The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-07-22
JOSEPHINE'S DREAM
By EDWARD GARRETT.

Josephine March lived in an old red brick
house, which stood at the corner where Can.
IOn's Close lnlercepts the Cathedral square
| IL looked on neither Of them, except as IL were
by the side glance OF two big windows which
III It's staircase. All Its other easements opened
on It's own green garden, large enough to al.
low Of bright tiower-beds, open sunny lawns,
and bowerliKe leafy dells. The Misses
knightley to whom the house belonged, took
Il pride and an interest in their garden. They
were proud, too, of the delicate needlework
which decorated their apartment, and days
had been when they had added to It's treas
ures; but they were old ladies now, and their
eyes failing, and they did no more. But
spring and summer, autumn and winter made
room for perpetual changes in that garden,
and their gentle exercise in its genial sun
shine did them good And Miss Margaret
often said to Miss Elizabeth, VIVA, should
we do without the garden and Josephiney"
| Josephine was not Of their blood. She
could remember the day when first she
wondered who she was She remembered
asking the question of Miss Elizabeth. And
she remembered this kind lady's answer, that
when she was old enough she should know
all they could tell her" The promise was
kept when she was seventeen.
This was three years ago, and Josephine
would have started TO be told how many hours
she had spent In revolving the few meagre
particulars she then heard. She was found.
ling, discovered III an encampment OF gypsies,
whose thievishness had brought down the
police on them. The pretty baby's fair HAIR
and blue eyes had provoked inquiry, and some
of the old women of the gang had confessed
that she was none Of their people, she had
belonged to strange young woman who had
joined them some months before and had since
died. They could not be quite sure whether
she was not One harrldan went so far as to
narrate the dead girls confession, that she
had had a baby OF her own, which had died
and that she had stolen this one to persOnate
II, for the sake of some money. The Misses
Knightley had heard all this at the time, and,
like most of the ladies' they had gone to see
the poor little innocent babe Growing In the
honest arms of the cOnslables wife who had
1t In temporary charge.
The Misses Knightley walked home in
silence, till Miss Margaret said, Lizzie, the
little thing took to you" Then she saw her
sister was crying. But Miss Elizabeth put
aside her tears with strong effort, aud said
"She curled her little fingers round mine jus,
as Joseph did when he vas baby"
Joseph was brother years younger than
themselves, who had died In boyhood
"ller eyes are the color of his" observed
Miss Margaret. "Ah if he had grown up and
married, we might have had his children
about us now"
"Why Shouldn't we take this one?" asked
Miss Elizabeth, impulsively; 1--WE have Alright
to do as we like, | suppose" she added, with a
dash OF defiance at the storm of criticism and
ridlcule which she felt would rise about them
And III the end the two ladies drove back
in the twilight, and bore home the baby in
Triumph Il never IN my life felt as much az
II was committing crime" Miss Margere,
had afterwards confided.
This was little enough for poor Josephine
to hear, though 1t was dressed up with loving
little details OF how they gave her the feminine
form OF their dead brothers name, and added
for patronymlc that OF the "roaring moon OF
ldallodils," during which she was carried into
their quiet retreat
What dwelt most in Josephlne's mind was
the vague unknown which lay behind all the
information she could get. In her own heart
she entirely refused to believe that she could
: be the child of the outcast woman who had
died In the gypses' camp. The police might
have refused to believe about her diving comics
sIon-the Misses knIghtey mi ght seem to have
, forgotten all about it, What did they care tc
, whom she belonged now that they saw her
fair and graceful maiden, iull of gentle WAYS
, and learned IN gentle lore turning over thei
old volumes OF the poets with her fresh youne
fingers, and looking and speaking and acting
just rs they could have wished Ia that dream
child who might have been Joseph's "if 10
seph had lived"
They had her portrait painted by the rislnl
young artist of the town, ana it was exhibited
In the country art academy II was no
called Miss Josephine March" "Nobod,
but our Josephine's friends need know whl
it is" they said to each other. and the pctur
. was called an English Girl"
1t showed her standing at the door of Mis-
: Elizabe,h's arbor, just as she really stoot
. nearly every morning during the mid months
Z for she always ran down there to await tina
d lady's return from her daily tour around tn
J., garden.
r The young artist-Phillp Haryey-felt h
4 had never had sweeter subject, and perhap
, there was something In his eyes which sal,
:, so, Tor certainly there was a something abou
HIM that set Josephine thinking what woul
happen If they fell in loye with each other
and she was suddenly discovered to be som
great mans daughter, the child, perhaps, q
some secret marriage That dream dominates
the poor girls mind terribly. She grew {
believe il.
IL W, . only natural that she should year
after the unknown kindred who must
somewhere in the world. 1t was only info
tunate she began to feel that tie two dear oil
maiden ladies were not really aunts, and tbs
this, and this alone, accounted for any REBEL
Gus feeling that would arise when the WIS
restrictions and counsels of age OCCASIONAL
lcrossed the whims and impulses of youth.
There was nothing bitter or scornful IN j.
lsephine's dreams; how could there be in or
$50 sweetly reared' Only she fancied unima
Unable warmth in the kindred ties that migl
at any moment close arouad her and carr
her off-the Misses Knightley would new,
wish 10 keep her. And she would fulfill q
the pet wishes Of those dear old hearts. The
should have the new Turkey carpets the
sometimes talked about and the Knightls
ijewels should be reset