Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1882-11-08

conveyance from Norwich to the moon.
Jack would be very much surprised to
know it. He would be very likely to
say: II don't believe it," That was
almost the last distinct thought that
Stella had. She grew SO sleepy that
she stumbled along, half-dragged by
her companion. 1t was long past her
bed time, and sleep conquered even
the delight that she felt that she was
on the way to the moon. At length
the man, grumblingly, lifted her in his
arms, sound asleep. Her hold upon
Cinderella had relaxed, and the man
stuck Her Dollship, head-irst, into his
grimy pocket, the legs waving wildly
in the air. And so this strangely as
sorted company travelled on in the
darkness.
Stella opened her eyes upon the very
aueerest place they had ever seen. 1t
was a ships cabin--she knew that, ut q
glance, having often been on board her
uncle Johns ship-but the darkest,
dingiest, most folorn one imaginable.
She rolled quickly out of the dirty and
sitting bunk in which she was lying,
and took q survey of her surroundings.
One side of the cabin seemed to be
mass of broken timbers, through which
came little CLEANS of daylight and
glimpse of waving grass. The ship
was evidently not on the water, and
would never be likely to be again. 1t
was very queer, but it might be the
fashion IN the moon to live in a ship,
Stella thought.
Three or four of the raggedest and
drtiess children Stella had ever seen
were quarreling over some object. AS
Stella drew near them, she saw that it
was--oh, horror THE headless body
of Cinderella. And the man--her ac-
quainteance of the night before was
holding up, by its golden locks, poor
Cinderella's head, for the inspection of
q dirty and dejected-looking woman.
Stella screamed at that sight; 1t was
too much even for her stout little heart
to bear.
The man shook her roughly and told
her to keep still. The children forgot
the doll, and gathered about her, STAR
ing at her, with mouths and eyes wide
open.
"lf you are the Man in the Moon, you
haven't any right to cut off my Cinde-
Itlld HCdu Dtclld, III
there are any policemen in the moon, L
shall have you arrested. And want to
go home. don't think l shall like the
moon at ALL"
The man and woman both laughed!
The man said something that sounded
like "reg'lar little Bedlamte." The
woman complained that they should
find her in the way, and the man re-.
piled that he would "keep her till there,
was O reward offered" and that they
might as well humor her notions"
They offered her some fried fish for,
breakfast. but, brave as she was, she;
was too homesick and frightened to eat.i
The children were very social, and in
vited her to accompany them to the
deck. There was rickety ladder, up,
which they scampered like squirrels, and
Stella climbed after them. She looked
around her with great curiosity (; out
of-doors in the moon might be pleasant
If the buildings were not, she thought.
"Why, it isn't the moon, at all 1t
is Norwich ~ she cried. "If we
haven't got there, don't think I'll go.
l would rather go home ~
They were on the wreck of a fishing
schooner, which was half-imbedded in
the mud, in little retired cove just
outside the harbor of Norwich. Less
than a mile away lay the town.
Stella was disappointed, but feeling
of relief that she was so near home
mingled with her disappointment. For
the Man in the Moon had certainly not
improved upon acquaintance. He was
no longer agreeable he had become
very unwilling to answer questions, and
he had cruelty murdered Cinderella.
"How do you get to the moon P" ask
ed Stella.
The children looked puzzled and gig
gled, and said nothing. An expression
came into Stella's face that made her
look like Jack.
"Do you live here all the time P'
she said, solemnly.
"Oh, no! We've only been here a
week. We don't live nowhere. We
tramp" said the oldest boy.
This was not very Ineligible to
Stella. At that moment, the man
came up the ladder, and at once sent
his children below. Then he said:
''We've just put in here for repairs
clothes and victuals, and SIGH. We're
a-goin' home to the moon as soon as
we can find a conveyance" he said.
1t was true, then; aud it was very
disappointing. 1t occurred to Stella
that Mother Goose was right in saving
that he came down "too soon." He
might just as well never come at all
II think l will 60 home. May be
you won't get conveyance for a good
while, and they'll be worried about me
at home" Stella tried to be polite, but
she spoke very decidedly.
"Oh, we couldn't think of giving up
the pleasure of visit from you at our
beautiful home in the moon ~ said the
man. ''Here you don't see us at our
best our ship has run aground, so to
speak. My wife and l are goin' out
now, to see If we can't hire balloon to
take us up tonight, and you had better
wait and 90 with u.s."
1t did sound inviting-to go in a
balloon up to the moon But Stella
was thoroughly homesick. 'I'm very
much obliged to you, but l think I'd
rather 60 home. Perhaps, the next
time you come down I'll go home with
you," she said.
"Well, if you ha'n't changed your
mind before night, when we come back
with the balloon, I'll take you home, "
said the man.
And all Stella's pleading and tears
were unavailing. The children were
sent away with empty baskets on their
arms in the direction of Norwich; then
the man and his wife went of in an
other direction, and they took down the
ladder which led up to the vessels side,
so that Stella could not get down to the
ground.
And as they went, Stella saw Cinder-
elias beautiful golden ringlets hanging
out of the mans pocket, and she heard
the man say to his wife that as the head
was wax, and the hair real, they might
perhaps sell them for a few cents!
Left alone, poor little Stella sobbed
| md scroanad until she was exhausted.