Produced by Brendan Lane, Richard Prairie and PG Distributed
Proofreaders
Gene Stratton-Porter
Copyright 1915, 1916
Contents
I. Happy Home in Sunrise Alley II. Moccasins and Lady Slippers
III. S.O.S. IV. "Bearer of Morning" V. Little Brother VI.
The Song of a Bird VII. Peaches' Preference in Blessings VIII. Big
Brother IX. James Jr. and Malcolm X. The Wheel of Life XI.
The Advent of Nancy and Peter XII. Feminine Reasoning XIII. A Safe
Proposition XIV. An Orphans' Home XV. A Particular Nix XVI. The
Fingers in the Pie XVII. Initiations in an Ancient and Honourable
Brotherhood XVIII. Malcolm and the Hermit Thrush XIX. Establishing
Protectorates XX. Mickey's Miracle
Happy Home in Sunrise Alley
"Aw KID, come on! Be square!"
"You look out what you say to me."
"But ain't you going to keep your word?"
"Mickey, do you want your head busted?"
"Naw! But I did your work so you could loaf; now I want the pay youpromised me."
"Let's see you get it! Better take it from me, hadn't you?"
"You're twice my size; you know I can't, Jimmy!"
"Then you know it too, don't you?"
"Now look here kid, it's 'cause you're getting so big that folks willbe buying quicker of a little fellow like me; so you've laid in the sunall afternoon while I been running my legs about off to sell yourpapers; and when the last one is gone, I come and pay you what theysold for; now it's up to you to do what you promised."
"Why didn't you keep it when you had it?"
"'Cause that ain't business! I did what I promised fair and square; Iwas giving you a chance to be square too."
"Oh! Well next time you won't be such a fool!"
Jimmy turned to step from the gutter to the sidewalk. Two thingshappened to him simultaneously: Mickey became a projectile. He smashedwith the force of a wiry fist on the larger boy's head, while aboveboth, an athletic arm gripped him by the collar.
Douglas Bruce was hurrying to see a client before he should leave hisoffice; but in passing a florist's window his eye was attracted by asight so beautiful he paused an instant, considering. It was spring;the Indians were coming down to Multiopolis to teach people what thewood Gods had put into their hearts about flower magic.
The watcher scarcely had realized the exquisite loveliness of amilk-white birch basket filled with bog moss of silvery green, in whichwere set maidenhair and three yellow lady slippers, until beside it wasplaced another woven of osiers blood red, moss carpeted and bearingfive pink moccasin flowers, faintly fined with red lavender; betweenthem rosemary and white ladies' tresses. A flush crept over the leanface of the Scotsman. He saw a vision. Over those baskets bent a girl,beautiful as the flowers. Plainly as he visualized the glory of theswamp, Douglas Bruce pictured the woman he loved above the orchids.While he lingered, his heart warmed, glowing, his wonderful spring day