Suppose we take him home with us for a while?"
"There's nothing I would like better," responded Aunt Jane, whose
motherly heart was yet sore with grief for her own little Charlie, who
had been laid in the church-yard years before.
When Mrs. Upton again emerged from the depths of the kitchen they
repeated the proposal to her, and gained her assent at once.
Charlie was next to be informed, but that was not an easy matter. The
boy could nowhere be found.
"Perhaps he's gone to school," suggested Aunt Jane.
"No, I told him that since he had to be absent this morning he might as
well be absent all day. He's somewhere about."
A prolonged search ended in the barn, where Charlie at last was found,
trying to whittle a ruler out of a piece of kindling-wood. He wished to
draw maps and had mislaid or lost most of the articles necessary for the
work.
"Charlie!" exclaimed his mother, "Uncle Josh and Aunt Jane want to take
you home with them for a long visit. We've been looking all over for
you. I've been putting your best clothes in a bag, but you'll have to
be careful about holding it shut, because I can't find the key. Now
hurry and dress yourself if you want to go."
Charlie gave a loud whistle of delight and hastened to the house to
arrange his toilet. He washed his face and hands, brushed his hair, put
on a clean collar, and then went to the kitchen to blacken his shoes. He
expected to find them on his feet, but lo! there were only the slippers
and rubbers, donned in the forenoon and forgotten until now.
Pages:
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79