The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1881-06-19
BREAD ON TaR F@ATEas.

BREAD on THE Waters. q
II Is now many years ago since 1.
Mary Rivers, performed the one eccen-
trio act of my life. i was old enough
ut that time to have grown prim and
.tgovernessy." and years spent in
preaching propriety to young ladies had
had their effect upon me and knew
that it would never do in my position
TO be spoken Of as peculiar. And vet
But you shall hear. had at that time
an engagement in Mrs. 7Pemberton's
family 30 finish the education OF an only
daughter. The house was a large
double building. and the study. or
schoolroom, was in a wing across the
hall. Next it was q handsome. well
furnished apartment. which had been
given to me as a bedroom. 1t was re-
moved from all the other bedrooms OF
the house. and at night ! wa entirely
alone. However, 1 had nc fears Of the
supernatural. and no terrors Of any
sort, and the room suited me.all as +
On this night i had retired as usual.
and the whole household slumbered,
myself included. when was aroused by
something's hardly knew what-a
sound, a movement, perhaps merely an
AlPAto1AOA- "hatSfCi A. nAos III
duced me to rise and open my door O
litfle. Instantly a draught of eold air
gtruck me, and / thought that the hall
door was open.
..Who is therep'I cried, aloud, but
all was dark and utterly silent, save for
such o little velvety pat as q cat would
make in crossing \ marble floor. fA4s
However, the draught had no bust
ness to be there. and l stepped back to
my room and lit a wax candle which
stood on my stand, and came out again
with my dressing-gown wrapped sbout
Tho door was not open. but q window
-one Of two on either side Of the hail.
had been lifted, and 4 heard . heavy
clntter as of the dropping OF articles Of
iron or steel In a heap. Something's was
wrong. With q sort of tremor. rather
Of excitement or fear, creeping over me-
| ran up stairs and knocked at Mr..
Pemberton's door. crying:
''Thieves are in the house," .o|
In n moment moro my employer and
bis brother were both in the lower hall.
armed with pistols, and q search was
made Of every room on that floor but
my own. AS had been there. there
was no thoughts OF finding anyone in
the apartment.
The police wcro sent for, and some
burglars tools were discovered outside
tho open window.
+, Thoy explained thatthe windowmpst
have been opened in order 70 admit
bsomc small boy who could open tho
door for them.a "A small boy indeed he
must have been to get in at those long
narrow slips; but nothing hadyet been
done. and after a while all returned to
their own apartments, TO sleep. If pos
sihlc.
But shan't you BIO timid in your
lonely roomP Won't you, go up stairs
and sleep with FlorenccF ' asked Mrs.
Pemberton. i''rm sure its dreadful
foryou TO be down hero alone, Miss
Rivers"
How glad l am to-day that my nerves
were steady enough to allow me to do
cline the Offer, and laugh ut any idea Of
fear on my part; but a governess cam
not yield TO fine-lady tcrrors. and ], as
l have said. had occupiedt that position
all my life. 49,
i retired to bed again. knowing the
house safe for the night atieasts and
was just about droplipg q : sleep
Nnth 4 ltlt, ItlntI tnuu lcuId, noLio
one creep from under my bed. My
was alone with him-ono never thinks
of cher in such circumstances; and
the darkness was tho worst Of all. l
struck n light at ONCE Some one tried
to blow it out and failed. 1 clutohed at
the dark object near me, and found It
to be the wrist of a small boy; and now
mo- etAA1 fnAa 80 fona anil Il halA him
tight and looked at him. A child
der, dark creature dressed in a dark
blue shirt and pantaloons. and with list
slippers on his feet. His head was al
most shaven it vas cropped so closely.
and he looked rather like q little gnoms
than n child. l knew at once that he
was the boy tho burglars had slipped
through the window-a tight squeezo
for even this slim thing futtering in my
grasp.
"Be quiet, child,n I said; al am moi
going to hurt you. / suppose you are
only a tool of those wicked men. Sit
down there and let me look at you.H
He sat down, looking at me in ,er-
ror. L
..You must tell me the TRUTH Isaid.
al want to be your friend. You came
here with the bmgfarsP" :
He nodded.
They put you through the window
to open our doorP3l Nflt4W
YES" he said.
ibid your mother know Of itP" /
asked.
81 had any mother" he N
swered. Il
4 "And your fatherP" "A =
Daddy. Daddy wa hung for kill
ing a man." said the child.
''Do you like this sort Of life," I
asked.
He lookeda at me doubtfully.A
81 d'no." he answered.
Il mean going out with these men to
rob housesP" 1 asked.
mo" replied the boy; I'm afraid OF
the dark. Once thoy shooted me, and
it bled. / like to go to bed and lsleep
nights. 1 wish they'd let me-" -
Poor little wretch" I sighed to my
self. When / had called for help again
he would DO sent to q police station.
and thence to some prison school or re-
formatory. That was better than the
life he now led; but, after all, what O
miserable fate.
I am one Of tho women who really
love children, and it struck me TINT the
child was pretty, and had q good head.
What a pleasant task it would be to re-
form him. To educate him; to save
him from all that lay before him. Had
L been q rich woman, ! should have
seen my way clear to the attempt, but
Q spinster governess-yet, after all +,
"Child.'rI said, .'what is your nameP"'
"Ben,n he answered,
"Weii, Ben," l said. ''are they. good
to you. those people you live WITH Do
you like themP Are you happy, or