YOURS WITH ALL MY HEART 



"Here, mother, do let me get at it." And 

 with a few smart raps with an old steelyard 

 weight he picked up, the rusty plate loosened, 

 revolved, and fell to the ground as in- 

 stantaneously, like a Jack-in-the-box, out 

 popped a little sharp, sooty nose, and a pair 

 of great blinking eyes, with a glad, half- 

 wailing cry of recognition and relief. 



"Well, I'll be bound! I'm beat this time, 

 mother!" 



"Well, your old mother isn't so easily 

 beaten. When I know a thing, I know it, 

 and the whole world can't beat me out of it; 

 something told me, plain as day, to come to 

 this cellar!" rejoined grandma in a tone of 

 mingled mysterious awe and triumph. 



"Come Flossie, dear little Flossie; grand- 

 ma'll help him." The little fellow was 

 wailing and whimpering out the whole story 

 of his tragic experience, as sure of her sym- 

 pathy as a child. 



And with the most careful assistance and 

 encouragement, that his delicate body and 

 satiny skin should not be injured by the 

 rough narrow walls of the flue for it was a 

 tight fit, like being drawn through a knot- 

 hole poor little Flossie was slowly worked 



67 



