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

blanche" called her father, "you visit
Althea Montford. Who is this De vries
that stops there?"
.Why, he is Mr.. Alfred De vries, Mr..
Montford's business agent private secre.
| tary, and confidential friend. thought
| you knew" W
perhaps did, but I had forgotten.
fords came heres"
Eyes, two years this spring, papa"
This brought Viola to Ralph's mind,
and he said:
Father has concluded to 90 in search
of some traces of our little Viola. sup
pose uncle Tom told you about the let
ter?
"y-es, think he mentioned something
about it. Miscarried, didn't it! l won
der why you trouble yourselves so much
about that strange child, all of you. OF
| course it was splendid in you rescuing her
mother and herself / don't know as l
would mind being shipwrecked if I was
sure some nice, brave, handsome young
fellow would rescue Inc just at the right
moment"
When she first began Ralph felt half
vexed at her careless tone, but the compli-
ment, spoken and implied, Modified him
Immediately. And even while he was
speaking of Viola, he was wondering IL
Blanche thought he was brave and hand
some, and vaguely wishing she might fall
into some little peril from which he could
rescue her.
"You see, Blanche he said, she was
so alone in the world, so utterly friend
less, that we couldn't help caring for her,
and loving her. You know had little
sister once, and think we all loved her
| more for that reason. know mother
did"
"But she wasn't your sister. Maybe
she was some miserable convict's child
there seemed such mystery about her
name, and her father People honest
people-are never ashamed Of their
names. There must have been something
wrong about them, and father says,
though he's sorry because auntie feels 80
bad about it, he believes 1t is just as well
If somebody else has looked out for her"
II don't believe she was to blame, any
way" Ralph said, st0utly, "and I'd give
dozen farms like this, if had them, to
find her again
"What splendid Don Quixote you
would make, to go out to the defense vi
distressed damsels" she cried, with lit
tie ripping laugh. And then she clasped
her pretty white hands about his arm,
and tossed the ripping hair back from
her white shoulders, and looked up in his
face with little quick, admirng glance,
that was altogether irresistible to poor,
unsophisticated Ralph.
The farm work waited as week went
by-waited more patiently than Myra
Anderson or Ralph-and still no word
came from Ben Anderson as to the sue
cess of his search. Every night Ralph
went to the office, but nothing came TO
them. Ned Bradlec ran down every even
ing, to " stretch his legs" he said, not
ious he was to hear If there was any news
from Ben,-or rather, from the lost girl.
But all waiting comes to an end at last,
and the tenth day from that of his de-
parture, Ben Anderson walked into his
house as he had went-L0ne. His wife
saw the grave look in his face, and her
heart sank like lead. Unreasonable as 1t
was, she had cherished a strong hope
that he would find the child, and that
very day she had taken the pretty dress
es, and dainty rufiled skirts from their
resting place in the hair trunk, and spread
tnem OUT WucTc VIC SuuchiHC 0Hu ooaS
wind could touch them, wondering the
while if she had grown mnch. and plan
| ming how she could make them larger
and longer.
There was q little moment OF suspense
"A little dreading to ask on their part,
and little dreading to tell on his; then
he said, in low, husky tone:
"Our little girl is dead, Myra, we will
never worry about her any more"
Then in the faint light Of the soft May
cleaning, with slantwise beams from the
young moon in the west, falling across the
floor till it touched the smouldering Goals
on the hearth, Ben Anderson told the
story of his ten days search.
First he had gone to Detroit to see Cor.
don but Gordon did not keep the house
now, and had moved out OF the city, and
no one seemed to know just where, though
it was somewhere near Lake Huron. After
| two days of delay and inquiry, he found
out that 1t was Saginaw. 1t was not ac
cessibe by rail, SO he went up the lake In
boat, and reached it in that way. OF
Gordon he learned the particulars OF
| Violas return 1t was just at dusk, and
the boarders and guests were seated at the
supper table, when little figure dashed
through the door, and stopping painting
and breathless, before the table, ran her
eyes up and down the long line Of faces.
ut Is Anderson's lost girl.' was the
simultaneous exclamation from score OF
lips.
"Where is her l want my father An
derson!" she cried, bursting into passionate
weeping.
He led her to the parlor, and she grew
suddenly quiet and listened, with great
solemn eyes, while he told her that her
friends had gone on, after waiting for her
a long time, and thinking she was dead.
| At first she declared that she would go
fright off," but after explaining to her
that she could not go till morning, she sat
down content. But when he proposed
writing TO me to return for her, she grew
wild again, and they were glad to pacify
her by promising her she should go in the
| first train west.
| Her account OF her absence was vague
and confused. Somebody, she didn't seem
TO know who, had promised to tell her
something she wanted TO know If she
would 20 TO walk with him. They hadn't
gone very far when they came to dark,
dirty street, and somebody opened door
and caught her away from the side OF her
Il Il Il ~I-s. l.<. L. W.