Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1869-12-31

VOL. XLIII. NEW :
that her sweet face was wbiter than
any face Mimi had ever seen, ana
thinner and sadder. She was asleep nut
in such strange position, with her
head hanging 70 one side and her eyes han
open, and her hands tightly clenehed.
With a sudden impulse Mimi rushed f)rward,
snatched up the baby and darted away to-
ward the house. without glancing again at
the rale woman still motionless in her strange
..f0h. Eunice - cried Mimi, darting into
the kitchen, III little Christ-baby, be-
Heye. and it. mother Is asleep in the barn,
and oh, shes 50 dreadful white and still"
Eunice came forward and looked closely
at the child in Minis arms, and then
with a sort of gasping exclamation, took
it into her own and carried it into the full
light of the FIRE
g Now the Lord save us if it should be so.
and this very night of all the nights in the
year, murmured Eunice, and then she laid
the patient baby back in Minis arms and
hastened toward the door. With her hand
upon the latch she turned. and the child saw
that all the ruddy color had gone out of her
face, leaving it almost as ghastly, though not
half so white, as that Of the sleeuer in the
barn.
- You keep the baby quiet. Mimi, and don't
let it cry for your life.
She was gone aad the door closed, and Nj
nj, almost wondering if she were awake and
all this was real, seated herself in the little
blue arm chair with the baby upon her knees
and studied its pretty face and great brown
ewes which looked up at her with a strangely
familiar glance.
She was still 50 engaged when heavy steps
were heard without; and Eunice, opening
the dooa held it for David, the hired man,
who entered with cautious steps, carrying N
his arms the liieless form OF the woman MI
mi had seen in the barn.
Right IN here, Dave, and don make
noise enough to scare weasel. woulon t
have Squire come out now not Tor hundred
dollars, whispered Ernice. showing the way
to her o1n bedroom, small chamber open
iug from the kitchen
" Now run home ana SEND up Nancy
as quick as she can come Hurry now. man.
u You ever hurried IN your lile
' Yes answered DAVID, sedttlIns
away as fast as he could, while Eunee, with
great tears running down her checks and
dropping oil her pointed chm, began 20 un-
dress the cold siill hsure upon ner bed,
whispering all the time
Poor dear crcter f1or ga To think
oi her coming to tins Poor lamb
Then suddenly she beckoned to Mimi, who
went TO her stlll carrying the baby IN her
arms. No sooner was she within reach than
/ Laniee, grasping her arm with unconscious
i'rce' led her to the bed, and pointing to the
white face upon the pillow, SAID
e. Ii your own sister, Mimi Beverly It's
You father Oldest child, and If she Is dead
she's nigh It, with cold and starving and
hard work. W bat do you think o! tnat
" Ny sister; haven aver t any sister ~ STAN
keepers earnest tone.
d" None that ever was spoke of IN th's
house since the night ten years ago this
Christmas-eye, that she ran away with
man hcT father had iorhld her ever 70 speak
20 or think Of again. and the next day they
was gone. 1t killed her mother, for she TOOK
sick that night, and three days after laid in
her shroud, and then your father cursed her.
and the curse clung to her She wrote after
q while. and begged To be forgiven, and To
be told II her mother iorgaye her before she
died. The Squire wrote back an answer
what it was don't know, but them as knows
him can guess and from that day her name
has never been heard In the house no more.
no. nor half so much, as If She d been dead
but year by year I've seen that natter was at
work in the Squire heart, and as enc
Christmas after another has come round
10 Il