HOW PATSEY FOUND HIS FORTUNE.

sea-sickness overtook him, on the third day out from Liverpool, the satchel lay
beneath his pillow. .

All the Killikelleys declared they had never seen Patsey so happy. He hob-
bled around the deck, and talked with the sailors, who all had a cheery word for
the little lad. He amused the children, and had a kindly word for all he met.

It was because of his very kindness and good nature that his misfortune over-
took him. His mother was ill nearly all the time, and so Patsey undertook the
care of the baby, a blue-eyed midget of a boy about two years old. He was sit-
ting with the baby on his lap, and as the child threatened to cry, had given
him the precious satchel to play with. As he turned to answer a question of
one of the younger children, Baby took the opportunity to throw the little black
bag over the rail; and Patsey’s frightened eyes just caught a glimpse of it before

 

‘© HE WAS SITTING ON A COIL OF ROPE WITH THE BABY IN HIS LAP.’’

' it disappeared. He made no outcry at first. He was too stunned and miserable.
But when he did commence to weep, he cried as if his heart would break.

Then he had to tell them all about it: how he had planned that they should
all be rich in America; how he had cut up all his precious books and picture
cards, and packed them in that bag, so that they should have plenty of paper
money in the strange land they were going to. They consoled him, sailors and
all, as best they might, and then left him, for he refused to be comforted.
Meanwhile Baby toddled about, and laughed at the crying boy.

By and by the story got all round the ship; and while some smiled a little at
‘first, that a child should be so “simple,” when they knew that it was little
‘crippled Patsey who was so disconsolate, their pity took a very helpful form.

They told the cabin passengers about it, too, and everybody tried to give
something. There were crisp paper five-dollar and ten-dollar bills, and even the
silver and coppers given by the steerage passengers were changed into bills, so
that Patsey should still have paper money. It was all packed in another little
black satchel that one of the ladies gave, and then they all followed the captain
when he went to find the poor boy.