Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-05-09
QUIZ.

That's what Fred called her when she
first came, and the name has chung to her
ever since, although she has earned a
more musical appellation.
One day when Fred and all of us were
at home, a strange woman, with queer
little girl about five years old, came to
the door and asked if she might come
in and get warm. 1t was the afternoon
of a cold windy day in March, and as
Bridget had gone out and the kitchen
fire was down, mamma let her come into
the sitting room, where we all were,
Fred reading, Nell and sewing, and
Willie and baby Bell playing with the
blocks.
Mamma placed chair by the fire for
The strange woman and pushed low
stool for the little girl, who seated her.
self demurely upon it, and then began
looking at Fred, whe sat next her.
Pretty soon the woman arose, SAID she
had long walk to take, and as she was
soon to return, asked If she might leave
tie little girl, who was tired, with US IN
tai she came back.
We lived in a small country town, you
see, where tramps were few and far be-
tween, and mamma, suspecting nothing,
consented, and the woman went away.
The little girl sat still for long time
and then suddenly startled US all by ask
ing in a clear, childish voice:
"What dat be9' She was looking at
Fred, Esand nodded cemically at the book
he held in his hand.
That's book said Fred.
"What be you to do with it," she
asked.
SIN reading it,"
'rWhat dat is2"
Here Fred's gravity gave way and he
burst into a hearty laugh. The child
only looked at him wonderingly, and re-
Peated her question with great earnest
ness.
,''What is dat you doG"
"Look here little QUIZ" said Fred,
"you must be savage If you never saw
8 book before, and he tried to explain
to her what he was doing, but at every
step she stopped him with question,
always, Willie said, putting the cart be-
fore the horse.
"Well, Quiz" said Fred, at last, "you
display marvellous desire for informa-
tion if you don't know much now. Pray
tell me what Is your name?"
But for all we could learn from the lit
tie stranger, who asked questions far
easier than she could answer them, she
had no name; so Fred said we should
call her Quiz as long as she staid with
ms.
The afternoon wore slowly away, and
still the strange woman did not come
back. Little Quiz staid with us all night,
and the next morning papa made inqui-
ries and learned that she had taken the
train for Chicago, and was by this time
beyond possibility of tracing.
We were all ve4y indignant when papa
told US apout it the next dav at dinner.
Quiz amused US with her odd ways and
droll questions, and we thought it very
cruel for her mother, as we supposed
the woman to be, to desert her in that
manner. And what was to become OF
poor Quiz now was the question we all
asked of papa.
HS'pose we'll have to send her to the
county house." said papa.
81 guess you'll find out what the rest
of the little paupers know in just no time,
won't you, Quiz2" said Fred.
Quiz looked at him a moment with her
great, serious, gray eyes; then her lips
Quivered, and to Dig tears rolled slowly
down her cheeks.
"Where be l sleep2" she said, with a
little sharp sob.
Fred hesitated moment between de-
sire to laugh and temptation to catch her
in his arms and kiss her tears. Finally
he asked her in softened voice:
"Don't you want to go9"
"E like to 'tay VII you," she answered
with another sob, leaning her head on
her elbow on the table, looking the very
picture of sadness.
"Couldn't we keep herr" asked Fred,
Suddenly of papa.
81 don't know; what does mother say9''
"Oh, mamma, dol' said Nell, whose
heart was even softer than Fred's.
"Oh, mamma, do" urged little Willie.
Mamma, thus appealed to, looked per-
picked. Her motherly heart had gone
out toward the lonely stranger, but she
had SO many cares, and quite children
NAOuSA " OONuPy Ootn HV'i' <AAlu HohNAo.
"I'll help to take care OF her." pleaded
Fred.
'We might keep her awhile, mamma
said, and so we did.
"Willie claspeed his hands and cried
"Hurrahp' Nell said, ooh, goodyp'
Fred said "That's jollyl" but QUIZ said
nothing. only took up her fork and went
on with her dinner.
In time we all became very much at
fached to her. Her demure funny ways
were constant scource of amusement
and she was gentle affect1onate and gen.
erous.
But it was Fred who held complete pos.
session of her heart. For him she saved
half of her candy, apples and other good.
les; for him she learned to sew, draw pic
lures and write letters; when she came tc
go to school it was to him that she con.
fded all TRIALS and triumphs, and to him
she went for aid and assistance in mas.