Quasqueton guardian. (Quasqueton, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1856-1858, 1857-09-10

VI Soiu, uIoPPHsS uiVuSH tIlc~ eWeralu
vines. tossed a small bit of coin out
of the window to her, and she, with a
gleeful laugh, put it between Bravo's
teeth, and bade him carry it to them.
The man shouldered his organ with a
low bow, and had started to go, when his
companion touched him on the shoulder.
and spoke few words to him in a foreign,
|jargonish language. He turned and
looked at Lucy, and then answered in
the same low, rapid, indistinct tone,
which | could not understand, while an
expression, strange, cunning, and almost
cruel, passed over his face.
e Where is Lucy ?" ~
The afternoon had worn silently away,
and we were laying the table for tea when
mother asked the question.
| went to the window and looked out,
expecting to see her asleep, with her head
among the vines, for the piazza was her
afternoon resort. Bravo was there
winking and half asleep, his shaggy body
stretched out in the sun-but Lucy was
gone. a 49,
II guess she has run out to the field
to meet father and the boys Ianswered,
lnreply to mothers inquiring look, "she
isn't in sight"
Nothing more was said until the men,
folks came in to supper. Lucy was not
with them, nor had they seen her on
their way home.
I'll run out and find her while father
is saying grace" shouted Willie, snatch
ing his cap. That will save time, and
Pm hungry
We all smiled at his idea of economy,
but no one offered any objection, and he
went out.
Lucy! L-u-cy L-u-c-e-eh we heard
him call, with voice as clear and as
sharp as young savage's. Soon he
came in, out of breath, but without Lu-
cy.
Perhaps she has gone into some of the
neighbors, and they have invited her to
tea. Let's eat supper, and then if she
don't come, we'll hunt her up spoke
Caleb, my oldest brother.
Tacidy consenting, we took our seats
at the table. But that was an unusually
quiet meal. 1t was no common occur-
--~ -.r.d the vacant high
chair drawn up SO stiffiy before the unused
plate, and the untouched tumbler of fresh
white milk seemed ominous of desola
ton. There was a shade Of anxiety on
mothers naturally serene countenance
father scarcely spoke during the meal, and
| could not help glancing often and .wist
fully at the open door, hoping every mo-
ment to see it shadowed by the entrance
of a little dancing figure, which yet,
something told me forebodingly, would
not come. Only my brothers, thinking
of no possibility of harm, and with the
healthy, eager appetite of growing and
working boys, ate with avidity.
Supper over, they went out, taking diff
ferent paths to the nejghbors and after
clearing away the tea things, we seated
ourselves to wait for them.
The faint shadow of early dusk was
just beginning to fall, when Willie re-
turned lingeringly towards the house.
Hasn't she come yet % he asked, as
he came within calling distance,
Then must go right back he add
ed, in reply to our anxious mo- Faith
er and Caleb are waiting for me at Mr..
Gould's. They thought they would send
word before they went any further'-and
he ran off without stopping to anawer
our eager inquiries.
Mr.. Gould's was as far as we had ever
known Lucy to so alone, and | knew by
the distressed look on mothers counte-
nance, that she was getting seriously
alarmed.
/ | could not bear to sit there, with the
dreadful uncertainty of our darling's fate
weighing on my heart like ice, and throw
ing on my bonnet and shawl, and bidding
mother to keep up good courage, for
was sure we should find Lucy, l went out
into the sober twilight.
! l thought of the well in the back yard
and went to it, half-expecting, as ! leaned
over the lmossy board, to see the white
, frock and shining hair of my little sister
CLEAN up at me from the cool. dark wa
tiers. But no they were clear and glas
} sy, and silent as ever.
; l went into the orchard. 1t was de
serted, even by the robins which hac
: sung there all day wandered down t
t the brook. There were the prints of tiny
ohpac ~, tho SanJ anJ n cor, v.tba ra,