CHAPTER IV.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 292, 22 August 1888, Page 6

CHAPTER IV.

A CHANGE OF KESIDENCE AND AN ADVENTURE. Thus the stranger's child found a home, with loving hearts and willing hands to care for her. But Angus and Alico Damon Huntress had for certain reasons withhold their surname from tho mother of the child they had adopted. 1 1 shall never put myself in tho power of this woman,' lie had said to his wife, while discussing tho question. 'If wo adopt this littlo one wo must so arrange matters that sho can never be taken from us ; ?o that she can nevor cvon be found by those Avho give her to us, or bo told that she is not our own flesh and blood.' So ho had called himself August J)amon, which was the truth, ah far as it wunt, but no one in Boston knew him by any other name than Huntress, and he did not in tend that tho mother of tho little one should ever know what became ot the child after it was given into his hands?. They »aye her the name of Gladys., for, as Alice 1-1 impress said, sho bog an to brighten and gladden their saddened hearts and lives from the moment of her coming to them. Tho Huntresses lived in a very quiet way, on an unpretentious street in tho city of Boston. I\lr Huntress had a pood alary, but they were people of simply sastes, and had more of a dosirc to lay by a snug sum for declining years than to live extravagantly and make a show in the world. For so\ oral ycai s nothing occurred eithor to entice or diivo them out of t>ho beaten track ; then all at once August limitless conceived a bulli.uit idea, put it. into practical use, secured a patent, and became a ich man. No other children came to sharo the lo\e and care bestowed upon Gladys, ami the hearts of her adopted puionts weie litcially bound up in her. Every possible advantage was lavished upon her, and at the ago of twelve sho was a bright, beautiful little maiden with glossy brown hair, lovely dark blue eyes and regular featuies, and gave promise of rare beauty when she should reach maturity a few years hence. About this time it appeared necessary, for the intctcsts of the house with which Mr Hunticss was connected, that ho should remove to New York city. Accotdingly tho beginning of Gladys Huntress'?, thirteenth \ car found the family established in a well-furnished mansion in i Clinton Avenue, one of the pleasantcsfc portions of Brooklyn, while Mi Huntiess' oflice was located in Dey-street, New Yoik. Hero Gladys, at once entered the high school, having passed her examination? most cieditably, and ghen promise of becoming a brilliant scholar. Sho dearly loved study, and asserted that as soon as she should complete the high school course, she should ' make papa send her to Vassal for another four yeais, o finish her off.' One afternoon in JVlay, after school was over for the day, Gladys persuaded her mother to allow their coachman to drive her over to New York to meet and bring her father home to dinner. She had not, as yet, ever been allowed to go out alone in this way ; but Mrs Huntress could not accompany her that day, having an important engagement with some friends ; but she knew her driver was perfectly trustworthy ; he was very fond of the young girl, and she was sure that no harm could befall her, so the desired peij mission was given, and tho youthful I maiden drove oil' in high glee and full oi importance at bcint; permitted to go by herself to the great metropolis. I The Fulton Ferry was safely crossed, and j the carriage was rolling slowly up toward j Broadway, when Gladys's attention was arrested by a group of street gamins, who had surrounded a boy whom they appeared to bo jeering and tormenting in a ciuel manner, who seemed completely dazed by his position and greatly distressed by the illtreatment to which ho was subjected. Ho was a peculiar-looking boy, leaving a slender though perfect form, a delicate, ' rather aristocratic face, and a finely-shaped head ci owned with masses of light wavy hair, in which there were rich tints of gold and blown. And now thero occurred an incident dcs- ; tincd to have a wondoiful influence on the young girl's whole future life. He was very pale and his full, laigc bluo eyes had a strange expression in their depths — half wild, half pathetic — which went straight to our yonnjr hcioino's heart He was neatly but plainly clad, though his garments had become somewhat disarranged by the rude handling of his tormentors, and lie was making ineffectual efforts to lccovcr a very good-looking straw hat that had been pnatched from his head and was being ruthlessly tossed about by the vicious gamins, who wore triumphing in his distress, with a soit of fiendish joy. 