The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1878-10-19

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her touching her little despairing head
My child" l said, he is happier
than we are"
And she looked up.
He was all had" she said; " all
ALL"
So 1 had thought when Aletta gave
me back our betrothal ring. My heart
ached for her. | saidn no other word, but
ed her to another room, while two men
bore the dead man up stairs. She swept
wildly, but my presence seemed to com
fort her.
After awhile she drey closer to me,
and sitting on low stool, leaned her
! forehead on my knee. Soon my hand
rested on it, and in an hour she had Sob
bed herself to sleep.
| said few words to the landlady
when | arose to leave, and she promised
to attend to my orders, enforced by the
contents of my pocket book.
"Ihe girl shan't go until | hear from
you, sir" she said. Indeedl ! don't
know where she would go. She seems
| friendless; and such child for her age !
| Thank you, sir"
| And l went on my way again, think
ing not of Aletta, but of the dead fd-
dler's grandchild-this sun-browned
waif, so simple and ignorant and friend
less and alone.
was young yet-not five and twenty
"a bachelor, and likely to be one my
life long. | had no proper home to take
her to, and no friend to aid me, At last,
in my extremity, | thought of Betty
old Betty, who had once been my nurse,
and who loved me as she might her own
son-and in the cleaning | made ny
way to her poor home. I found her
trimming her vines in the bit of garden
ground, and had my usual kiss across
the garden fence even before the garden
gate was opened.
GIVE been thinking of you," she said.
knew it was you as soon as | heard
some one coming. 'Tisn't every young
gentleman would weary himself coming
to see an old lady like me. Sit down,
honey, and rest"
| came to ask favor, Betty"
Just name it, Master Berthe
VIII you take boarder, Betty?"
Bless me. III my two rooms?'
"Only child, Betty"
g A child, Master Albert?"
| told her of the fiddler's death, and of
the girl.
81 have money enough" | said, " but
no female relative. | can only come to
you"
" You always were kind hearted from
a boy" she said. cpl take the little
girl, Master BERTHE"
Then she put both hands on my shout
ders.
" You haven't fretted, have your" she
asked
Greeted? Why?" l asked.
Nay, why indeed?" said old Betty.
Better fish in the sea than ever were
caught yet" Then in a moment more
she added, GIVE been to see the we'd
ding"
felt my face flush.
"Shall bring the girl to-mo rrow after
her grandfather funeral:" 1 asked.
when you please" said Betty.
" But, Master Albert, what do you mean
to do with her? You are doing all this
in hurry. Just think bit"
Il am going to adopt the child" |
said. at will make me happy to have
a young thing to care for"
Betty laughed.
" You'll have young things of your
own, please God, some day" she said.
"Why, at your age, life is before you"
" [ shall never marry, Betty" [ said.
She caught my fingers in close grasp
with her horny, hardworking hand.
q | wish you was back again baby on
my knee, Master BERTHE" she said. "Td
like to sing you to sleep as | did then.
All. it's a grief to us old women to see
the young we've nursed grow up so tall
and old, with their troubles so shut up
in their own hearts that we can't COM
fort them. Going? Well, then good
night! Pm ready for anything that will
cheer you, Master BERTHE. | ought to
say Master Albert always, now, | sup
pose, but the old times do come back
SOP
| left her leaning over her gate look
ing wistfully at me, knowing as mother
might have known the grief which / had
buried in my heart. And if her words
had given me pain, it was like some oint-
ment which makes the wound smart in
its very healing, 1t was something to be
loved so well, even by the old nurse.
Late the next day | led my young
charge from her grandfather's grave to
Betty's cottage. She kept my hand
upon the road as little child might. /
had no thought but that she was one,
until old Betty's cry of Goodness,
Master BERTHE, [ thought you said a
young child! Why, this a grown grip
startled nae into consciousness.
cit doesn't matter, does it BettyW |
asked. She turned to the girl.
"Take off your bonnet" she said a
little grimly. " want to look at you.
What is your name?"
The girl obeyed. "Pm only Nellie
Hay" she said, and stood to be looked
at. Betty looked sternly at first, then
pityingly.
dLa, no! Master BERTHE, it don't mat
ter" she said. 81 don't see any harm
in her. There's peg behind the door,
child. You can hang your bonnet on
that" And [ left the two together.
Not long, though; every day found
some new errand to take me to the cot
tage. put on elderly airs, and gave adj
vice. ] had been sent to school, and
went through grave examinations on
Saturday afternoons. | told old Betty
that when | was man of middle aged |
should take my little daughter home,
and she should keep house for us. And
l began to fancy, very soon, that there
could be no such happiness as that a
parent felt. The girl was growing tall,
and l was only ten years older than she
was; but when she checked her light
tread to keep pace with me, when the
childish laugh bubbled and rippled at
something which could only make me