Weekly Calaveras chronicle., 1866-08-18

Poor thing, he's tiredr l heard her
whisper, and put her little hand out and
patted me softly by stealth.
Soon I looked down into the church
again, and saw Grant Stanton kiss his
bride. .l
is it over ? asked the girl.
yes. child I said, 'all over
eThen I must CO. she said THANK
you for being SO kind to me, Sir. Good
BY a
Good-by,' ! said, and her little leath-
er shoes battered over the aisle and
down the stairs, and | had seen, as I
thought, the last of her. When she was
gone l missed her strangely
went home when the church was
quite empty. 1t had not been so hard
to bear as | had feared, and oddly enough
[ found myself thinking of that child
little gypsy head, and those beautiful
long-fringed eyes. l wondered at myself
but it was SO. r.
4 should like to see the child again,
I said, and as spoke spied crowd
about a tavern door upon the road.
1t was poor place, and poor rough
people made up the group. But it was
plainly no common quarrel or drinking
bout which had brought them there,
for their faces were all grave and their
voices suppressed. crossed the road
what has happened, friend p l ask
ed of tinker near by.
Only blind fiddler dropped dead,'
he said. But there's gal there wild
about it,
And then passed him and went in.
An old man lay upon the floor, and
across his body girl had flung herself
[ knew the gypsy hair and the brown
neck, the scant cotton dress and the sun
bonnet, flung with handful of wild
flowers upon the floor; and l bent over
her, touching the little despairing head.
My child said, he is happier than
we are
And she looked up.
lie was all l had, she said, all, all !!
So | had thought when Aletta gave
me back our betrothal ring My heart
ached for her. | said no other word,
but led her to an inner room, while
two men bore the dead man up stairs.
She wept wildly, but my presence seem
ed to comfort her ss..-
After while she drew closer to me,
and, sitting on low stool. leaned her
forehead on my knee. Soon my hand
rested on it, and in an hour she had
sobbed herself to sleep.
said few words to the landlady
when | arose to leave and she promis-
ed to attend to my orders, enforced by
the contents of my pocket-bvok.
The girl sha'n't go till I hear from
you, SIR she said. Indeed, | don't
know where she would go. She seems
friendless, and such child for her age.
Thank you, Sir
And | went on my way again, think
ing not of Aletta, but of the fddler's
grandchild. This sun. Drowned waif, so
simple and so ignorant, so friendless
and alone.
was young yet-not five and twenty
"a bachelor, and likely to be one my
life long. | had no proper home to
take her to, and no friend to aid me-
At last, in my extremity, | thought of
Betty-old Betty, who had once been
my nurse, and who loved me as she
might her own son-and in the gloam-
ing made my way to her poor home.
found her trimming her vines in the
bit of garden-ground. and had my usual
kiss across the fence even before the
gate was opened
L have been thinking of you,' she
said. Il knew it was you as soon as l
heard some one coming. 'Tisnt every
young gentleman would weary himself
to see an old body like me. Sit down,
honey, and rest
4 came to ask favor, Betty said.
Just name it, Master Berthe
will you take boarder, Betty?
BLESS me in my two rooms?'
Only child, Betty
"a child Master Albert J
told her of the fiddler's death, and
of the girl. 4 have money enough I
said, but no female relatives. [ can
only come to you m
you were always kind-hearted from
boy she said. 'Ill take the little girl
Master Berthe
Then she put both hands on my
shoulders.
you haven't fretted, have you? she
asked.
'Fretted,' asked. 'Why?'
Nay, why, indeed = said old Betty.
Better fish in the sea than ever were
caught yet Then in moment more
she added: 1--WE been to see the we'd
ding
4 felt my face flush. Shall l bring
the girl tomorrow after her grandfa-
theirs funeral p | asked.
when you please, said Betty. But
Master Albert, what do you mean to do
with her? You are doing all this in
hurry. Just think bit.
4 mean to adopt the child,' I said.
1T will make me happy to have young
thing to care for.
Betty laughed. You'll have young
things of your own, please God, some
day. she said. why, at your age life
is before YOU ai
Il shall never marry, Betty I said.
She caught my fingers in a close clasp
with her horny Woodworking hand.
4 wish you was back again baby on
MY knee Mastar Rertie !, she said I'D