Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-01-18


bless her bright eyes.
We hadn't long to wait. The strange
! figure of the bird fancier came before
the door, and my friend bargained
with him for the purchase of the little
songster that had perched on his hand.
I 9 But he won't do that for the young
\ lady unless / introduce him to her and
show her how to coax him" he said.
" l must carry him home for you.
/ | babe my friend good evening and
went back again feeling more comfor-
/ table iii my mind The bird .fancier
strobe after me.
/ When we reached our hall he looked
+ up curiously at the old porch, and, as
thought, seemed to hang back little.
/ There was little brass plate under the
I bell-handle, with the name of the hall
( engraved upon it in church text. He
looked at it and then looked at me.
"You haven't relative by the name
Of Allan, perhaps ~
None to my knowledge" / an
swered. "Where does he live 2"
"Ah, that's more than | can tell YOU
He was more like dying than living
when / first made his acquaintance
but he had youth and health on his
side, and SO | nursed him through; but
You don't know him, ! see-and-yet-
how long may you have lived here q"
"Aboye forty years"
"Ah, then | was mistaken il can't
be. So this is the young LADY," he
said quickly, as Alice, who had come
down to let us in, now stood in the
hall. 1t was strange that he should
look at her with such intensity; his eyes
fastened on her with questioning ex-
preston, as of one who had long been
seeking. 1t took only few minutes
to teach Alice how to coax her pretty
feathered pet. While the bird tancier
was showing her the way to manage it
he kept his searching gaze upon her,
and was so absorbed that when /
touched him on the shoulder lie
started.
Come" ] said, "you will take
some bread and cheese and ale in re-
turn for SO much trouble.
! "No, / think not, y he said with an
abstracted air, and in the same still
tones that sounded almost ghostlv in
their GREATNESS depth. "Bnt if you'd
let the young lady accept another bird
from me-. What did you say her
name was 2"
Alice.
Your daughter
''Well-yes, as much as possible
my daughter and my ward.
Why was he so curious, and still with
that strange, hungry look in his ewes.
81 will willingly buy another bird
for her, y / said, " or she shall buy one
for herself.
"No she may buy the cage, but not
the bird / would much rather give
her both, though
Come, come [ said, "we1l give
you half-a-crown for the cage, then, and
then call the bird present, for which
Alice viii thank you, I'm sure.
Our strange visitor made as though
he would refuse the money for it. bat,
on our pressing him, slowly unfolded
the paper in which it was enclosed, and
was about TO drop the silver into his
pocket, when the writing on that frag-
ment OF the envelope caught his eve.
A sudden spasm lifted across his face,
which was white even to his lips.
"AHce RI" he whispered. Is
that your name, child p
He seemed to control some strong
emotion by violent effort. Il should
know this writing, he said presently.
Iou told me you did not know a
man named Allan, and yet I've letters
of his that would stand by this before
any court of law. Who sent YOU this
letter, dear ~
3" 1t was Mr.. Allan, cried Alice in a
frightened tone 1T DULY came an
hour ago, dear" she added, with her
head upon my shoulder Mr.. Allan
writes that he viii cali
= / must see him, " said the bird fan
( eier, looking at us both with q troub-
led face as he thrust the scrap of paper
into his breast :" He viii not refuse
me; don't think it for | saved his life
twlcc-once when we were chums to-
gether IN the gold fields, and shot the
fellow who was crawling under his tent
no murder hum for the sake OF his lucky
lnd, and once again when | tished
him ont OF the bush "
Without another word, but with the
same wild, troubled look, he went out
50 swiftly that before l could stay him
he had changed the door.
There was NO harsh words between
my darling and me No upbrmding
She was as innocent of any wrong or of
amy want OF cQudor as the baby on its
mothers knee. There was a dim cloud
hanging over us, which to me seemed
threatening. 10 her only uncertain,
You Will never leave me all lonely +"
Never, never, dear dadla, she
ercd, with Il great sob in her voice.