The Detroit times., 1913-07-15
CHAPTER I.
N.nt.fa TInkletcGS

Parade when Aurelie was lost 10 tn
HOLY Family The Holy Family wa
ON its way from mass az Saint LOU
Cathedral. Sister Anastasia leadin
the sedate procession with the large
Urls, and Sister i.aure al INT
rear With the smallcd ones
Aurelia was the smallest one o
all She clung tightly 10 Sister
Laure's skirts. for In the asylum on'
saw nothing like this All RoNal-st
was filled with bawling Mardi Gra'
maskers ringing bells, footing horns
and humping into the Holy Family a.
though. on such morning, there
should not be such thing as an or
phan in the whole round world And
on the corner Aurelie, very frightened
looked up into the eyes Of an old man
who stared down at her with crafty
and deliberate intent, and then stump
. ed after the procession on his wooden
peg-leg, bound round with shiny
brass band, as if~now the matter was
settled. and of all the orphans big
Zones. middle-sized ones and smaller
Zones. light mixed" darn mixed --
lan0 some almost blaCk-rhere was
Just one he wanted, and that was the
littlest one OF all
Many, many years after black
eyed and vvacious Young woman,
whom all The land had read about,
starting on her wedding tourney.
threw her arms about silyeig mead
ed one.legged old rebel ard kissing
him. said
Now, Uncle Michigan, before We
say good-hy. tell me the real reason
you stole me-?
The old rebel chuckled az he had
done a thousand times al This same
vexed question Well, you had on
little blue wammus and little blue
pants and | done reckoned YOU was
boy, SO follered Won right up close.
and when lot OF them Mardy Graws
come along blowing horns and bumped
into the convent sisters every way
Just grabbed YOU up and stumped OF
for | says BY Mighty. this is the one
Captain Tinkletoes'l want-this lit
test one with the little blue pants So
on TO the woods We went
Then she dubbed with a fond re.
proving laughter. Nov, don't be
silly That story is awfuuy silly,
But. Uncle Mich. I'm glad you stole
me-then is when everything began TO
happen
Well. let us see Aurelia off on her
honeymoon. while we go back twenty
years 10 the morning when Uncle
Michigan seized her ont of the demon.
allied Holy Family and stumped off 10
the. French Market lugger landing in
Old New Orleans. where he put her on
Ettenne Guillimets crab boat bound
10 10
praline TO suck lest she cry. and turn.
edssa crab basket over her head and
NOT until the Caminada had wheezed
some miles mp the yellow Mississippi
ana turned off through q canal leading
ioAhe wild Louisiana swamps did he
tafe the basket of
Aurelie still sucked the praline un-
bi4 kingly. Never such feast with
fh6 decorous Holy Family. Her first
tage of the wicked world was good.
When the Cajun captain saw the
child he was amazed
by damn, ole man-whose ees
date"
"Oh, said Uncle Michigan. scratch
ng match evasively on his wooden
lee. "A baby done goln down 10 It's
wimmin folks-'way OF past .John-the.
Fool and Africa and them camps It's
right lonesome country"
bnt II Captain Etienne and the
Cajnn crew had remembered tbev
might have known that, long before
the lover lakes Were reached. a trap
pers pirogue shot out from the over
hanging jungle. and Uncle Michigan
handed down the child 10 another old
man Who sat IL before him i'm the tinvv
canoe and stared at II with incred.
uions alteration. The Caminada
wheezed off 10 the south, and all about
me mighty woods grey still with only
the moot OF an owl in the twilight
gloom under the moss-hune cypress
The little old man still stared AZ me
chi'd who looked back expectant vet
fearless.
Done come,' he breathed IN bfs
exultation: Done come"
He took her in his arms and hold
ner on. in his eyes the light Of the
Magi as they stood in the door OF
bethiehem. And wher Michigan pad.
died on TO where great bar OF the
sunset broke through the forest he
saw ne rhild In golden Sight and
laughed Ms happiness a u,tle child
Shall i59d en- Michigan here DO
and old fool rob IN in ~ swampe
VIII tho frogs and owls and snakes
ard gators wai,in for he mia 10
colEe, lead 'em 70 occrpy mo land
erd hcre 81 be-"
El.t Michigan was silent. He had
msde al Svfnl discovery
They went on pss: the evil sD!Rcs n,
:h4 eyp"esg lifting or o. Tho ,,ec',
wIscs where once gam gar a.irrol
the jspths; ami oree an sUig.to-
crossed SLOWLY before thon aud ON
4 gray shark swan N-hcy n ,h7 s,lt
tito Getting W from tho enls. ard
once FAR off an OIL called ana f.orr
palmetto overhsnging the capoa =
coorcrhcad snake fci - 80 cbilde
side. bu; she seemed without fear
And IN the last rosy light snow
egret sailed above them. and on
shell Ridge fourpo'n' buch watched
until he swamDofs' pirogue had stol.
err or ir:o tho black vet fores,
TOMMY KNEW