Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1918-09-07
CHAPTER l.
The Ray Of Sunlight.

lust as the rays OF The afternoon
sun hesitated to enter the open door
Joseph Stages hardware store in
Sunrise Cove and fingered on the sill.
so the little girl in the black frock
and hat with twin braids of sunshiny
hair on her shoulders, lowered at the
entrance of the dim and dusty place.
She carried n satchel in one hand,
Willie the fingers of the other were
booked into the rivet-studded collar of
notified homely mongTel dog.
oh, dear me, Prince :" sighed the
little girl, this must be the place.
Wen just have to go in. Of course /
know he must be nice man; but he's
slch stranger"
Her feet faltered over the door sill
and paced slowly down the shop be-
tween long counters. She saw no clerk.
At the back of the shop was a small
Office closed in with grimy windows.
The uncertain visitor and her canine
companion saw the ShadOwy figure of
a man inside the office, sitting on a
Mgh stool and bent above big ledger.
The dog, however, scented something
ejSe
IN the half darkness of the shop he
and his little mistress came unexpect-
eddy upon what Prince considered his
archeuemy. There rose up on the end
g.. the counter nearest the open office
door big, black tomcat whose arched
lack swollen tail and yellow eyes
a,azel defiance.
"PS-s-St-ye-ow
Tie rising yowl broke the silence of
Ac shop like a trumpet call. The little
r'r dropped her bag and seized the
dogs collar with both hands.
Prince" She cried. don't you speak
IN that cat-don't you dare speak
1ot"
Bless me-" croaked voice from
ghe office.
The tomcat uttered a second "ps-s-st
Ee-oW T and shot up a ladder to the
up shelf.
bless me-" repeated Joseph Stage,
'aSlng off his eyeglasses and leaving
Wrn IN the ledger to mark his place
WAT have you brought that dog in
hare for:
he came to the office door.
II didn't have any place to leave
sun. was the hesitating reply.
Bun Did your mother send you
lor Something?"
No-o sir sighed the little visitor.
d, mat moment a more daring ray
sunlight found its way through the
""HSom over the store door and lit up
AoNhy place. 1t fell upon the
I'-Al back-frocked figure and for an
Instant touched the pretty head as
with an aureole.
Bless me. child!" exclaimed Mr.
SIsg. "Who are you?"
'"7 Ao"erlike face of the little girl
4"'eted, the blue eyes SMILED big
oN over Ter cheeks. She approached
'' N.agS' STOPPING and squirting in
9''e doorway. and placed timid
upon the broad band of black
he wore OF his coatsleeve.
or. ~ not Hannah's Carlyng'
,''ued the hardware dealer huskily.
o.-@ "FFn May Cameron" she
..''>4d You're my Uncle Joe. I'm
.i s'aa 10 see you, Uncle Joe. and
s,s = n'be-youre glad to see me
,a-'.i, ''uee She hAished rather fal-
s,. me- murmured the man
\ ,a-.s SO startling as this had en-
e,,,1-' l''Iise Cove's chief hardware
H., ''1 Tor many and many year
B pts,.. Stage, the hardware mer-
! 1.. only sister. had gone away
\ o.r ',.le quite fifteen years previ-
nah i1 Ntagg had never seen Han
E sum- 1e'..i' but this Slight, blue-eyed.
n z,@- 'a'.ea girl was replica of his
S,,--,' una 10 some dusty corner Of Mr.
ID heart there dwelt a very faith
4"fy of Hannah
t.,'.l- mad served 70 estranpe the
Y save time and distance.
Il Gar hn," muttered Mr.
So, Bless me, child! how
' here from New York;"
Fl a'-, uncle. You see. Mr.
III better come. lie says
-aardan-fr $ IN pana's
i have been 50 In man
n SEED mada one. Mr.