The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1918-03-01

young woman who came intermittently
In the red car Rugged him throughout
the most of her visits and left him
always with streaming tears. She
surely looked too young to be his
mother, yet he called her my nam.
N.Y." and they were very much alike
Roy liked the men who came and went
with Mammy-especially the tall one
with gruying hair, whom Nanny adj
dressed as Big Injun. Big Injun had
a way that made you mind In spite of
yourself. Johnny, the other man,
showed that even palmer than Roy
himself. AS for Nanny, all of them ap-
peared to think the earth ought to
turn around for her lightest whim. She
being ROy's bond-slave. his kingship
followed inevitably, with her as first
subject and Anne his nurse for prime
minister.
While Miss Prue was expounding
her beliefs to the widow, Nanny sat
smuggling Roy, and smiling woebe-
gonely at Big Injun. He had just said !:
MAKE much of today, daughter; it
won't be safe to come again before
Christmas. Try as we may to blind
our trail, that detective hound, Fcugle,
has picked it up. Fact-never mind
how l know It, So be brave, girl, and
say gOOd-by to the little man for
while. / shan't be easy in my mind I'M
til we have him across the big water"
Nanny Rugged so hard she hurt the
tender little body. Roy began to whlm-
per. There came rap Mt the door.
Mrs. Barton opened it cautiously, but
seeing a slOuching figure with hat
pulled low over the eyes, and creel
Of saucy pullets upon one arm, said
severely: Don't you know enough to
go round back? Air them the chickens
Miss Jones said she'd femme have"
For answer the man dropped the
creel, darted past her into the big
south room where the strangers were
ssembled-grabbed the whimpering
child, lifted him high on his shoulder,
saying hOarsely to Nanny: Il can't
take you forcibly, May, no matter how
much l want yOu-but will have our
child"
Nanny crumpled in sobbng heap.
Big Injun got gray-faced-Johnny
sprang at the newcomer, but was
pulled back by the other man, crying:
Remember the child ~
II say that Why don't we remember
him? All of vel" Nurse Anne cried,
darling to the side of the intruder.
"Ain't he got no rights, the angel?
Rights to father, mother, home! tell
We, Master" to Big IDjun unwinklng-
ly: There's been packs and stacks Of
lies tobias I found out-never you
mind how. Roy's pappy was lied to,
same as his Mammy-by two that had
thar own game to win-you know how
hard that Pascal girl tried to get Mr..
Haughton tangled in her net-and her
cousin Peter wanted Miss May and
her fortune jest as bad. When found
out thar game-I wrote Mr.. Haugh-
tOn-that's how he comes here now.
Not for his own sake nor Miss Mays
they're big enough to know better. But
1 won't stand it no longer-havin' Roy
ask me after he says his prayers:
why don't God send me back my
daddy?"
Nurse Anne stopped short, swallow
ing hard. Through the hush, they
heard Roy cooling, his hands locked
tight in the strangers hair: my
daddy! My daddy! love my daddy"
"May," young Haughton said low and
She lifted her eyes, her
arms; with quick spring she was
beside him, held against his heavlng
heart. close to her boy. So the sheriff
found them, when, answering Miss
Prue's summons, he descended upon
the homestead. Explanations fol-
lOwed-here were no malefactors, only
actors In a domestic drama that had
verged on tragedy, but was ending
happily. as all dreams should. The
turned out to have been a
practical joke played on. Miss Prue-
perhaps by some one who had suffered
from her inquisitions. 1t was fifteen
years old at least and undated-its |
Of woman and child had
perhaps melted the joker to fit 1t to
he folks ut Bartons. Fate, which Is
jailed Chance, had done the rest. And |
Miss Prue took lot of credit for the |
happy outcome-hadn't her chickens |
really served Haughton as card Of |