Show tn ilai ad A story tritha a blessing w Z by PH PHOEBE B E G GRAY R AY copyright by small maynard rd company 1 i SYNOPSIS 8 whiled trundling the clean washing vv vp clipper hill mary alice Allce brown Drown Is I 1 set et upon by some borne mischievous boys wh who spill fai the washing into the dirt she Is rescued andi taken to her home in calvert street by francis a galahad knight shelo she Is punts punished bed baher by her drunken father tor for return returning ng without the wash money mary alice wanders away I 1 from home dorfie takes a trolley ride I 1 into n to thi the country and spends the night at t the he farmhouse of sam thomas Inthe jn the morning she meets little char charlie thomas a a cripple sam takes mary alice home and finds that lie and mrs airs brown are old acquaintances sam takes her and mary blary alice to his home for a visit while e lem brown the drunken cherf Is if serving a workhouse sentence charlie la Is made a galahad knight francis visits the farm and as saved from droy drowning ning by mary arary all alice lem brown KetSi Out of jail and goes to work for sam Th as hired man BB r a 1 31 g to know all Is to forgive all 2 S says an old pr proverb overl lem lem H a brown row n was a dirty shiftless drunken bum he seemed ber bea yond appeal betone yet one person a LI H child saw into his scorched ua j I 1 soul saw opportunity to h help I 1 h him and did so y X UK CHAPTER V continued it w was as aioo cold and stormy for little charlie thomas to be carried carried out of doors every day ile he sat in the window and watched the new hired man shovel deep canyons in the snow Everi everybody body but charlie disliked tile the new hired man lie he was a surly moody fellow with hardly a word to say and acted as if he were always ashamed of something the reason you dont like lem said charlie Is because you dont like him gosh chuckled the boss a deep remark oh well boy well give the critter a fair chance you can be beton that in fact sam felt that he had kiven given lem more thada than a fair chance at this time of year it was hard to get the equivalent of the mans food out of his bis labor sam kept him on the farm for the sake of mrs brown and the children he had made a bargain once he be ran away sam traced him to town found him already half balf drunk on what whisky y he could wb whine ne for and barely saved him from being locked up la ln jail jall it may have been brutal medicine but the thrashing that sam awarded him for his truancy laid him up in bed for two days the boss despaired of ever doing better with him than to keep him out of mischief for the greater part of the time anyhow he be would force him to work and help support his family occasionally mrs brown 14 mary a ry alice and little dick came out for sunday dinner at such times lem was encouraged to slick allek up and sit down with the family at first he refused but at length he allowed himself to be persuaded martha was never quite sure how and a stranger would not have known by casual observation that lern lem was note not in the entire good graces of all present but be had very little to say 1 I want wani you to understand lem sam would explain that I 1 aint got the least grudge a against you though you may think I 1 act like I 1 bad im coln to treat you just as good a as s let me if theres a spark of manhood left in you well everybody knows what a good bodil bowil do to a spark sam chuckled the joke was coarse and harsh but he be knew his man here was occasion for no delicate measures lie he thought kid gloves would be entirely out of place perhaps sams method of treatment was not wholly reliable he was conscientious ious in administering it however it was a case of klu or cure bure lie he reasoned but he hate lem brown and every time he be wagged a fist under lenas terrified and retiring chin sam had bad way down deep in his heart a tenderness toward lottle lottie and mary alice and little dick of which bis big fierceness was a reversed expression little charlie thomas liked lem brown he did not know why lem was waa working for his father on the farm instead of in the city where he be could be with his big family but the explanation sails satisfied fied him lem was needed to help the boss to charlie too it was waa an advantage that he be was waa unaware of lems depravity ile he saw in him him only a sort of woebegone woe sad eyed hulk of a man working incessantly at tasks that called for a lot of brute strength brute strength and physical prowess delighted charlie hercules and sir galahad shared about equally his regard with a shade in favor of sir galahad in hi spite of his fathers cordial endorsement indorsement Indor of hercules lem was as powerful as an ox in the early winter with the first sledding sam began to haul stones for the foundation of his new creamery charlie watched lem juggle the great rocks and his eyes