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'TILDA JANE




Works of

Marshall Saunders


  Rose à Charlitte
  Her Sailor
  Deficient Saints
  For His Country and Grandmother and the Crow
  'Tilda Jane


  L. C. PAGE & COMPANY,
  Publishers
  200 Summer Street, Boston, Mass.

[Illustration: "SHE SPELLED OUT THE INFORMATION, 'I AM AN ORPHAN.'"
  (_See page 80_)]




  'TILDA JANE

  AN ORPHAN IN SEARCH OF A HOME

  _A Story for Boys and Girls_

  BY
  MARSHALL SAUNDERS
  AUTHOR OF "BEAUTIFUL JOE," "FOR HIS COUNTRY,"
  "ROSE À CHARLITTE," "HER SAILOR,"
  "DEFICIENT SAINTS," ETC.

  Illustrated by
  CLIFFORD CARLETON
  _By courtesy of The Youth's Companion_

  "My brother, when thou seest a poor man,
  behold in him a mirror of the Lord."
  --ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI.

  [Illustration: (publisher's colophon)]

  BOSTON
  L. C. PAGE & COMPANY
  1901




  _Copyright, 1901_
  BY PERRY MASON COMPANY

  _Copyright, 1901_
  BY L. C. PAGE & COMPANY
  (Incorporated)

  _All rights reserved_


  Colonial Press
  Electrotyped and Printed by C. H. Simonds & Co.
  Boston, Mass., U. S. A.




  I DEDICATE THIS STORY TO
  EMILE HUGUENIN, JEAN BRUN,
  GERALD MUIR, SANFORD ROTHENBURG,
  HARRY KRUGER, MAUGHS BROWN,
  AND
  ROBBIE MACLEAN,
  BOYS OF BELMONT SCHOOL WHO USED TO GATHER ROUND ME
  ON SUNDAY AFTERNOONS AND BEG FOR A MANUSCRIPT
  READING OF THE TRIALS OF MY ORPHAN
  IN SEARCH OF A HOME.




  _Owing to the exigencies of serial publication, the story of
  "'Tilda Jane," as it appeared in The Youth's Companion, was
  somewhat condensed. In the present version the omitted portions
  have been restored, and the story published in its original form._




CONTENTS.


  CHAPTER                                    PAGE

  I.     A CREAMERY SHARK                      11

  II.    EVEN SHARKS HAVE TENDER HEARTS        26

  III.   THE STORY OF HER LIFE                 36

  IV.    UNSTABLE AS WATER                     50

  V.     ANOTHER ADVENTURE                     61

  VI.    DEAF AND DUMB                         75

  VII.   CLEARING UP A MISTAKE                 85

  VIII.  A THIRD RUNNING AWAY                  94

  IX.    LOST IN THE WOODS                    107

  X.     AMONG FRIENDS                        121

  XI.    A SUDDEN RESOLUTION                  136

  XII.   FAREWELL TO THE POACHERS             151

  XIII.  AN ATTEMPTED TRICK                   164

  XIV.   HOME, SWEET HOME                     171

  XV.    THE FRENCH FAMILY                    186

  XVI.   THE TIGER IN HIS LAIR                194

  XVII.  THE TIGER MAKES A SPRING             206

  XVIII. IN SEARCH OF A PERFECT MAN           217

  XIX.   SWEET AND SOFT REPENTANCE            230

  XX.    WAITING                              240

  XXI.   THE TIGER BECOMES A LAMB             246

  XXII.  A TROUBLED MIND                      257

  XXIII. AN UNEXPECTED APPEARANCE             266

  XXIV.  A FRIEND IN NEED                     275




LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.


                                                    PAGE

  "SHE SPELLED OUT THE INFORMATION, 'I AM AN
  ORPHAN'" (_See page 80_)                _Frontispiece_

  "'WELL, I VUM!'"                                    15

  "'TILDA JANE SAT LIKE A STATUE"                     45

  "'I'M GOIN' TO REPENT SOME DAY'"                    92

  "HE LAY DOWN BESIDE HER"                           116

  "'STOP THAR--STOP! STOP!'"                         168

  "'YOU ARE YOUNG FOR THAT, _MADEMOISELLE_,
 