The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1882-12-20

| lOrO.
Poor little dearl" said the land
lady.
Children are always in some
scrape or other said the drummer
who was single man.
I'VE never know what tribulatior
is in store for US, said Sister Seren
lea.
"If we hear anything of the bless
ed child, we'll certainly let yor
know" said the landlady. "AnC
Miggles will send the stableman ou'
Just as soon as the late mail come,
in"
But the messenger had scarcely
disappeared when the housemaiC
came in and whispered to Mrs. Mig
giles. excitedly:
"Oh. missus, I've had such :
turn"
"A turn, you silly goose 7" said tbt
llandlady, who tolerated no senti
mental nonsense with her damsels
waiting. What on earth do yor
mean 2"
WAS it a child in blue sash and
white frot k as was lost?n said De
linda
why, yes, didn't you hear the
man saw So 2
With blue eyes, and hair as vel
( low as hutt.rcilp,2 2"
Yes, yes!" cried Mrs Miggles.
What of it?"
"Then, ma'am, its been kidnap-
ped ~ said belinda. with hysteric-
al whoop. And that there cruel
/ flinty- hearted lumberman has got it
in his room up stairs in bo--o-oX y
What y cried the landlady.
Pretty dear saw her myself =
shrieked the maid. "Come and
look, ma am, fyou don't believe my
words"
And in five minutes Peleg Pepper,
sitting doing before the kitchen fire,
with his shaggy cap pulled over his
eyes, was seized by half a dozen
pairs of hands.
"Eh ?" he cried, starting out OF
his halfshaped dreams, and mechan-
ically putting his hand on his pook-
e. where, in the woods, he usually
carried his revolver.
"Villainr' roared Miggles. "You
wretch y screamed Mrs. Miggles.
"Fiend in human shape !" roared the
damsel while all the tavern help
joined in the general hue and cry.
whats the matter ?" said Peleg
Pepper.
Bring the poor little innocent
down at once" said Mrs. Miggles.
shes been drugged, or she would
never lie there so still and peacea
bic. Confess your crime, and p'raps
the SQUIRREL let you off easy
Though what could have put such a
fiendish idea into your head, I'm
sure / can't imagined"
Confess" said Sister Serenica,
mildly, ''and clear your soul of this
dark stain"
Peleg stared around him, with
eyes of amazement.
BE | in lunatic asylum ?n he
demanded. Because if / amt I'm
blamed if | know what you all
mean
Away in the snow mantled cabin
in the Maine wilderness, little Bessie
Pepper was sound asleep in her
home-manufactured crib, her curls
as carefully tended as those of
Squire Sedley's heiress granddaugh-
ter, floating like gold spun on the
pillow, her red yard stockings duly
suspended from a hook in the huge
chimney piece, her tiny dreams
wandering through an enchanted
land of toys and sweet meats, while
Mrs. Pepper went, ever and anon, to
the window to peer out into the dri-
wing snow and tempest.
What can have become of him ?"
she said to herself, with troubled
eyes. Because if he shouldn't come
tonight, and Bess should wake up,
tomorrow morning, and find her
stockings empty"
The possibility was too appall-
ing!
Mrs. Pepper dared not follow the
distracting train of thought any fur
ther.
And her heart sank as the old
clock in the corner changed eleven.
AT that minute there was the
sound OF heavy footsteps stamping
off the snow on the door step
soft tap at the door, and in walked
Mr.. Pepper himself, rubicund and
smiling.
"Oh, Peleg y cried his wife, as she
felt herself embodied in bear like
hug, whatever kept you SO? Look
at Pets stockings, and me without
SO much as pop corn ball to put
in them!"
That's all right. old lady," said
the ,lumberman, beamingly, as he
deposited a parcel as big as Santa
Claus proverbial pack on the table.
But / tell you what, l came mighty
near not coming at all. Look here
What should you call that?"
''Oh, Peleg ~ cried the little wo-
man, with shrek of ecstacy. "It's
a doll all most as big as Pet herselfl
With a white frock and a blue sash.
and real yellow curls down over her
shoulders. Well, l neyerI"
Exactly" said the lumberman,
with a broad smile overspreadiI 2
his countenance. well, that doll
came near being the cause of getting
me arrested for kidnapping. Ha, |
ha, ha."
"Peleg y CALCULATED Mrs. Pepper.
excitedly.
''As true as gospel For j had it
in a box in my room. a lawn on the /
bed, at old Miggles Red Owl Tavern
md there was a hue-and-cry about
Squire Sedley's grandchild being
missing, and the servant she caught
sight Of the doll, and she squeaked
,ut that it was the child hid away,
md there was about a minute and a