Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1917-03-02
Little Sammy
Dresser
By ESTHER VANDEVEER

"Wcll, like that" exclaimed sam
Dresser rs he opened ana read u lei
ter left by the pusumUu on his morn
ing round,
The letter referred u was addressed
to Samuel T., Dresser Sum had No
middle name, II notified him that his
uncle, William dresser, had died and
left son. Samuel sis years old, VII
liam Dresser had provided IN his Will
that this boy, having no mother should
go to live with his cousin, Samuel Il,
Dresser, who was TO be his guardian,
In ease Mr. Dresser declined the
charge, then Miss Amelia wilkins, a
distant relative, was 10 take his place,
The writer had no knowledge Of Miss
wilkins except that the tcstator had
attached 10 the viii her photograph,
with her address written ON the back,
This he inclOsed
Dresser looked at the photograph and
fell In love with II, II may seem sin
gular that man should fall In love
with Il photographs But why noty This
Fll IooNeu "' ''''SN'' Out VI pun
u "ohesl' merry eye" ''''' H'c'l'u "
say to him, You ure my fate, ana /
VIII loNe you forever 1t Is ulll'cull
Ior some l'orS"nS WINE 'ooN'"g NJ lP''
lure pays To remember mat tue lI"|
crS are mere photographs, one can
imagine man lallllS III love WIN Il
woman on the screen Is II much
more To lall IN loNe WIN Slllgle pho'
tograph OF herr
Anyway, Miss wilkins III the photo-
graph looked nj Dresser ~ II way thut
made hlm long 10 meet Eer' lhc letter
had evidently been DELIVERED To the
wrong Dresser sam concluded that
he would try to find the right one
through Miss wilkins, lie wrote her II
note stating the ease as 1t was but
tore II up and Wrttc another in the
name Of the orphan, stating that his
father had died ANA LETT him to the
care Of "Un'lc sam" but Uncle sam
wouldn't have him. 50, according to the
will. he was to 80 TO Cousin Amelia.
Back came n reply stating that Tn
Gle Sam was Il hard hearted wretch
/; and Sammc must come to Cousin
Amelia she would take care Of him
and love him dearly.
"An of which MEANS" said Sam to
himself. that | will be glad TO take
care Of her and love her dearly"
The photograph did not represent II
gill over seventeen or eighteen, and
Sam was only nineteen. What did the
scamp do but dress himself up in
, knickerbockers and short coat and,
taking Il carriage. drive up to Miss
wilkins house. There he told the
maid who admitted him to tell Cousin
Amelia that he was Sammie Dresser.
When Amelia wilkins came down.
stairs TO greet her cousin she was
somewhat astonished to see an over.
grown boy who looked too old for his
clothes. Her first thought was "What
shall | do with him" She received
him as kindly as possible. then. going
, | upstairs, consulted ul aunt WIFI w lplll
she lived. for Amelia, too, was an or
phan, and the two sat down to the
) problem OF whether to turn out little
Sammie Dresser to the mcrcies of the
world or take charge of him.
! Upon the advice of her aunt, Amelia
returned to Sammie and told him that
she had supposed him to he Il child.
but, seeing that he was old enough to
take care of himself she did not think
it would be proper for her to adopt him.
Sam replied that he had been thinking
there must be some mistake.
sam departed, leaving her the letter
which had induced him to call upon
} her. In the course of week he call
t ed in propria persona When Miss
, Wilkins looked at him she was as
, much aStoniShed as she was when he
called on her before.
You find me changed, don't youE
said sam lnnOcently ana III his own
natural deep voice He had used a
taletto before. My father kept me
back, treating me as Il child. You
. made me see how much behind my age
, | was. When | left you | resolved to
, he man
-, Miss Wilkins was so puzzled that for