The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1880-10-21
THE JUDGES SURPRISE.

THE JUD(1E'S SUkPKlSE.
The day was bitterly cold in Virginia
City, as winter days most generally are
in that Al pine town, and though the
sun was bright, it's rays were as cheer
less and chill almost as moonbeams.
Wild gusts whistled through the streets,
breathing icicles and frost in their furi-
Gus course, and driving every living
thing away to seek shelter from its Bit
ing: penetrating breath. And yet not
every one was housed and sheltered
from the pitiless gale, for he who had
work to do or business to transact was
summoned by memorable duty to come
forth to his post, or else, when the day
of reckoning came, abide by the conse-
quences. Of these luckless exceptions,
Abe Denning, the baker, was one. In
sunshine or storm, hail, rain or snow,
people must eat; eat, in fact, all the
more voraciously because it does hail
or snow, as if to perpetrate an unseas-
enable joke upon the baker, who, es-
pecially in appetizing weather, must
see to it that his customers larders be
properly stored with the rarest and best
productions of his oven.
Even such cold weather as this did
not deter MI. Denning from attending
to the wants of his customers with the
assiduity and attending characteristic
of his class. While disappearing into a
customers house with an arnlful of
bread, girl of some fifteen years of
age emerged from a miners cabin close
by. and, first casting wild and hurried
chances around her, rushed to the
bakers cart, and had just distracted
therefrom three. loaves of bread, and
was carrying them off, when the baker
returned and caught her in the act.
Unfortunately, an officer was passing
lust at the time, and the baker, on the
spur of the moment, without giving
the case that consideration which he
otherwise might, gave her in custody
on charge oftheft. The girl, without
any attempt at expostulation or expla-
nation, burst into an agony of tears-a
sufficient evidence, perhaps, that she
was but novice, after all, in the art OF
stealing.
ooh" she exclaimed, "don't take me
in this way. Let me wrap shawl
around my head, or the people will
know me-"
The officer, consenting, accompanied
her into the cabin, while the baker
drove away, telling the policeman he
would be in court next day to prefer
the charge before the police Judge.
The officer, on entering, found no one
in the cabin but three children
youngest about three years old, and
the eldest six. The hut was cold and
cherries; there was no fire. The two
elder children, alarmed at the presence
of the officer, exhibited discolored ewes
and faces, which bore evidence of suf:
fering and recent tears; while little
Willie, the youngest, crying and
inappeaseable, was moping aimlessly
around the cabin, looking into the emp.
ty closet, and putting his little hands
mechanically into the empty dishes on
the table,
"What made you steal the bread
my girl?" asked the officer. At men
ton of the word 'bread," little Willie
looked tearfully and piteously in the
mans face. The girl Rugged the little
fellow frantically in her arms, covering
him with tears and kisses.
''Oh, my poor little brother" she
cried, bitterly. "What will become Of
you now? This man is going to take
your Lena away with him."
Here the child threw his arms around
her neck, as if to detain her by force
while the other two children screamed
piteously.
The officer, suspecting the actua
state of affairs, began to investigate.
Els there no coal, or nothing at all tt
in tho h0Y1sooO IL ho
"No coal, no bread, nothing to eat!'
replied r! the girl, wringing her hands an Is.
have had nothing to eat since yesterda,
morning."
Here the officer went away, saying
that he would be back again in shor
time.
us the man gone for bread?" asked
the Oldest of the children.
"Hush, Mollie, dear!' said Lena
II don't know what he is gone for
He's not bad man, anyhow, for h.
hasn't arrested me, as / thought HI
would"
In a very few minutes the officer re
turned, with bread and groceries, no
forgetting some cakes and condiments
for the smallest children: while another
man at his heels carried big sack O
coal on his back. ~
At sight of the bread the children
screamed with delight, and while Lena
cut up large slices of bread, and helped
the children and herself, the two me1
set to work and made a large fire il
the stove, the glow Of which soon diff
fused warmth and comfort through the
cabin Then they cooked the mea