Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1918-12-20

me,
$50 and play with them while / step
into the house." he urged,
Again l shook my head.
well, then, you walt here a mo.
ment" said my new.found friend.
He left me and sat down upon
the ground, thoughtful and silent,
In a moment my friend came out
with Mrs, Dunkeberg, who kissed me,
and asked me to tell how | happened
TO be there,
81 just thought ! would come" ] said
as l twisted button on my coat,
and would say no more to her.
"Mr. Wright, you're going TO take
him home, are your" Mrs. Dunkel-
berg asked.
"Yes, I'll start OF with him In an
hour or So" said my friend, 81 am
interested In this hoy and ] want IA
see his aunt and uncle"
"Well, Sally, you go down 10 the of
fee and stay with Bart until they co.
you'd like that, wouldn't your the
man asked Of me.
~ don't know" said,
"That means yes" said the man.
Sally and another little girl came
with us and passing store held
back to look at many beautiful things
In a big window.
as there anything you'd like there,
Bartr the man asked.
81 wlsht had n pair o. them shiny
shoes with buttons on | answered
in a low, confidential tone, afraid to
express, openly, wish so extrava-
CANT.
"C0me right in" he said, and re-
member that when we entered the
store could hear my heart beating.
He bought a pair Of shoes for me
and / would have them on at once,
and made II necessary for him ia
buy a pair Of socks also, After the
shoes were buttOned on my feet saw
little Of Sally Dunkelberg or the other
people Of the village, my eyes being
on my feet most Of the time.
The man took us into his Office and
told us TO sit down until he could
write a letter
Soon a horse and buggy came for
us and briefly answered Sally's good
bye before the man drove away with
me. / remember telling him as we
went on over the rough road, between
fields of rlpened grain, Of my water
melon and my dog and my little pet
hen.
shall not try to describe that home
coming. We found Aunt Decl in the
road five miles from home. She had
been calling and travelling from house
to house most of the night, and |
have never forgotten her joy at seeing
me and her tender greeting. She got
into the buggy and rode home with
Us, holding me in her rap. Uncle Pea
body and one of our neighbOrs had
been out In the woods all night with
pine torches. l recall how, although
excited by my return, he took Off
his hat at the sight Of my new friend
and said:
"Mr. Wright, never wished that
lived in a palace until now"
He didn't notice me until held up
both feet and called: Look a there,
Uncle Peabody"
Then he came and took me out Of
the buggy and I saw the tears In his
eyes when he kissed me.
The man told of finding me on his
little veranda, and told Of my ride
with Dug Draper, after which Uncle
Peabody said:
"I'm goin' to put in your boss and
iced him, Comptroller"
"And I'm goin' to cook the best
Inner l ever cooked in my life," said
Aunt Deel.
When the great man had gone Uncle
Peabody took me in his lap and said
,ery gently and with serious look:
"You didn't think l meant 1t, did
you would have to go way
rom here?"
II don't know" was my answer.
"'Course l didn't mean that. l just
wanted We to see that 1t want going
o do for you to keep on tippin' things
'ver So"
That evening as was about to go
Upstairs to bed, Aunt Deel said to
ny uncle:
"DO you remember what OF Kate
wrote down about him? This is his
irst peril an he has met his first
'reat man an l can see that Sile
Wright Is kind O. fond O him."
l went to sleep that night thinking
f the strange, old, ragged, silent
1oman.