Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-07-31

Please, sir, L sad, stepping for
ward, Il could 20 in half the time of
n--r, ana 1 gouidn mind the drifts,
cause I'm used to EN-.
wait till you are wanted erowl-
Ell the man. It's little enough the
young one can do +; and if she gets
a foot frozen 1T may be as well off as
on, for aught the good her feet do
me-
Il was OF fiery temper in those
days, miss, and Lucy was all l had
TO love in the world. The mans
taunt stnng me worse than thou
sand scorpions and l flung into his
face shower of epithets that, for my
sisters sake, had better never been
spoken.
1.-The man struck me with his huge,
broad palm-perhaps 1 deserved it,
perhaps I didn't-and was knocked
senseless to the floor. When open
ed my eyes Lucy was standing over
me with the little blue hood / had
made her tie under the chin, and
thin, tattered shawl over her shoul-
ders.
"'Don't mind, Margie, DEAR whis-
pered the child, 'I'il make haste ,and
try to be back ;.efore dark. Perhaps
I'll get ride she said, with wan
smile.
"'Ah but the drifts, Lucy-you
never can get through the drifts, they
are dreadful down there in the hol-
low. But mind, if you get cold and
sleepy don't sit down, but keep
walking on, until / cone.'
"'If you was only going said
Lncy, wistfully.
Make haste, the sun Is setting,
and you will lose the road. If you
get into the fields you viii be lost
and frozen to death
81 went with her to the door; and
holding her thin cheeks between my
hands, kissed them over and over
again. Then she burst away from
me, and went leaping through the
snow like a fawn.
Remember, Lucy / shouted af-
ter her, if you get lost, keep walk.
ing. I'll come and find you when
they get to Sleep
''There was light laugh, and then
the blue hood disappeared under the
snow. 1t was only All instant she
was up again, and fiinging kisses at
me, when hand was laid heavily
on my shoulders, and 1 was in the
grasp of the keeper.
"Ohe glance at the leath thongs
in his hand was enough. Older per-
SONS than / had writhed under their
torture, ,and their hideous shrieks had
well nigh drove me frantic. Now
my time had come.
Here AIargie stopped, and glared
into my face with Il ghastly flXe1-
ness, frightful to see. She was liv-
ing the awful scene over again and
no wonder her lips were mute.
Didn't you struggle, Margie :?
Didn't you cry out ?"
81 suppose so, | can't remember, it
was so terrible. But through it all l
was conscious ef one comfort-my
sister was not there to see it.
when it was over, miss, / was
sight to see. 1 had grappled with
all the fierceness of which / was
capable, and he had beaten me off
as he was best able. My hands were
a mass of bruises and felt the blood
trickling down into my shoes !; for l
didn't wear stockings, miss, even in
winter.
1.-The beating over, the keeper went
out, and turned the key, leaving me
a prisoner in the little room which
was used ito contine the refractory
and insane,
al was only too familiar with the
derstood by the turning key that |
was to remain a night, or a week. as
the monster saw fit, without expect
ing food or relief.
"Maddened with pain, and frantic
with despair, thinking more OF Lucy
than myself, / threw myself against
the door, and demanded to be let
out. / beat the panels until my lit
tie strength was exhausted and
then, either from fainIuesS or eX-
haustion, became unconscious.
''It was night when / became con-
scious again. The storm had abated,
and the stars shone bright and clear
through the solitary window of the
closet. Everything was as still as
death. My limbs were stiff, and be-
numbed with cold.
Had Lucy returned ?" That was
my first thought. How could [ es-
cape from my prison? That was the
second.
"If Lucy had not returned, surely,
savage as the keeper was, he would
have pity and go in search of her,
and there would be some movement
to indicate her absence. Reasoning
in this way tried to soothe my fears
in regard to the poor child, and for
get my own smart and pain in think
ing how / could escape from the
wretched place.
1.-The cocks crew, and l knew it
was past midnight; and hark some
body was at the door, for | saw
light through the keyhole.
Lucy, Lucy l whispered, with
my lips to the lock. Deary me it
was only the crazy old woman going
her rounds.
did you hear the cock crow p
asked she.
".Indeed did. Open the door,
THE heus have laid a golden egg.
If open the door will you go aud
find it, and bring it to me before the
old man gets It p
"My heart leaped. Perhaps /
could escape through this crazy crea-
ture's foolish fancy.
"'Flrst, tell me, mistress, has my
sister, Lucy, got back? And did
she get the liuiment for old Skies -
"'Now, that / think of it, it is that
miserable wench that has run away
with all the golden eggs; and thatis
why she hasn't got back growled
the woman.
"'Are yen sure, mistress dear? If
yonwould only go 10 her room and
look, and see if she is there. Per-
haps you will find the golden egg un
der her pillow
The poor, crazy creature. chuck
ling at the idea, groped her way from
the door, with the tallow candle
fiiekering at every step, but present
Iy returned to say the child was not
there, nor had she been in bed that