Chapter I: Front Matter

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE

Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.

Bold text is denoted by =equal signs=.

Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been
corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within
the text and consultation of external sources.

More detail can be found at the end of the book.

'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.

'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.

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_,
YET--'" 190

"HE LIFTED UP HIS VOICE AND ROARED AT HER" 215

"'I'VE LED ANOTHER DOG ASTRAY, AN' NOW HE'S
DEAD'" 235

"'THEY WAS GLAD TO GET RID OF ME'" 258

'TILDA JANE.