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