The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1880-12-23

and then We heard quiet stgood-n nights,
and beard Kitty led slowly away, and
heard the footsteps Of two or three com.
ing into the kitchen, quietly and not
speaking to each other. And we looked
into e <ch Others faces with dull, leaden
eyes, and no one rise to go out and ask
the news.
It was like house into which death
has entered with the unwonted silence
and quiet. The very dog shared in the
gloom, and allowed any one who liked
to pass and repass without a bark or mo.
ton, as if it knew the house had lost its
treasure, and that there was no need to
keep watch and guard any more.
Then came in my husband and Edwin.
The news was soon told. They had
driven along the south road for about an
hour, till they had overtaken poor
woman whom they questioned as to
whom had passed her. 1t proved to be
our poor Frenchwoman, and as Edwin
talks French tluently, they soon learned
| from her that no one had passed her who
could by any possibility know anything
OF the child. The poor creature had to
stay aud rest so often that she had made
hardly any progress on her journey, and
| was already longing tor any place where
she could stay that night. She soon
gathered from Edwin that the lost child
was he whom che had tondled in the
morning, and then she forgot her own
care and eagerness to pursue her wav,
and begged to be taken back to help in
the search. So they had brought her
| with them, and she was wandering about
| alone with a lantern, not content till she
had looked for herself into all the places
where we had all looked before her.
The sad summary of it all was that no
| one Of all who had been searching, had
gained the slightest trace of poor, lost
BERTHE.
CHAPTER III.
| NARROW ESCAPE OF MADAME au1LLoT.
hope the reader will never make one
! to sit IN so sad circle rs that which
gathered about the Ere when the search
was stayed. The big Christmas tree
stood in its pride, decked with all its
fruit of toys and presents and loving in
| scriptions. Tables groaned under the
Jolly Christmas cheer that waited for the
oven.
You are not to suppose that search was
abandoned. We were sitting only while
we could decide what to do next. Not
one of us but felt it would he more en-
durable to wander searching, even against
hope, amongst the snow through all the
| MI In,
our own sad thoughts.
We might have sat in this way perhaps
half an hour-all of us together except
DAVID and Frank, who were still with the
Frenchwoman-when suddenly We were
startled by loud scream Of fright, re-
peated two or three times, and each time
checked, as it seemed, by force, and &C
companied by sharp, savage growl.
| Rushing out to the door, whence the
sound came, we found poor Madame
! Guillot Qor this was her name) on her
back, securely held down by Fury, whom
Davie and Frank were trying to remove,
without success. Fury's heavy paw was
flung across her throat, and it was ONLY
when he raised it for an instant that Ma
dame was able to scream. When she did
scream, she was at once checked by the
downcoming of the heavy paw, accom-
panied by a terrible growl and an adj
monitory shaking of her ample petticoats.
Beyond her fright and her shaking the
good woman was none the worse, and of
these she seemed to think little, for the
instant we had her on her feet, she broke
from US and rushed again into the very
jaws OF Fury. The dog, however, was too
many for her, and instantly had her on
her back as before. But Helen had seen
something now. There it was indeed, the
"little shoe'-the second red shoe, CON-
panion to the one found in the lane. It
was lying just outside Fury's kennel,
and the hight fell full upon it from the
lantern. In an instant Helen had in her
hand, and found that not only was it the
missing shoe but that one of the missing
feet was inside Ina J, that one OF miss
ing legs was attached to the foot, snd the
whole Of the rest of the missing BODY
attached to the leg! BY the leg, in fact,
the missing BERTHE was dragged out.
covered with straw, busily rubbing his
i eyes with his little fists, and just waking
up from very sound sleep in which he
had been indulging in Fury's apartment.
Fury, seeing that he had lost his ward,
at once liberated Madam Guillot of his
own accord, and pushing his big nose in
| amongst us, begar to assist Berthe to
wake, by vigorously licking his face, till
Helen, snatching him up, rushed with
him into the house.
We, looking into the kennel, saw where
he had made his little nest. 1t was in
the corner, completely out of sight, and
sheltered from the wind. He had nest
led into the clean straw with which Fury
is always we'll suppiid, and then it was
pretty clear that Fury had lain down be-
side him, if not upon him, and had cud.
died him up as warmly as if he had been
in his mothers arms. We understood
now why the dog had refused to 20 out
and search with US, and why he had
barked so little all through the night.
Itwas not so easy to understand now
the child had got back and got into the
kennel, without leaving trace of re.
turning footstep. And this mystery
was not cleared up to us till next day.
The explanation, however was simple
enough, and might as we'll be given at
once. A schoolboy had met him, wan
areing away and knowing him, had lift
ed him up and carried him home. had
been afraid to pass the dog, and so had
set him down to run in at the open kitch
en- door. BERTHE instead Of doing so had
turned IN at Furys door, which happen
ed to be nearest, and had instantly gone
to sleep, while the school boy had post
ed Oft to village some few miles away.
1t was in some respects almest as touch
ing to see the mothers joy as it had
been to see her sorrow. For was not
BERTHE her one child and she a widow?
and what more could say to tell you
that both joy and sorrow were keenest
that can thrill this mortal body. Let
me drop the veil.
Madam Guillot spent tt e Christmas
day with ue, and on the following morn
ing We drove her down to Thornley, sta