Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1873-12-04

"For-for me? Are your sure? Idon
know what to make of it," she stan
mered. "It't-it's ten whole dollar
amt it?"
She paused and gazed upon him trem
ulously.
@Yes," he nodded.
"And you, nor your father don't know
me and only thought 1 looked pool
maybe. i thank-thank you-and
hope you'll know sometime how glad
am, 'causesI can't tell now. Tm sur
God loves me now. l guess He mus
have told your father how l felt"
Then the tears burst forth, and sh
wept for joy the first time in her life
The seed of gratitude were planted il
her breast. They would expand ant
blossom some time. The boy gazet
upon her sympathetically, but though
it strange that she should cry. He never
cried when his father gave him money
Pretty soon she said:
81 want you to tell me something. Il
1t wrong for anybody to run away wher
anybody is licked and swore ats"
The youth reflected, his finger upon
his lip.
eff anybody don't run into worse
place, no." he said, at length.
"There amt any worse places than
this" she thought, and then said: 81
wish you'd tell me what your name is,
I never see anything like you before"
'sMy name is Lucien Ranney, and !
live in New York. I'm here in New
buryport on visit. My grandmother
lives on High street. What's your
name?"
"Her eyes dropped a painful flush
swept over her face.
"Me? haven't any. I'm nobody,
and 1 live in Joppy. Betty used to call
me jim, but Ezra never calls me any
thing. l don't care, though"
She didn't want to cry again before
her visitor, so she flung her hair on one
side and tried to look careless. He
could not but notice her beautiful
hair IS it swept over her beautiful
shoulders in wild profusion,
and she thought it very sad that
she had no name. But he had stayed too
long already, and SO with a smiling
adieu he left her. She watched him as
he walked over the clam-shell road,
(Flat Iron Point is or was one bed of
clam-shells) watched him with strange
wistfulness until he disappeared from
view, and then re-entering the shanty
drew long, long breath.
"I wonder if Pm awake, certain"
she mused. spreading out her suddenly
acquired wealth and drawing her finger
over the figure ten. 81 see it, and OF
course am. IL can ride on the rail-
road now, and oh, won't l leave this
place behind me. But if Ezra should
come, if he'd see this he would steal it,
and-I must hurry. I'm afraid he'll
come before 1 can clear out. l should
die if he did,"
She glanced around apprehensively,
and then running into the front room
caught her hat and shawl from bed.
The next moment she came out of the
house, her face pale with excitement,
her eyes rolling restlessly. But an in-
slant she hesitated, and then pulling
her shawl around her, walked rapidly
away. Reaching Mulberry street she
darted around the corner, and broke
into a run. On, on as If chased by
wolves the child sped until she struck
High street, when, painting for breath,
she caught at tree to support herself.
Ezra would not be in this vicinity, and
so she could rest few moments and re-
cover from her exhaustion. But to her
perturbed mind the minutes seemed
very long; she started on again, catch
ing her breath at intervals. At last she
passed State street without sesing any
one to nolest her; for it seemed to her
that everybody knew that she was run
ming away, and that everybody was
about to take her by the shoulder and
march her back to prison. Now she
was within few rods of the Boston and
Maine Railroad, and she could hear an
engine blowing off steam in the depot.
It was music to her, the sweetest music
she had ever heard, and she redoubled
her exertions to reach the station be-
fore the train would start. She cared
aot whittier it went, as long as it car
ried her away from Hardscrabble.
"How do you do to get into the cars
what do you do, mister?"
She was standing now in the depot
beside portly gentleman, and looking
wistfully into his face. He glanced at
her scanty raiment, at her pale, care
worn features, and then replied, slowly.
s.Buy ticket, child, and walk in as you
zee others do. But where do you want
10 go to?" I
somewhere, where's factories, please
SIR" she answered, timidly.
"But there are factories here, little
girl; you needn't seek work, else
where"
sI-I can't stay here. II don't
want to- she replied, timorously.
please to tell me some other place.
Nobody cares for me. o, sir, don't look
10 cross at me, 1 can't help it."
'Lowell is a good place." said the
I'D gentleman, contemplatively. He
lad caught glimpse of the bill in her
land and was half tempted to arrest her
IN suspicion, but his more charitable
feelings prevailed, and he wisely con-
.luded to mind his own business.
"Lowellr' repeated the child, and
to thank her informant, she
ran to the office and reaching up her
money asked for a ticket. The clerk
,yed her mistrustfully, but remember
ng that he was not hired to do detec-
i've work, he gave her the ticket and
he change.
With an exultant smile upon her fea-
.ures, and the magical piece of paste
board that was to open the door of the
.reat world to her, clutched tightly in
Ter hand, she entered car and took
eat. o, If the train would only start,
hen she should feel perfectly free. And