River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-04-04


out of yard at her, and Mamie was
dreadfully frightened, but she could
not run behind her mother for shelter,
nor ching to her fathers hand. She
screamed, but there was nobody to
hear her, and in her terror she ran on
as fast as possible. AS soon as she
dared she looked back and saw the dog
standing in the middle of the road,
looking after her. And at that she ran
faster than ever.
When she reached the house, she
ran round the yard and into the door
quite out of breath. Mrs. West was
sitting in the kitchen braiding mat.
eff you please, l have come-to be
your--little girl, " said Mamie, as soon
as her painting breath would admit of
her speaking.
''Well, | never!" exclaimed Mrs.
West looking over her glasses in great
establishment, pausing in her work and
steadfastly regarding the grimy little
visage under the broad brlmmed hat.
I" If that don't beat all /! What's your
name little girl ~
Somehow, this was not just the sort
of welcome that Mamie had expected.
She said with quivering lips, "I'm
Mamie Mason. You asked me to be
your little girl2"
I" Mamie Mason j declare, | did
not know you" said Mrs. West, now
adjusting her specs so that she could
look straight through them. ''Did
your ma say you might come and see
me this afternoon 2"
Z" Papa said [ might come and be
your little girl have got my old dress
and ankle-ties in my bag, and mamma
said you could send for some of my
old clothes if you wanted them, said
n Jamie.
"Well, / declare, said Mrs. West,
81 never heard of such thing in my
life" just then somebody raped at
the front door, and Mrs. West laying
aside her work and bidding Mamie sit
down, went to answer the summons
1t was one of MIR. Mason's clerks, who
held short conference with Mrs.
West.
She presently came back to the
kitchen smiling. $50 you have come
to live with me, Mamie, she said. 81
am very glad, L am sure. 1t will seem
nice to have little gi1l about the
house. Take off your hat, dear, and
let me wash your face, for it has got
very dusty with your walk, and if any
body should come in, / should not
want them to think nay little girl had a
dirty face, you know"
Mamma Ala not l;lyo Nv foao ,,,ocI,o1
at any time. Sometimes, | am sorry to
say, she would cry when her mother
washed her. She found Mrs. Vests
scrubbing and wiping with a rough
crash towel very different from her
mothers gentle touch. But Mamie did
not say anything.
After Mamie had rested a while, she
ran out to see the chickens. But Sto
her great disappointment she found
that the cunning little puff-balls, that
flew over the grass so comically when
she saw them last, were now half grown,
scraggy, long-legged hens, that were
not in the least pretty. She did not
like them any more. Then she went
through a gate to pick some blackber-
ries growing by the wall, but she got a
berry stain on her dress, and long
scratch along one of her boots. Be-
sides, there was no fun in picking ber-
ries when she could not give any to
Willie. And Mamie could not help
thinking of Willie, and wishing she had
kissed her mamma. Then she wonder
ed where she should sleep, and ran in
the house to ask Mrs. West.
Mrs. West went up stairs with her,
and showed her a little chamber. 1t
was a room with sloping ceiling and
without paper ON the walls, and it
seemed very strange to Mamie. She
did not like the queer, cross legged lit
tie bedstead with the patchwork quilt.
She thought il was not half so nice as
the white -draped bed Mamie had slept
in the night before; and she felt afraid
the sloping wall would fall down on
her while she slept. She looked very
sober as she followed Mrs. West down
stairs.
Dear me it was such long after
noon; and Mamie could not help
thinking Of her mamma, and how she
had said she did not love her one bit,
and had run away without kissing her;
and the tears would keep coming in
her eyes. And when it grew dusk and
supper was ready, Mamie could not
eat anything. She could not even
drink the cup of nice milk Mrs. West
gave her.
so dear" she sobbed, leaning her
head on the table, 81 don't want to be
your little girl and live here! / want
to be my mammals little girl, and sleep
in my own bed. "
"Bless her heart She should not
stay if she did not want to-" said Mrs.
West, lifting her into her lap and cud-
ding her in her arms. "Don't cry any
more, dear; you shall go home and
see your mother this very night"
But Mamie only cried and sobbed
the harder. "It's dark and I'm afra-
aid to go. A big black do-og barked