Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-07-12

Guile, with which they were greeted.
And they must have been queer-look-
ing pair,-the child, especially, must
have attracted attention with her out
landish dress and frightened, wild little
face,
1t was only human nature, after all,
that the children should giggle and the
grown up people stare; but all the same
the child felt it.
Thereafter there was a new element in
her life,-the sense of grief and personal
hurt. She would not refuse to go with
her father, since he liked to have his
little girl with him, but each trip to the
town was a small torture to her.
Craigie-long used to being the object
of not too kindly attenticn-hardly no
ticed that bestowed upon the child, ex
cept as it reflected upon himself, and
formed one reason more why they should
keep to themselves and be all in all to
each other. So back they would go
from the town and at the first sight of
the bridge his heart would warm.
"Weel, jimmy" he would say,
"there's DOR brig again.. And with in
tuitive 'womanliness, the child felt that
she ought not to sadden poor father with
| her troubles, SO she locked them in her
own small breast.
In this monotonous way the time
passed on till the winter that Jenny was
nine years old. The dry season had
been unusually prolonged and hot, SO
that when the winter rains at last set in,
they were everywhere welcomed.
The hills grew family green and the
air had an almost springtide warmth.
But Donald Craigie shook his head
rather ominously when Jenny cried out
that she wished this nice warm weather
would last long time.
cts up to nae guild, I'm thinkin', :"
said he. cit luiks to me like there I'D
be a regular doonpour by to-morrer, or
sooner"
When their early dinner was over, he
proposed going to Dickson's; for, as he
told Jenny, there was no knowing when
the weather would let them get there
again. and various things were needed.
| A soft but not unpleasant rain was
falling as the two went down the main
street to Jansen's store and grocery COM
bined.
"There's old Craigie and his girl, y
said one person to another, as they
passed.
Owing TO the rain, there were more
| loungers than usual in the store, and as
is the way with an idle crowd, they gave
all their attention to the last new conner.
"'" Craigie entered the store without
looking round, and walked straight to
| the counter. 'I want DOODLE box O.
matches" said he, " a paper O. vest, a
gahllon o molasses and calm O. oil.
These orders were filled in the midst
audience. Then Jansen, who was big
coarse grained fellow, made bold posi-
bly, by so many spectators, winked at
them as if to say, g Wen have a little
fun. and addressed Craigie,-
Matches, molasses, oil and yeast;
here they are, sir; now what else"
"Nothin'," said Craigie, shortly, and
pulled out his leather purse
tBut these things are for your house,"
urged Jansen. "These are for your
house; don't ye want something for
yourself? Checked shirts, now, or .
"Noo, till you," said Craigie, who
by this time had taken from his purse
the right amount of change.
''Or for your little gal now; an apern,
or-or-a bat, you Know" continued
Jansen, with a side glance as he spoke
at the very nondescript article that COW
cred the chiId's head.
At the word hat there was an audible
litter from the loungers, and Jansen,
catching his advantage, went on cor
maybe a dress now?" This time the
laugh was universal and louder.
Poor Jenny stood there mute, miser-
able, shame-faced; tiny mark for so
many arrows. But something In the
laugh and the general stare seemed to
rouse Craigie, not so much to anger, as
to the perception that there must be
something really amiss to cause it.
He looked down at Jenny's little quiv-
ering face and for the first time, per-
haps, was aware that the head-gear
which framed it was In no respect like
ordinary head-gear. He saw too, the
queer tags with which her dress was
adorned and the notified frontispiece,
which only by courtesy could be called
an apron.
This, to him, new aspect of things,
took his mind quite away from the sheer
ing tone of the storekeeper, and from
the interested crowd. He looked like a
man who had just woke up.
eye may be rect" he said at last;
"she an I lives aloone like, an [ LUX
at little but keepin' her warm
Then he turned to Jenny. "What
'ud ye like, me BARN? A nice ap'on
stead O. this % looking at the article
with which she was misadorned.
Scared, yet fascinated by the thought
of the new apron, she looked up at her
father with face that expressed pleas
ure he was quick to read. ''Shoo us the
calicooes them" said he; "an', jimmy,
We sail pick for yoursel."
Jansen must surely have been drink
ing some of his own whiskey, for in gen
eral he was too sharp business man to
insult paying customers; besides, he
very likely felt that public sentiment was
on his side and against Craigie, whose
silent, unsociable ways were not at all in
his favor.
At any rate, under pretence of getting
calicoes, he pulled down pile of figured
chintzes and cretonnes. One piece in
| nartiouIar he unfoIdad before the child