Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-05-12

bakllngr Mrs. Anderson cried, sharply
HWhO could be cruel enough to wish to
h1xm her! 0 Ben, what shall We do-is
here no way to find out anything about
IL this Gordon was As careless about
HE child As he was about the direction of
BIZ letter, she might have been forwarded
10 New Zealand" exclaimed Arnold, i'm.
atisntly
!" But Viola knew where we were COM
Big, and che would tell that, herself" Mrs.
Anderson said, quickly.
eyes, suppose 80. But don't zee
What you are going TO do 1T this late day.
tvmH opinion that somebody has IN in
Serese Id To child, and l think you had
better let the whole thing drop"
20 Tom! And never know whether
she is living or dead?" Mrs. Anderson
cried, in distressed voice.
"Myra, you had ought to open an Or
phan's asylum" he replied laughing "But
must be Off Blanche expected me last
night. I'm sorry about this thing, sis, but
wouldntworry about il, it will all come
out right. I guess. Maybe your founding
has gone back to France to look up her
pedigree-who knows?" and with pleas
ant laugh he shut the door and sprang
into his wagon, and giving the two beau
tiful "grey's" loose rein, was soon out of
sight
A little silence followed his departure,
Mrs. Anderson Rervously rolling and un-
rolling the hem of her apron, and glanc-
ing co,ertly at Ralph, who was moving
restlesly about. Presently he came up to
his fataer, who was sitting with his chin
buried in his hand, and his eyes fixed on
the floor.
Father, aren't you going to look her
upy" he broke out, impetuously. Be-
cause IT'S year ago. and somebody has
spiteagainst her, is that any reason why
zoe shouldn't love her just as well, and try
to find her? Maybe she is in some aims
house somewhere, and cannot get to us.
Let ne go, father, I'm big enough to go
alone, now. I won't give up till find her
If she is in the United States
Ralph's hurried speech was interrupted
by the entrance of Ned Bradlee, who had
bought quarter section OF government
nnd mile or so up the river, erected
log house on it, and lived, as he expressed
it, in the "tallest kind of clover"
"Makin Fourth O July Grafton,
Sauires" he cried out ZOOS if you are,
want you to pile on something pretty
steep about this great and glorious West
with its stupendOus pastors and wavin
grain, and all that sort o. thing heerd u
fellow du it down in Dixon last Indepen-
dence, and tell you, it was leetle the
sublimest thing ever heerd. l had to
stuff my handkerchief into my mouth to
keep from shouting glory right straight
along. Twas most equal TO the way /
hecrd fellow spread himself up to Bos-
ton once, bout the Pilgrims"
ave have had letter from Gordon
that has been year on the way, and he
SAYS that Viola came back three days after
we left, and he sent her right on after us
the next morning." Ralph said, excitedly,
interrupting him.
"Sho you don't say SO! Well, If that
amt curis-well, declared
"And Uncle Tom thinks it's no use
doing anything about it, just because it's q
year ago! Suppose It's year-who
cares! / guess if it was Blanche, he
wouldn't mind if it had been half dozen
yearsl" he cried, with rising color.
SOFTLY! You're full OF fire as keg Of
gunpowder Let's hear the story, neigh
Dor" turning to Anderson.
"Well, it's the most unlikely thing to
happen to common folks ever heard" he
said thoughtfully, when the letter had
been read, and various comments and
vDccul&tiOns had beon made On IL. Ns
almost equal to 'Lonzo and Melisa Il
don't spose you ever read that Ben? II
isn't Just your style, III allow, but it's
powerful interestin'; beats Pilgrims
Progress ten to one, and I've an idea it's
Dot bot of h1r hor
nor there. Isay go after the gal, and If
you want any help, there's quarter sec
tian of prairie in Winnebago county that
would jump at the chance TO lay itself out
in the cause, and here's my hand on It,,
neighbor-not particularly handsome
one, perhaps, but ! knOw it's honest"
"And so do l. my old friend" Mr.. An
derson said smiling family; "but it is
blind working now. Ii had got the let
ter direct, the railroad men could have
given me something to go by; but it has
been too long to hope for that now.
! There's always been a mystery hanging
about the Child since her mother died,
leaving her name, even, in doubt"
"Oh, that reminds me-" inter
rupted Bradlee, who do you guess
IL see down in the city TO.
| dayy But Of course you cant guess, and
mebby you've forgot all about him. But
knew him the minute see him. You re.
member that tall, stylish lookin chap who
come down from Plymouth, and who was
| in the LIE Brun, and
"What, DeVriesy' exclaimed An
! derson.
Yes, that is the name. couldn'tre.
member, though knew IT had sort OF
onrighteous sound to it," be said, laugh
ing.
But how came he heres" asked An.
! derson.
"Well, don't remember asI asked him
Il believe, though, he said somethin
about havin' been here nigh about two
year. He seemed to feel bad enough
WHEN told him about Hummin' Bird
He said he remembered what a pretty
little thing she was, and he put his hand
up to his eyes, an wouldn't hs' believed
he would been 80 cut up. He's pretty
nice sort OF Teller, reckon
II wonder I have never happened TO
see him but then am not in town much.
| nj ask Arnold about him he will know,
/ MI. Anderson replied.
/ Ralph sat silent as they talked, but
there came back TO him the memory ol
that morning on Plymouth beach, and the
little trunk under the dripping kelp, and