The Sauk Centre herald., 1912-06-13

hall and heat some water, and when
come back I'll tuck you up com
fortably, and take care of you until
you are we'll"
But" Tom gasped. 81 can't"
Nonsense" said the little lady
again, you do just as l say. I'm
used to bossing boys"
An hour later Tom, tucked up in
bed with hot water bags to the right
of him, and hot water bags to the
left OF him, and with his appetite
satisfied by the most delicious broth
that he had ever tasted, inquired
meekly OF his grandmother"
How did you know l was ill?"
She looked at him sharply over her
| spectacles. "a little bird told me. "
she declared.
He was sick two weeks, and every
| day there came to him dainty notes in
the graceful feminine script. They
came by mail now, and there was the
| postmark of distant city.
Tom had learned by this time that
his grandmother" lived on the oppo-
site side of the hall. When he was
strong enough he went into her plain
| apartment, and then he wondered
where the luxuries which she had fur
! nished him during his illness had
| been obtained, for in these rooms
| there was no sign of affiuence, yet
| there had been for him all the deli
| cacies that tempt the appetite of an
invalid.
Now, grandmother" he said one
morning, when he was dressed and
ready to take his first outing We've
got to have an understanding. 1t
must have taxed you lot to get all
those good things for me, and as
soon as | can get work, I'm going to
pay you back. But l can't ever repay
you for the other things-your SYM
pathy and kindness.
The little woman patted his big
hand. There" she said, don't you
| worry about it. 1t hasn't cost ne a
penny-there was fairy godmother
who met all the bills"
But she would not tell him another
word.
The next day Tom began to look
for work. He had been badly placed
in his first position. He felt himself
equal to something better.
One day he found it-a bigger thing
than he had hoped for-with an ex-
cellent salary attached.
Then he went back to the little
grandmother" Il want to find my
fairy godmother," he said, land you
know where she is"
81 DON'T" said the lady fatty.
"Oh, come now"
81 DON'T" was the decided answer,
but | can tell you who she is. She
is my niece, and when she>was twenty
one she came into nice little
sum of money, and she made up her
mind that she would spend it on hav-
ing a good time. But she's a funny
child, and she didn't call it a good
time to go to the shows and things;
she just wanted to spend her money
on helping other people. And one
day she heard you cough, and when
your door was open she peeped in,
and she just couldn't bear to think
of your being so lonesome, and so
she planned the little surprises, and
one day she said, Now, auntie, he
needs more attention than l can give
him, and you just do all you can,
and l will provide the money And
she has, and then when you began to
want to know her, she got scared
and went home"
Where is her homer" Tom de-
manded
"She amt there" said the little
lady. "She's gone to work. You see.
her money didn't last long, when she
spent it that way. But she said she
had the time of her life."
What is her work?"
"She's a stenographer," said the
little lady.
Toms heart leaped. Then at least
she was not rich girl, as he had
feared. How could he then have
dared to WOO her!
''If you know her home address.
you give it to me-" he said, and re-
luctantly the aunt gave 1t to him,
and that night he took train and
started on his quest.
He found her, for fate was kind to
him. And she was dear and sweet. as
ne had dreamed she might be.
He brought letter of Introduction
from the aunt.
"But I don't really need it, you
know" he said.
NO." her cheeks were pink; did
you-did you think I was very for
ward?"
81 thought you were-an angel"
Tom blurted out.
But he did not tell her then all
that was in his heart, for time was
needed for the wooing and the
winning.