Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-12-03

torch and all, and gone 10 sleep.n
klsie started and looked around n
Where was the processionP Where Il
JoeP Too terrified 70 say word, ~.
the street she rushed, gazing wildly oni
this side and on that. No Joe did shel
see, no procession either. Il wouldN
have been quite dark but for the street
lamps. a
II must stop somewhere. Unjust ~
some one for joe"
AT house smaller than the othd
she paused, and rang the bell Thu
was confused sound Of talking within
Don't you open that door as
value your life, Phoebe Maria, ~
some one, in shrill tones. "Us ~
surer'
Then Phoebe Maria called through the
key-hole, go right away. 1 sha'n's
let you in II you stopthere til midnight.
De-partr'
think II the word "de-pqrc' had not
sounded SO very ponderous, Elsie would
have called back that she was no tramp.
As it was, she ran blindly on.
"Motheri motherr' she sObbed.
wringing her little cold hands. But no
one answered. A clock near by tOlled
nine, ten, eleven. Two drops Of rain
fell. The wind rustled drearily among
the tree-tOps.
Steps sounded near. A tall man ap-
preached, and Elsie caught the CLEAN
Of brass buttons.
What are you doing here, boyP''
demanded the newcomer, in a great
bass voice.
I'm not boy" cried Elsie. "I
never was . boy in all my life. I'm
Elsie Baker. want to go home.'
She quite broke down, and wept pit
eously.
"Hoity-toityr' exclaimed the man,
who was one Of the police. "Where is
your homeY'
"Out at Porter's Corner Joe
brought me to the percession. wish
he hadn't wish Oh dear, dear
mer'
Now here a pretty messT' said the
policeman. There's nothing for It
but to take charge o you tonight, and
see how we can manage tomorrow.
You come along with me-"
Finding the child too exhausted to
walk, he picked her up and tramped off
down in town with his burden. Where
did he carry her?
To tell the truth there seemed to be
no other place, and he took her to the
public "lOck-up."
Elsie was too worn and spent to mind;
too hungry was she not to devOur eagerly
the bit of salt fish and hard cracker
which her new friend gave her; then,
forgetting her woes, she fell asleep once
more, safely wrapped in his warm over
coat.
But, in the morning, waking in a
strange place, all the terror of last night
came upon her once more. Through
an open door she darted like a startled
hare, and when No. IL came, an hour
later, to find her, no child was visible.
All that was left was the small rubber
cape with its red collar.
''I must find some cars" thought
Elsie. 81 can't get home unless find
some cars"
1t must have been her guardian angel
who led the little girl, for, as she walked
hastily along, right in front of her
doomed up big building, in and out Of
which locomotives were running.
Would you please point out the
train for Porter's COrner?m said Elsie,
tremblingly approaching q man who
was pushing round some trunks.
'id3less you! you re at the wrong sta
| ton for that, sissy or hubby, whichever
| you be" said the man, glancing from
the girls dress to the boys cap. But
there" added he, as the brown eyes
! filed with tears, "a gravel trains Just
going across the city to the Eastern
Depot Come with me, and I'll take
| you there"
Down the track Elsie rode, perched
on heap of gravel.
81 cal'late you've got a ticket for
| Porter COrner2" said her companion.
Here was fresh trouble. No ticket
had she, and, what was worse, not a
penny to buy one.
"YOu don't mean to say you're going
to steal a rider exclaimed the man.
Very likely this was meant for a Joke,
but Elsie took it for sober earnest. She
had been called a tramp last night;
now she was taken for thief It was
too dreadful. She looked here and
there, if perchance there might besOme
way of escape from all this misery, and
suddenly-why yl-whatp--that boy on
the platform of the Eastern Depot
could it be? -rT
"Joe! JOer' shrieked Elsie.
1t was Joe; a very wretched Joe, q
Joe who had not slept wink all night,
though he had gone home in vain
hope he might find the missing sister
there. U...
He saw Elsie. He sprang toward her.
| He elambered on the Car almost before
it stopped, He hugged her, he kissed
her. Boy though he was, he wept great
tears over her. Then he took her by
both shoulders and shook her.
''Oh, you bad girl! Where have you
beenP You've frightened mother most
to death Elsie, Elsie, what made you
come to Portlandpn
"You brought me, Joe," said Elsie,
humbly.
Home they went. those two. At the
POrter's Corner Station they found ey-
cry man and woman of the village, and
to each severally must Elsie tell her
story. Her mother never said a word.
She only clasped Elsie tighter and tight
er, while the tears streamed down her
| cheeks,
But Joel-oh, Joe did talking enough
for ALL The lofty sentiments that
flowed from the lips of that Virtuous
youth were truly refreshing. His own