Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-01-29

and whiskers. He wore leather clothes
and was in the boat.
"Well, little girl" he said, WHAT
your name, and how came you alone
over there ~ pointing with a jerk of hi
thumb over his shoulder to the fast dis
appearing Sally. "Were You shipwreck'
ed ~ 8
"N-no, sir,n stammered Minchen, and
then burst into tears and cried as though
her heart would break. Between heI
sobs she told the man her name, how she
had always lived with Frau Schmidt,
how she loved Yank, about her birthday,
and how she sold flowers to help make a
few dimes to help Herr Schmidt, who
loved her in place of his own child who
died long ago.
He questioned Minchen closely about
her home and friends, and when she told
him how happy they had all been to-
gether, this old man, whom men called
gruff and rough, envied the little ones
friends their happiness. "They think
her dead,' he said to himself, "and dead
she shall be to- them. will make her
love me as she does them, and with her
love will come little joy to my lonely
life, after ALL" So,whenever little Min
chen mentioned Frau Schmidt, or Yank,
or the roses, he frowned and looked SO
unhappy that she grew to know she
must not mention them to him, so she
never spoke of them but to her own
heart. ## a|
At length they reached their journeys
end. The little craft was anchored in a
cove, and Grampa Grump, lifting the
child in his arms, waded through the wa
ter to the beach. He led her to rudely
built hut of logs, short distance from
the waters edge, pushed open the door
and showed her his one-roomed home.
He let her see his guns and fishing-tack-
10; showed her the pile of bear skins
that formed his bed and told her many
stories of his wild life among the hills
while they ate their simple supper. After
the meal was over he made her bed of
deer skins, and gently wrapping her in
his great coat, kissed her good night,
and went down to unload his boat.
In the days and months that followed,
Minchen's life was very happy. She
wandered over the mountains with
Grampa in search of game, set traps for
wild pigeons, and went fishing in the
cove. And so lived our little Minchen
for four years-each year finding her
more fond of the queer old man with
whom she lived than the last had left
her. ....
Once in six months they went to the
village tomake their exchanges and pur-
chases. These trips were rare treats to
our little mad-not so little now as
when we first saw her. The villagers,
although they avoided the strange man
who always attended her, were always
very kind to the girl, and many bits of
gay ribbon found their way into Min
chen's possession, and once in q while a
newspaper or small, new coin.
Sometimes it happened that schooners
came to anchor in the bay when they
made their half-yearly trips to the viii
lage. Minchen always leased to be al
lowed to 90 on board as she used to do
with the Yank when at home, but
Grampa always said:
Next time, little one; we must hurry
home now" One day, when Minchen
had been away from home nearly five
years, Grampa at last went with her on
board schooner, which was at anchor
in the harbor at the village. AS they
rowed under the stern of the vessel,
Minchen said:
"Why, Grampa Grump, it's Sally
Sally, do you hear!" and scarcely wait
ing for their boat to be made fast, she
jumped to the schooner's deck, half-eX-
pecting it to be transformed into the
little green Sally in which she had taken
her birthday row.
While Grampa sat in the row-boat,
Minchen modestly inquired of the sail
ors if she could see the captain, and
through her mind there went some
vague idea of asking him to look for
Frau Schmidt and Yank, when he
reached San Francisco, and tell them
she was well and happy, when stumb-
ling up the companion way came the
captain-old Yank himself.
"Yank, Yank, dear Yank ~ she cried,
as she ran to his side. "Don't you know
meY | am Minken, your own little
Minkenw
"Minken, Minken," said the man sad