'John, what arc they doing to that poor boy?' Gladys asked, leaning forward, and speaking to the coachman. ' They'ie a set of imps, miss, and as usual up to some of their infornal tricks,' refilled the man. 'It looks to mo as if the l.yd h half fooli&h, and thoy'ro making game of him.' *It i^ a shame,' criod the little lady flushing indignantly. ' See what a nice looking boy he is — so different from those coarse, rude children. Stop, John, and lot us help him to get away from them.' { Indeed, miss, I can't ; it wouldn't bo at all piopor,' leturnod tho dignified diiver. ' It's the business of the police to look after such cases, no for a young lady in your position.' At this instant a mischievous ragamuffin seized the strange lad by tho hair, giving it such a savago pull that lio cried out with frightened pain, while a shout of mocking delight rang out from the motley crew about him. Gladys Huntress sprang up in her carriage, an angry Huhli surging over her pretty faco. ' John, stop !' she cried imperiously. ' Stop !' she repeated, laying her gloved hand upon his arm, with a touch that ho involuntarily oboyed, and drawing his reins, his well-trained ho» % sos came to a stand clo&c beside the group we have de scribed. • Boys, what are you doing ? Let him alone. Aren't you ashamed lo torment a boy who is weaker than yourselves ?' the young girl exclaimed, in a tone of authority and scorn, which for a moment arrested thoir cruel sport, while they gazed openmouthed with astonishment at the elegant equipage and its fair occupant who had so nobly espoused the cause of their luckless victim. But it was only for a moment. Everybody knows what lawless creatures the street urchins of New York aro, and the next instant a desisive shout rent tho air at this strange and unlooked-for inter - foronce.

' Hi !' cried one, who appeared' to be the leader in the fray. 'Mr Ohalkface must be some prince in disguise, and. 'ere comes the princess with 'er coach and span to the rescue.' Another shout more deafening than the preceding one rent the air at this sarcastic speech, and Gladys shrank back with a look of disgust on her young face. ' Pretty littlo Miss Upporcrust,' the young rascal insolently resumed, encouraged by the applause around him. • I guess it'll take more'n you and your fine feathers to squelch Nick Tower. Sco"ere now, how d'ye like that ?' wherewith he gave the poor boy a brutal punch in the ribf> which elicited a Bhriek of agony from him. Gladys's eyes blazed wrathfully. For a moment she gazed straight into the face of the impudent urchin, her beautiful lips quivering; with contempt, while every oyo was tixod upon her with wonder and curiosity. 1c was a new departure for a young and delicate girl to faco them liko that. It was their experience to have everyone of the better class shrink from them in disgust and get out of their way as soon as possible. Gladys saw that their attention was all concentrated upon her, and that the boy, upon whom they had been 'venting their malice, was for tho time unheeded. Shu saw, too, that ho was stealthily edging hi? way toward tho carriage, and a .sudden bright thought flashed into her mind. She bent forward as if to speak again, and the interest dcoponed on those youthiul faces beneath her. Quick as a Hash .she turned the handle of the carriago door, threw it open, and with a significant gesture, she cried out, in clear, ringing tones : ' Come here, boy, quick ! quick !' The lad needed no second bidding. With one bound he was outside the circle of his tormetnors, ; another brought him to the sido of the carriage, and tho next inptant Ivo had sprung within the vehicle, where he sank panting and trembling upon a rug at tho young lady's feet. The door was immediately shut and fastened. Gladys's face was glowing with triumph over the success of her ruse, while, at an authoritative chirrup from the coachman, who, sooth to say, had keenly enjoyed the s] tinted and courageous attitude assumed by his young mistress in defence of the persecuted boy, the horses started on, leaving the group of gamins speechless and spell-bound inamazementatthis unexpected master-stiokc. It was only for a minuto, however ; the nevb, rage at having been outwitted by a girl, and that one of the hated favourites of fortune, superseded their astonishment, and a succession of frantic yells burst upon their cars, while as with one mind they stooped to gather mud from the gutter, lolled it into ball 5 - and then sent their filthy missiles flying after tne receding carriage and its occupants. Gladys did not pay the slightest heed to this attack, though one vile mass came plump against her pietty sunshade, where it adheied for a moment and then rolled into the stieot, but leaving an unsightly stain where it had shuck upon the rich glossy s ilk. The irate little wretches would have followed up then assault had not a policeman suddenly made his appearance upon the scene, when they took to their heels, scattering and disappearing around a corner like a flock of f lightened sheep, quicker than it has taken to relate the occurrence. Gladys gave a sigh of relief as the noise and pelting ceased, and then she turned her attention to the luckless waif whom she had befiiendcd in his hour of need. 