sparkled within with intense admiration figee gee demill lem said baid he be when the big laborer came in for his big dinner A aint i you yon just the strongest etron geet feller I 1 been wat batchin watch chin ln you all the forenoon yes yea I 1 am pretty strong agreed item gem it was the first sigu of self re he bad shown since lle he had been with the im a galahad 11 knight night said charke charbe of course I 1 aint so BO strong as IM goin to be but im gettin stronger sti come here and feel lem looked foolish but put out a large paw and gingerly tested charlies imaginary bleeps which he flexed with great vigor the boss says im a hercules 1 1 I dont know what a her bere cluss luss Is said lem but you sure are aie a strong little teller feller then lem lein smiled nobody on the thomas ili omas place lad had ever seen lem brown smile from the day sam had bad brought bi ought him there snarling and scowling lems ferns smile was really a credit able thing it spread slowly across ills his heavy countenance and lighted it up with the genial glow of a jack o lan tern aint you a comical little said lem martha artha came in front from the shed with a comforter tied around her face lem looked up sobered instantly reached for his cap and scrambled out like a boy caught stealing apples what was you saying to that critter dearle dearie asked martha maltha oh I 1 was just havin a little er con can conversation with bilm said charlie licking ills his lips pleasantly at the taste of the bis big word lems a awful nice feller mammee heaven help us murmured mrs thomas such a boy as you are charlie lemas so tur terrible solemn said the child nodding his big golden head bead vehemently 1 I was tas che erin him up aint it funny hes a great reat big strong man and im a little boy iles hes strong strong ern most anybody a million times ngern me but just cause im a galahad knight I 1 can help him and make him feel real good hes pleasant lem Is one day charlie had bad been reading to lem from his big galahad book the man had found out by cautious experiment peri ment that thai his friendliness for charlie did not entail the ill favor of sam and martha so he now very boldly and confidently pulled his chair alongside the little boy and allowed the pleasant intimacy to grow unchecked howd you ever get a hold of all that about them knights and things tic he asked why I 1 tell you cried charlie it was mary alice mary alice sure your little girl mary alice only ashes quite a big little girl ilove I 1 love mary alice aint you just proud of her ashes my bertest friend next to the boss and mammee it was this way and charlie went at length into the story of how his bis bertest bes test friend had bad had him mad a galahad knight with all the necessary circumlocutions the recital took a long half hour charlie was quite quit e breathless when he finished so all there Is to it he be concluded only mary alice cant be a galahad knight cause its in the rules that only us fellers can be one but ashes lady mary diary alice chene whenever ver she cornea comes to see me and wit ye well sir lem lovelier lady hath bath never trod this earth earth so there now lem looked at the little boy martha came and stood over the pair now charlie boy she ehe warned dont you get all tired out lem got to his hia feet oh ob my gosh he said oh good gosh gash what a kidia he did a queer and presumptuous thing with a leathery paw he be reached out and patted charlies golden head aint you the kid thought though he said and turned toward the door the boss stood were there eyeing lem and in his face the hulk that had been a man saw something far different from the usual sternness the boss did not give ground to let lem pass out instead be sald said put her there leml lem I 1 by jinks I 1 dont know but youre human after all and gripped lems hand a as one man to another lem brown stalked across the yard to the drag find and began to pile off the big rocks he worked as it if he be liked ed it even cen when the jagged edges bruised and cut the leather of his bis blunt fingers good goehl he be muttered to himself down luslie of his big being something was waking up it was what we call a soul 0 lem brown had begun his fight CHAPTER VI V john Willet tand and his son john willett of sheffield made no parade of personal virtue yet he was if you believed his neighbors a good man at th the banks ebanks in the church in the homes of his friends his reputation was secure scrupulous to a penny generous to a fault an able business man folta folha pointed him out and nominated him bun fora or a life member chip in the salt of the earth club he was always giving yet he definitely declined to be called philanthropic he latefa charity yet he be was I 1 above all things charitable his bilg heart was ivas so BO tender that it sometimes hurt lira him A character like that or of john willett collects