Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1880-04-08

dark-eyed little creature to whom
had given food and drink.
For the moment, as have said; and
then the blood flushed darkly to my
face-the hot, angry tide Of disap.
pointment and Indignation.
I will 60 after her! l cried breath
1essly. She shall pay the penalty oI
of her crime. TO think she could
have stolen my thimble while she was
eating my bread and salt
Margaretta smiled the disagreeable
smile which I like the least Of all my
sisters expressions.
That class of people are troubled
very little with scrupnlous ideas
about honor and honesty, she said.
can remember the cool, hayscen
ted wind blowing against my hot fore
head as | hurried along the road bent
only on overtaking the tiny Berserker
who had 50 abused my hospitality, and
Laid my ideal Of rosy girlhood low IN
the dust. can remember the pink
wild roses nodding in the hedge-rows,
tie birds singing in the thickets, the
very nocks OF yellow butterflies that
fitted on before me, like ovant-roA'cr:
in golden lveres, and the indigna-
ton that rose freshly to my heart as,
nestled down by the side Of fallen
log whose gray bark was half hidden
in tall red clover, saw the tiny cul-
prit, fast asleep-asleep VITA her
cheel: pi'owed on one arm, the log
la,hes pencilled darkly against the
brown skin, and the black curles
blowing softly about III the wind. |
felt my heart growing craven within
me. SO spoke sharply and suddenly,
shaking the small shoulder as did
so.
Wake up, YOU wicket little thief!
Give me back that gold thimble YOU
stole, have come to take yon to jail.
She started up with a cry Of terror,
wile-awake, all Of a sudden.
Give me back the thimbleI' | r-it
Grated; the thimble s.p'e, you bad,
wicked, ungrateful child,
I don. know what you mean, she
pleaded hreathessly. 1 dil not see
any thimble. Inever stole anything!
Very We'll, ! sal | relentlessIy, de-
termined for once to be as resolute as
sister Margaretta would have me,
then this becomes matter for Justice
Southmayd to look into. Come with
me at once
| gave the slender snn-browned
wrist a jerk as l spoke, and Mariana
scrambled to her feet, with sulIen,
savage sort Of expression coming into
her eyes, like tiny wild beast about
to be Gagged.
| would have given any money at
that moment for the moral courage to
let the poor little wretch 60. But
Margarettas reproach hung like an
avenging Nemesis above my devoted
head, and I pressed the softer impul-
ses Of my own nature.
'RosaIind, Rosalind!
1t was sister Margaretta's voice
callin2, just as | was turning down
the lane which lei to Justice South
mayds square white house, still reso-
lutely dragging my little captive be-
hind me.
'Rosalind stop, I have found it. 1t
was under the big secret Try desk,
where it must have rooled when you
jumped up to get the bread and milk.
And sister Margaretta actually
caught Marianne in her arms and
kissed her. And I-of course | beg IN
to cry. l am not strong mind d, and
nobody expected anything else of me.
She must 90 home with us. |
pleldel, sobbing like a big school, girl,
oh, sister Margaretta, she must 60
home and stop with us until these poor
little bleeding, blistered feet are
well.
YES, said Margaretta, "She must,
So we took little Mariana home
with US that night, and kept her al
ways; and she has been the brightest
of sunbeams in the shadow haunted
house of the two old maids. / gave
her the gold thimbIe last week, upon
her sixteenth birthday, for she is a
dainty little seamstress, and | saw the
tears rise to Margarettss eyes, as