Show truly bright bradu 0 dy by B mckinley syndicate feature I 1 REFUGEE child homeless his A clothes hanging in shreds slouched agai against ast the high wall that bordered the narrow street lie he gazed apathetically before him but when the nearby near by gatehouse doors suddenly opened and a foreign wom an accompanied by her amah and coolie emerged his eyes brightened this fair woman with the lightbrown hair and gray eyes reminded him of the one who used to live near his home she had been kind to him and had often asked him in and given him sweetmeats sweet meats perhaps a p s th this is one w would 0 u b be e lik like e h her e r and gi give lv e him h im food food and a n d lia a bed b ed to sleep s 1 e e p on with this thought in mind he followed lydia denton as she walked listlessly to the wong compound lydia had not wished to attend this feast in honor of the arrival of a son and heir to mr 2 and nd mrs wong but wong was a valued business acquaintance and her husband did not wish to offend him the serving woman her black hair oiled coiled and smoothed into a neat bun at the nape of her neck glanced at her mistress she had riot not been the same since the bombs of the little black devils had struck the hospital and she had lost her wee son after that there had been no more happiness in the denton home the child peered into the basket the coolie carried red eggs and fruit and sweet cakes 1 the eggs must be a present for the mother of a newborn son and the sweet cakes and fruit would help defray the expenses of the feast in the wong compound the serving woman proudly proffered the knitted wool jacket the coolie emptied his basket of eggs red eggs for a son at the earliest possible e moment lydia took her leave and the amah reluctantly followed outside the gatehouse the boy was waiting and 1 I lived in a house with a wall around it 00 the serving woman stopped to speak to him what is your name she asked truly bright was the answer very good indeed this was a common name for a child in her country she opened the square of paper she carried and handed him a cake when they reached their compound the child went in with them where did you come from qt queried the amah 0 A long way off the boy replied 1 I lived in a house with a wall around it I 1 used to play in the garden until the day strange soldiers broke in and I 1 hid when they were gone I 1 came out and and his voice faltered 44 my father and mother were lying there but they speak to me some neighbors took me and we walked and walked then I 1 lost them and went with a man on a boat he brought me to this city the serving woman turned to her mistress he has no home she said may I 1 feed him it if you wish lydia replied indifferently her mind was fixed on a plan she intended to leave this country and go to america one day she paused outside the room she had fitted as a nursery shi she had an impulse to bid goodbye to the dear wee clothes and the dainty belongings slowly she turned the key and went inside too engrossed in her memories to notice that truly bright was behind her he stood still his eyes roaming from the lace trimmed bassinet to the baby carriage he saw the mistress touch a small flannel garment and gently lift a silken coverlet suddenly a delightful thought came to him and he hurried away on feet as noiselessly as he had come presently he returned his face aglow a small bamboo basket in his hand for the new baby he said happily it was as if scales had fallen from before lydias eyes permitting her to see clearly for the first time in months her selfish absorption in her sorrow had poisoned the air around her and had caused her to forget her duty and her love for her husband she took the basket and tears rolled down her cheeks as she looked at the contents perhaps she whispered brokenly perhaps in the woven nest were three eggs egg crudely colored red red eggs for a son on |