Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1912-07-16

cEeCkIeS. IL dAh SNAAe AAS ~ A~~~>S
or me honor"
"Freckles," said the angel sternly,
..you are unreasonable" Why, did
prove every word l said! Everything
proves It! You look here! II you knew
for sure that / could give you your
name and your honor. and prove to you
that your mother did love you, why,
then would you just go to breathing
like perpetual motion and hang on fot
dear life and get wellT
A great light leaped into Freckles
eyes.
IF l knew that, angel" he said sol
EMMY. "you couldn't be killing me IL
you felled the biggest tree in the Lin
berlost smash on me"
Then you go right to work." said
the angel, land before night I'll prove
one thing to you: can show you cas-
fly enough how much your mother
loved you. That will be the first step
and then the rest will all come"
Freckles caught her sleeve.
"Me mother, angel! Me mother" he
marveled hoarsely. did you say you
could be finding out today II me moth
er loved me? How? oh. angel! AL
the rest don't matter. II only me moth
er didn't do it!'
"Then you rest easy" said the angel
with large confidence. Your mother
didn't do 1t. Mothers Of sons like you
don't do such things as that. Ill 80 to
work ut once and prove 1t to you. The
first thing to do is to go to that home
where you were and get the little
clothes you wore the night you were
left there. l know that they are re,
quired to save those things carefully
We can find out almost all there Is to
know about your mother from them
Did you ever see them. Frecklesr'
"Yis." said Freckles.
The angel literally pounced on him.
"Freckles, were they white" she
cried.
Maybe they were once. They're all
yellow with laying, and brown with
blood stains now," said Freckles, the
old note of bitterness creeping In. "You
can't be telling anything at all by
them, angel"
"well, but just canw said the an
gel positively.
But how? Angel, tell me how"
"Why. easily enough. I thought
you'd understand. People that can ar,
ford anything at all. always get white
for little new babies-linen and lace,
and the very finest things to be had
There's n young woman living near
US who cut up her wedding clothes to
have fine things for her baby. Moth
ers that love and want their babies
make fine seams, and tucks, and put
on lace and trimming by hand. They
sit and stitch, and stitch-little. even
stitches. every one just as careful
Their eyes shine and their faces glow.
When they have to quit to do some.
thing else. they look sorry, and fold
up their work so particularly. There
isn't much worth knowing about your
mother that those little clothes won't
tell"
A new light dawned in Freckles
eyes.
"Oh. angel! Will you 60 now? Will
you be hurrylng? he cried.
fright away" said the angel. u
won't stop for a thing, and I'll hurry
with all my might"
She smoothed his pillow, straight.
ened the cover. gave him one steady
look in the eyes, and went quietly
from the room.
Outside the door, Mclean and the
surgeon anxiously awaited her. Nc
Lean caught her shoulders.
angel. what have you doneF" be
demanded desperately.
The angel smiled defiance.
"What have I done" she repeated
"T've tried to save Freckles."
Mclean groaned.
"Whut Will your father say" he
cried
ut strikes me-" said the angel
"that what Freckles said would be to
the point"
"Freckles." burst out Mclean
what could he sayT
"He seemed to be able to say several
things" said the angel sweetly. u
fancy the one that concerns you most
at present was. that II my father
would offer me to him he would moi
have me-"
"And no one knows why better than
| do" thundered Mclean. Every day
he must astonish me with some new
fineness."
He gripped the surgeon until he al
most lifted him from the floor.
"Save him! he commanded. "Save
himw he implored. HE is too fine te
be sacrificed"
"His salvation lies here" said the
surgeon, stroking the angels sunshinJ
hair, "and I can read In the face ol
her that she knows how she Is going te
work It out. She Will save him"
The angel sped laughingly down thu
hall, and into the street. just as she
was.
81 have come" she said to the matror
of the home. Ito ask II you will allow
me to examine, or, better still, to take
with me, the little clothes that a boy
you called Freckles. discharged last
tall, wore the night you took him In
The woman eyed her in greater
lstonishment than the case called for.
"Well, I'd be glad to let you set
Them she said, ''but the fact ls w
haven't them. I do hope we haven't
made some mistake. was thoroughly
convinced, and so was the superinten
dent. We let his people take thost
things away yesterday. Who are you
and what do you want with themT
The angel looked at the matroE
daxed and speechless.
'There couldn't bave been 4 mis-
take" she continued, seeing the giril
distress. "Freckles was here when
took charge. ten years ago. These
people had 1t all proved plain as da!
that he belonged to them. They hat
him traced to where be ran away dowr
in Illinois last fall, and there the.
completely lost track Of him. IN