baby. 1t
screamed and screamed. and the fire
kept coming closer and closer.
1.-The old woman ran out with the
rest OF the people and saw what had
happened. She knew there wasn't
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 it. 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 off and
leaving II. so she ran to 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 if her own house was burning up.
The factory and the little house and n
hot 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
ly 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-
cause she knew she never should have
left it, but she wrote n letter and sent
1t to where the beautiful woman. when
she was i'll. had said her husband S
people lived. She told all about the
little baby that she could remember;
when it was born, how it was named
for the mans elder brother, that its
hand had been cut off in the fire, and
where she had put it to be doctored
and taken care off. She told them that
its mother and father We're both burn
ed, and she begged and imporcd them
to come and get it.
"YOu think it would have melted a
heart Of ice, but that old man hadn't
any heart 10 melt for he got that let
ter and read 1t. He hid it away
among his papers and never told a
soul. A few months ago he died
When his elder son went to settle up
his business he found that letter al
most the first thing. He dropped
everything, and came. with hiD wife
to hunt that baby, because he had
. always loved his brother dearly, and
!, wanted him back. He had hunted FOR
him all he dared all these years. and
, when he got here you we're gone
, mean the baby was gone-and had
, to tell you. Freckles, for you see II
, might have happened TO you like that
just MS easy as to that other lost
boy"
I. Freckles reached up and turned the
Angels face until no compelled hel
. eyes TO meet his.
!. Angel" said Frcckles at last
. catching her wrist, "ars you trying Il
: tell me that there IL somebody hunting
a boy that you're thinking might b'
met Are you belavin' you've fount
mo relations"
J Thsn tho angels eyes came home
. The time had come. She pinionet
Y FrecklHD' arms to hiS sides and beu