Rod of the Lone Patrol
action in taking the child into his house. Some were most harsh in their criticism, especially Tom Dunker, who had been defeated in the lighthouse affair owing
ave been sent to the Orphanage or the Poor House. We pay the parson's salar
e Church, and he always gave that in a most begrudging manner. He even
by their rector. They praised him for what he
rectory. She had taken the early steamer the next morning for the city, so they said. Though the stories were somewhat different yet all agre
their way undisturbed, happy in the feeling that they had done their duty, and pouring
en a letter from Boston reached them, with
ll you please drop me a line to let me know how he is. I hope
A LA
e time after he had read the letter. His eyes stared stra
uld not use that money as it would weigh too heavily upon my conscience. A sacrifice has been made, there is no
lls me that she is a good true woman, and that Rodney need nev
feeling that it is not her real name. Anyw
story of the lad from the cold night he had been left at the rectory. Far away in the big American city a few days later, in a scantily furnished
was kept up with great regularity for several years, and during that time numerous letters were exchanged. The ones from the mother were always very br
im in my arms. God grant I may ere long have that blessed privilege. He is enshrined in my heart, and his sweet face is ever before me. I console myself wit
orried the Royals, for they believed that Rodney's mother was in better circumstances, and would soon return for her boy. Their faces always grew very grave an
which he did not know. He found birds' nests in the most unlikely places, and he often caused Parson Dan many a tramp, as he eagerly pointed out his numerous treasures in tree, field, or vine-covered fence. It was often hard for the clergyman to keep up with his young guide, who sped on before, his bare, curly hair gl
ey would rest his head upon the soft pillow while Mrs. Royal read him to sleep. Stories he loved, and never we
books when you were little,
eply. "But I read them to a little boy, though
le boy was
little bo
nny? I didn't know tha
was
ere is
n, and one day he went
saw hi
boy, asked, suddenly noticing that tears
y Alec, dear. He went aw
didn'
he was
ey clasped his
he killed
f the track. Many people were k
ey asked. "And those were his books w
ow, and I shall tell you more
that some of the neighbours often sho
ome to a bad end, mark my word," Tom Dunker ponderously remarked
xpect of a pauper chi
of a child? Didn't the only chick they ever had go wild, an' him a parson's son, too? I went to school with Alec, an' I tell ye they kept a tight rein on him.
ereas the boy had not the slightest intention of doing anything wrong. He was simply natural, while many of his critical elders were most unnatural. They
, which to him was long and uninteresting. There would have been no trouble if the kitten had been content to remain beneath its master's coat. But, alas, when the organ struck up for the first hymn, it began to wriggle vehemently in an effort to get its head out to see where the peculiar noise came from. Rodney tried
ng, and formed a choice topic of conversation for the rest of the day in various households. They could not, and in truth did not wish to remember the ex
to several in the parish. The Ladies' Aid Society was meeting at the rectory on a beautiful aftern
for Mrs. Royal's benefit. Mrs. Harmon had no children, and, as is generally the case, she considered herself a great authori
versation. As mothers who had brought up children told how difficult a problem it was, Miss Arabella's eyes gleamed with a scornful pity, and her nose tilted higher in the air than ever. Then when at last she did open her lips, sh
his eyes blazing with excitement. In his grimy hands he clasped some precious treasure. He hesitated for an instant when he saw
d. Instantly there followed a wild shriek of terror, as the spinster leaped from her chair, sending the innocent toad sprawling upo
tly puzzled over the confusion which had been made over his simple action. Little did he know, much less care, that for years to come he wo
them in his little nightgown, they knew that there was nothing bad about him. In truth they wer