friends and followers and aup porters as a poppy collects bees and poor good and bd bad all had bad a good word to toady say for him he never could see any use in having enemies when it was so much easier and pleas binter to have friends willett was an ideal family man his tr lends friends said it was too bad he be had bad only one child since he passionately loved all children and was such a model father little charlie thomas stirred his big tenderness and prompted him to arrange for ills his old friend billy jackson the great specialist to sen see the child it if jackson undertook the case thomas would be allowed to think he be was paying the physician fol ills his services and any differences be ba tween his customary large fee and thi amount thomas could afford would come out of willetts pocket sam thomas could thus profit by willetts Wll letta assistance and still hold bold to ills hla own self respect he thought his wealthy friend the bluest la in the world willetts interests were diverse without following any specialized line of business chehad he biad acquired shares in a score of enterprises thus he was a power in sheffield A pretty valuable and useful citizen to be sure any city must be fortunate which possesses a john willett it was a foregone conclusion that john willett would use tile the utmost discretion in picking out a preparatory school for francis he studied cata bogues and wrote letters all summer and not until a fortnight before the beginning of term time did he be make up his big mind for this beautiful boy he required a schooling among the sons of an aristocracy to cracy not alone of wealth but of breeding francis must be surrounded surround eil by influences that would continue the shaping of lit his manhood as lohn john film self had endeavored to shape it ft at a home francis had bad always res responded respond eil eagerly to ill lilt fathers affection john willett had reaped richly in the respect and admiration that alone can repay such a love as his francis old man he be said on the day before the boy would start for school you and father have been good als we the best ever replied francis with enthusiasm remember it went on john wil lett and remember that no mutter mattey what a man does in the world no matter what success lie he may ach achieve leve it Is nothing compared with his pride in a fine son you area are a fine son my boy a fine son I 1 could trust you anywhere to do the right thing I 1 yes sirree you could dad well then boy you are going away where you will have a lot of chances to choose between light and wrong you wont have mother or me any more to run ruh to lind and ask shall I 1 do this or slay may I 1 do that sometimes you will not feel like putting your problems up to your masters you will have to decide for yourself do you realize it ill try to sir the boy was quite grave then perhaps it will help you to draw a little picture in your mind of mother and me with you standing by us asking our consent or advice in this little picture ask your question then try to imagine bow we should answer sw dr it see what the express expression lon of our faces tell you decide just what the most likely thing will be for us to say that a good way I 1 bully sir great so you see you can say to yourself whenever you yon alave ilave to decide what to do or what not to do my father has so set t me a good example my mother is as good as gold ill always try to do like you pop honest I 1 will you will till grow up and be a bigger man and a better man than your father dear little boy I 1 expect it of you I 1 am going to be so proud of you francis threw his arms suddenly about his big fathers neck v k sobbing a little he hugged him close and patted tile tho bearded heek which oddly enough ho he found it a little moist thus john willett did his duty by his son And when next day he stood on the station platform and saw fran else els white handkerchief flutter from the rear door of the diminishing train lie he t turned to his wife and said the makings of a fine clean man dearest thank gd for him and pray grod god to make him all you and I 1 have planned mary ary alice brown working happily ten hours a day in her little armed turret at stachys staceys Stac Stace cys ys missed at al calls of the galahad knight ile he was the nicest boy she thought the salesgirls sales girls 1 als liked him too and good nn na tiredly charred her about her gentleman friend when his jovial round face with its thatch of red hair bobbed into sight down the crowded aisle it was delicious to greet him with hello francis and to have him reply hello sadie bello grace liello hello minnie 1 hows trade eia ai X X does it seem to you the wise thing to tend send a boy bay away from home to school just at the period when his character Is most impressionable when ho he needs mothering and fathering the most r TO BE CONTI NUSa |