'Get up, boy,' she said, kindly, 'they cannot huit you now.' But as he still crouched, trembling and frightened, at her feet, she turned to the coachman, and said : ' John, help him up. ho is too frightened to move/ ' Come, my lad, you've nothing to fear now/ the diivei rcmaikcd, cncoiuagingly, and 1 caching over the back ot his seat he took the boy by the aim and lifted him from the iloor, placing him opposite his young mistiOhb ITo glared wildly about him at first, but as liis eyes fell upon Gladys's sympathetic face tho fear faded trom them and he seemed reassured. Then all at onco he put his hand to his head in a disticssed way, and called out : ' M'ha ! m'ha !' ' What docs he mean, John ? Can they ha\o hint him, do you think?' Gladys anked, looking perplexed, and regarding tho boy's blank though beautiful face with anxiety. * I don't know, miss ; perhaps it's his hat he's tioublcd about,' The lad turned quickly at tho word hat, nodded his head emphatically, and showed two rows of white, handsome tooth in a bioad, satisfied smile. ' M'ha ' m'ha !' he repeated, and then thoic followed a lot of gibberish that was wholly unintelligible to his listeners. ' How stiangcly he appears !' Gladys exclaimed, regarding him curiously. '1 [c do, indeed, miss. The poor chap is an idiot, or I'm much mistaken.' 'Au idiot !' Oh, how dreadful ! Poor boy,' cried Gladys, pityingly. Then she added, soothingly : ' Never mind your hat, papti shall buy you another.' The young stranger nodded contentedly, as if he understood her, while his great blue eyes were h\\od earnestly and confidingly on her lace. ' What is your name and where do you live?' continued the young girl, wondering what she should do with him now that she had rescued him from his persecutors, if he could not tell where ho belonged. The only anssvor to this query was a senseless smile, accompanied by a low crooning sound of contentment. ■ Oh, dear ! can't you talk at all ? What is your name ? you must tell me, or I shall not know where to take you,' said Gladys, beginning to look greatly disturbed, and wondering what would bo the result of this strange adventure. The boy reached out a white, slender hand, and touched the girl caressingly on the cheek, at the same time making a sound indicative of pleasure and admiration, but uttering no intelligible word. It was evident that he was not only simple-minded, but that there must be some paralysis of the vocal organs as well, that prevented his talking. A Hush sprang to tho young girl's face, and a strange thrill pei vaded her at the touch of thoso delicate lingers. 'He is the mot beautiful boy I ever saw,' she said, * but, oh ! how dreadful for him not to know anything ! I wonder who ho is, John !' 'I'm sure I can't say, miss,' replied the j man, looking perplexed and somewhat annoyed. John gave a long look at the young stranger. ' Ho's small of his age, miss, but I reckon he must be older than yourself. ' 1 Older than J ! Oh ! Ido not think that can be possible,' Gladys exclaimed, attentively studying the strangely attractive yet vacant countenance before her. ' What shall wo do with him, John ?' she inquired, aftor a moment of thoughtful silence. ' I think we'd best take him straight to

the office, tell the ma«ter all about him, and he'll settle the matter.' ' Yea, I believe that will be the best plan,' Gladys returned, looking greatly relieved. 'Papa will know just what to do. But,' bending forward and laying her hand on the boy's arm to attract his attention more fully, whilo she spoke slowly and very distinctly, ' can't you tell mo where you live, boy? do try, and then we can take you directly to your home. 5 The lad looked up with a most confiding smile ab her, gently took her hand from his arm, clasped it tenderly in both his own, and murmured, in an exceedingly rich mellow tone, some strange sounds. ' Oh, how sorry I am for him !' Gladys said, with starting tears. ' I wonder if he his any father or mothor, brothers or .sisters. It would break my heart to have a lovely brother like this, and not have him know anything. Hurry on, John, please, I am anxious to know what papa can do for him.'