Litchfield enquirer., 1880-05-13

Fenectlon Wnlcn ne afterward repeated to Po teOus.) So withered creature was she il deed, that her shriveled appearance seemed some mysterious way to hold toward her hu bands inflammable temper the relation of e feet to cause. One might be pardened the fanc that she had undergone process of physic, shrinking so as to present less surfece to tt fury of his wrathfuI explosions. For wrinkles the poor souls countenance was marvel; ht close-drawn lips looking exactly as if worke round in button-hole stitch What scant gray hair she had was twisted into tight lii tie knob. Going about her household dutie with ceaseless activity, she seemed like mechanical toy just wound up.
 Before dinner time Misgill began heartily t regret being quartered there- He had seen nc body save the two disagreeable elders-Ml Ballen scolding necessarily, and Mrs. Balle silent-''but that sour," as Misgill also re marked, with profane superfuity to his frien POrteous, ''that't would cure whole ship crew of the scurvy just to look at her onct."
 The young person to whom Porteous hat referred came in, swinging calico sun -bonne by the strings, while they were at table. { more perfect air of unconcern it had neve been the Captains luck to see. A shrew observer, it struck him that this nonchalanc was assumed. Flinging her head gear acros the room, the girl took her place at the hum ble board, saying coolly:
 "Hallo, Pa! don't bust your biler."
 Then Misgill linvoluntariy glanced at Ballen and found himself promptly turning back tn cuffs of his rough jacket. He wasn't going t sit by and see 'gal like that" beaten in hi presence -"'twas agin human nater" Tn young person continued in the same strain:
 ''Let off steam off now, before you git to- Ma Inn't f0 y>io oIy ments, do you, ma? Whew! how hungry am !"
 That she had been able to say so much with out interruption was an evil portent. Ballen' teeth gleamed. He looked dangerous. Th last word had hardly left the girls lips wher he fairly flew from his place. But she was a quick as he. With her back to the wall against which she flung herself, sine stood a bay, like some wild creature.
 ''Don't tech me '" she said, in low, passion ate tone, Tor you'll repent of it. won't b, teched!"
 The wonder was that her father did no strike the words out of her mouth. The Cap tain sat In tense expectancy, awaiting the frs blow.
 You can bully ma, but you can't bully me I'm not a rabbit, to take cabbage leaf or {
 
 my last beating"
 Her courage was something so fine in tn. face of her fathers fury-Ballen was power ful man, too-that the Captains blood tinglec in every admiring vein.
 "She could front a mutinied foksl, she could!' he thought, and eagerly watched to see what next.
 How d-dare you stand there a-d-daring me- Molly Ballen!" The man fairly stutteree with astonishment and rage.
 "I ain't a-daring you. I'm approaching my self, that's all. And"-with a sudden acces: of fiery resolution-''Ill do that 50 long as draw breadth"
 'You've been off, nobody knows where, since morning."
 "Everybody ken know where, if they want. I've been to Jenny Gregg's. If you don't be. lieve me, ask her."
 ''You've been a-neglecting your work, an leaving your ma to peg at it all alone."
 ''Much you care for maj" Molly began, con. when her mother, thinking tc soften her husband by siding with him, piped up in whining tone:
 "Yes you hev, Molly. I've ben hard at il all the livelong day" But she got no thanks. Ballen promptly and furiously told her not to put in her ''clack."
 "You're only a child" he said, turning to Molly again, ''an' needn't be putting on nc you'll get it. She's bare thirteen, Cap." he explained, looking toward Misgill, with some hint at an apology in hIs tone.
 'Im near fourteen" returned Molly, stead fly ''and am bigger than sixteen."
 The Captain was thunderstruck. He could fully indorse Molly's last assertion, She look ed every day of sixteen, and finely developed for that. He stared harder, and wished he had more eyes. What a splendid girl she was, to be sure, with her noble curves and dauntless carriage! There was no trace of her mothers pinched features in hers. Her hair was red, but not her fathers color-paler, and glorious ly soft and abundant.
 Well, we'll; I'll see to you by an by" said Ballen, with a sort of deprecatory growl. ''This ain't being very polite to the Cap'n."
 You should have thought of that before, " cried Molly, with saucy laugh.
 But I'll see that you don't go a-maunder- ing off ag'in.''
 The scene ended as unexpectedly as it had begun. Captain Misgill resumed his knife and fork, finding opportunity to convey secret slances of appreciation across the table to Molly. By the dancing of her eyes she enjoy ed her triumph immensely and she dreaded no later reckoning.
 The Captain and Ballen lit their pipes, and took stroll to the top of the hill together.
 ''That gal thinks she's gettn' too much for ne" said Molly's father. ''Td given her a good whacking if it hadn't been you was 
 'Try it on while I'm round" muttered the doughty Captain, ''an' I'll make lime dust O your bones."
 The bed-chamber of those days was primi- i've affair. The Captains was hardly larger than his snug cabin on the Barnacle and as he wind tore furiousiy all night across the bleak hill, the cloth partitions billowed and shook like spread sails. In his dreams Misgill was at sea- and waking with a start in the lead of night. he had some difficulty, owing to the rocking and creaking of the rude shanty to dispel the illusion. He soon became aware of flashing and falling of light. not unlike a beacon fire on a windy headland. but it reality a flickering candle-f1ame in the next room.
 Gathering his wits together painfully, as if each had been on Seperate cruise, he listened ntently. There was a soft intermittent sound of some rhythmical movement. The floor Quivered as if to unheard music He rolled over on his side, and stared hard at the frail partition separating his room from the next. Whoever was stirring there was uneonsciously giving the captain the benefit ofa sort of mag c-lantern representation. A shadow, now elon- gated, now dwarfcd, now silently posing. now dancing, quivered up and over the cloth parti- tion in fantastic play. That shape could be- long to none other than Molly. What was she up to? With nautical oath, tremendous in quality. if subdued in tone. the Captain re- solved to find out. Crawling cautiously on all foursto the partition, his vision was cheated by spreading whiteness, through which the candle -glowed like the flame in an opal. In an agony of caution Misgill possessed him. self of his jack-knife. and with it punctured a small hole, to which he fastened an investi- gating eye. Molly, sure enough-in white night-gear, with large red bandanna fasten- ed about her waist, and struggling odds and ends of color fantastically knotted here and there; her bright halr flying like a shining mane, end her graceful ankles white and bare. Now she took an attitude of mock supplica tion, now of command, now of scorn-now polkaed softly. now sank down on one knee, as in the ''cachucha, waving imaginary cas. tanets over her head. So childlike, so ab. sorbed, who could believe her the same girl who had flashed out such. splendid defiance of her fathers brutality The old Captain knelt spell bound. His palms itched to ap.