Jack's Ward; Or, The Boy Guardian

utes?" asked a gentleman, as he jumped from his

ght face and laughing eyes, but dressed in clothes of coa

y, hastening to the horse's head; "

oing in at No. 39

g our lives out with predicting that we'll all be in the poorhouse inside of three months. It's enough to make a fellow feel blue, listenin' to her compla

ck?" asked a boy acquaintance,

ain't for long. I shall se

r had left you a fortune,

It belongs to a gent

the ca

in No

s he going

n't k

r, we might take a rid

hook h

he said. "I'll stay h

along. Are you coming

an't get any

trying

her's out of work, and anythi

said Frank Nelson, complacently. "T

r father'

so

that. I'd just as

y own master, and have my time to

lazy,

y. I've a r

ill the gentleman, who had entered No. 39, didn't appear. The horse showed

t Jack. "So do I. I wonder what the man

but then relief came. The o

ed of waiting fo

. "I knew the longer the

hint," said the gen

said Jack, and

ou going to do with the m

, "I shall carry it

oes your mother

of work, and we've got

ur father'

a co

s out o

r six weeks. It's on accou

has plenty of c

our hero. He was a sober, steady man, and industrious; but his wages had never been large, and he had been unable to save up a reserve fund, on which to draw in time of need. He had an excellent wife, and but one child-our present hero; but there was another, and by no means unimportant member of the family. Th

ould have been a cheerful home but for the gloomy presence of Aunt Rachel, wh

e left Jack and the stran

latter, "and, under the circumstances,

pocket a dollar bill,

is for me?" aske

at you carry it home, and

; she'll be glad

oy. I hope your fath

as he wanted a boy to hold his horse. I wonder what Aunt Rachel

he knew he would be expected. It was with a lighter heart than usual that he b

and give a brief de

ng was a motherly-looking woman, with a pleasant face, the prevailing expression of which was a serene cheerfulness, though of late i

e was long and thin, and, as Jack expressed it, she looked as if she hadn't a friend i

said Mrs. Harding, looking at the clo

happened," suggest

you mean,

is morning about a boy being

ink Jack has

ily. "You know how careless boy

ou can look for su

tha. I don't say Jack's run over. Perhaps he's been down to

uch things, Rachel. They m

pared for the worst,"

, brightly, "for that's Jack's step outsid

is. He always comes stamping along as if he was paid for makin' a noise. An

sly, it must be admitted, in his ea