Copyright, 1896, by Harper & Brothers. All Rights Reserved.
| published weekly. | NEW YORK, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1896. | five cents a copy. |
| vol. xvii.—no. 885. | two dollars a year. |
THE LOST HOMER.
BY WEBB DONNELL.
"Not back yet, Ned?" The tone hardly indicated that Mrs. Sinclairexpected an affirmative answer. The disappointed look on Ned's face toldits own woful tale.
"No, mother," said Ned, looking out of the window upon the valleysloping to the Hudson, a quarter of a mile away. "No, he isn't back yet,and I've given up all hope that he ever will come back."
Ned drummed dismally on the window-pane before he went on. "If Helen'tossed' Fleetwing a hundred miles out at sea, the pigeon would havebeen here before dark that day, for the steamer sailed at noon."
"Yes, one would think so," assented Mrs. Sinclair.
"Now it's the third day," went on the boy at the window, disconsolately."Helen either forgot to set the bird free until the steamer was too farout for him to be able to fly back, or Fleetwing has been shot by apot-hunter. When can we hear from Helen, mother?"
"Well, the steamer is due at Queenstown next Friday," said Mrs.Sinclair, "Then it will be six or seven days before her letter can getback to us. I guess we will have to wait ten days longer, Neddie; butI'm just as