The Red Cloud chief., 1882-06-22
THE GIRL THAT PROVIDENCE SENT.

~ VIZ
Virginia Three Forks. and good he'll
was rs scarce rs hens teeth. that fathe
came walking in one day with a small
neat, gray-eyed woman, and a larg
bundle in tow.
Where did yDu find her?" aske,
mother, dropping the iadle with which
she was basting a savory goose. and pre-
pairing TO resign that branch Of tn
household work i~nstanter.
"Proyidence sent her." answere,
father, with sigh of relief-he had beer
girl-huniing for n month. "She look.
strong and tidy and has nm honest ex
preston"
"Humpb." said mother, shortly
where's her certificate. or don't TIA.
girls from celestial intelligence Office.
need anyP Have you a character?" sh,
asked. turning TO the girl.
II had one. ma am" she answered
respectfully. - but the mice ate il; III
soon have another-try me, ma'am, JUS
try me-"
What Is your name," asked mother,
in a catechismal voice, after the girl had
laid aside her shawl and hood.
"Ellinora." was the answer, with
pleasant smile.
'.Wcll. Wen call YOU Nellie for
short, and you can ga right TO work ai
the vegetables for dinner" and mother
proceeded 20 show her what duties
were expected of her.
She proved To be an excellent sery-
ant. though a little queer and obstinate.
hut she never G out: had no associ-
aios, and though we knew nothing
more about her than If she had dropped
from the skies she seemed faithful and
honest.
She had been with us about a month
when one night we heard loud talking
in her room; il was still early i'm the
evening, N rs ours was n country
home it was a habit we had fallen into
Of retiring soon after supper. if not To
bed TO our w rooms. We all heard
the loud talking at the same time, and
mel i'm the hall.
"It's in Nellie's room." said mother,
land we crept to the door and listened.
and We heard as plain as il spoken in
our presence these words, in a mans
gruff voice:
"rH burn We ali in your beds vet rs
sure as ye have souls to be savedr.'
This was followed by the pleading
tones of a woman-not Ncllie's voice,
however!
"Oh! don't, don't, don't. We are
inn -cent. indeed. we arer'
The indescribable pathos of the sob
bling voice terrified us so that we went
after father. who had remained skep-
ticaliy in his room; he waS angry and
thnmped vigorously on Nellie's door,
but II was some time before it was
opened. Then we discovered that every
article of furniture in the room was ar
ranged to form a pyramidal barricade
IN front OF he entrance. Nellie her.
self. sleepy and rubbing her eyes. thrust
out a head tied up in an old white
apron.
What is ite" she asked hastily,
with a frightened look: "thieves-mur-
der!"
"Let us in" said father. applying his
shoulder to the door. which was only
opened n crack; but Nellie had no idea
of letting us in, and resisted with such
f~erocity that mother undertook to
soothe her, and gained by strategy what
we could moi effect BY force.
There was not a soul in the room and
the window was nailed down. There
was no possible hiding place or means
OF egress, and there was nothing for us
to do but to quietly retire. leaving Mel
lie to san her slumbers. which we
had so udely broken. Understand 1t
We could not, and il was all the more
mysterious when the mex. day the whole
thing had TO be repeated and explained
to the girl, she declaring that she had
no memory of seeing us in her room or
knowledge of our being there. She
looked as serene and Indifferent rs usu-
al. and said she barTicaded her door
and nailed heszsiQdow down through
fear of burglars.
We had no reassn1o suspect that the
girl did not spsak< truth; yet we
were so consciQSa q mystery about
the whole a~faitff4e It made us nervous
and uncomfortable. and we began to no.
flce strange ways about our new girl
things that had been of no account be-
fore now told against her; yet, when all
VAS summed up. we could only say that
she was romantic. and had perhaps been
educated above her station. and so gave
herself airs. and she really did accom-
plish her work in q most satisfactory
manner. |
"Just . little cracked" father would
say of her. .sbut . good girl in the main:
I'd like 10 know what you women folks
would do without herr"
:" 1t does seem IS II Providence had
sent her" said mother. meekly; she likes
to make believe she is IN echo Of father
sometimes.
Several times Nellie did treat Us TO
what father called . sscircus perform
ance' in her room. but rs no harm came
Of it we concluded that she was merely
enjoying herself in her own way, and
let her alone. She was such q quiet lit
tie woman. with soft gray eyes that
seemed 10 implorc your forbearance.
and her breakfast rolls of Sunday morn
ing were the best we had ever tasted;
then - to fried chicken. and sangcls on
horseback.' the virginia name for fric-
80 oysters. well. she could have
pelmqnicot to cook those dishes: