Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1876-01-12

Joe stood up IN the deluge. HI
didn't know just what to do, bu
bent on doing something for aid
he put both fists in his mouth ant
roared like o gorilla.
Again the child's cry-"Oh! oh =
"Where air ,ye'P hooted Joe.
But his voice lacking the SHARP
tenor of childhood, was drowned
Wandering nearer him, came the
pitiful wailing-"Oh ! ohp
"Maybe the banshee, what the
Irish tell about" thought Joe, OF
old Fox's ghost, what killed him
self in the crick holler!" I"
The sky burst and split broad
awful glare in which Joe saw
woods and muddy expanse of wa
ters, and shining earth, forming
background for little girl; who
as she thus saw him, put more ter
ror and despair in her crying, and
flew blindly against the bushes.
"Come yerP bawled Joe, 81
won't hurt ye! I'm nobody but
Joe Trestle. Come yer and tell
me what's the matter!"
Strangely, rs soon as she heard
his name the child dropped her
fears. She CROPPED and called, till
she got his hand, and stood with
him under the tree.
Another flash revealed her a sad
faced child, with hair like rag
weed, and dress of pauper home
spun. Her eyes were lifted to him.
She mnst have seen he was bloated I;
unreliable. But her hand clutched
his; she rested her faith and safety
on his company.
"Was ye skeert," yelled Joe.
ayes, most to death. And l
could not git acrost, and she said
if didn't git back fore dark, she'd
put me in the house where the
crazy folks is ~
"Who said p
"Miss Smith, what keeps the
poor house. She sent me on an
errant. I just run till I couldn't
breath, and it Turned black ana
commenced to storm. couldn't
find the foot bridge every time |
started out where it was, I'd git
into the water. It's washed off,
and how'll / ever Git over and she
agoing to. put me in the crazy
house il I stayed till after dark !"
Joe was so sober he began 20
think. "Come back here a bit.
See If there ain't a boller in this
tree. Here's one, and its toler-
able sized trunk. Crawl In there,
and it'll kind O. shield ye from the
wet! Powerful watery spell -
That's comfortable, heyG"
"It's wet in here, but taint so
chilly"
"That's better. Now you can
just take it easy, sissy, Miss Smith
or none o them red tapes is goin'
to lay finger on we. She never
put ye in the crazy house, did
she 7"
"Yes-oh-h-h !" shuddered the
child.
"What for! and did it skeer ye =
"She said it was for sassin' her.
She was tellin' q man what my
father was, and 1 said he wasn't
neither! And She
"What is your fathers name :"
"Joe Trestle."
Joe gulped throat full of air.
"And she ketched me by the
arm, and put me right in their hall.
Oh, you don't know how awful tits
They are behind iron winders; but
they look into the hall and yell and
make faces, and grab like they'd
tear yer to peicesl | got down in
n corner, with my dress over my
head, and said over and over to
myself what grandma Lanc teach
ed me-"
"What is that y
".For we lock for a bett coun-
tryl' It's in hig book she calls
the Bible. 1t tells heap Of things,
INT she says that over the most.
So. saws I've look for better
better country and 1t
made me think of another kind OF
a pace.
"what's your name :" asked Joe
TREMENDOUSLY.
"Sylvie Trestle."
sI'm your father, amt II" put