The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1882-09-29

le happy thev would be, she and Hungry
,h and how Massa Linkum would smile ant
le wonder when he saw them coming in
70 and how Madame Joliet would hunt ant
ll scold
Or She went out of the wood-shed ant
70 out of the yard, hushing the soft laugh
r on her lips, and holding her breath al
IF she passed under her mistress's window
ls She had heard Creline say that Massi
Linkum had gone back to the North; sc
l. she walked up the street little way, and
!. squares and unpaved roads, and SO Out
d into the fields, where no one could see
e her.
u 1t was very still and very dark. The
: great trees stood up like giants against
the sky, and the wind howled hoarsely
a through them. 1t made June think OF
= bloodhounds that she had seen rushing
I with horrible yells to the swamps, where
hunted slaves were hiding.
: 81 reckon t amt on'y lit lie ways, Hun
J. gry," she said With shiver; "we'll git
dar fore long. Dom be 'fraid"
, "Pur pur-r-r" said Hungry, nesting
! her head in warmly under June's arm.
"Spec you lub me Hungry,-'s you
does !"
|, And then June laughed out softly once
} more. What would Massa Linkum say
, to the kitty? Had he ever seen such
kitty as that in all his life?
So she folded her arms tightly over
. Hungry's soft fur, and trudged away into
the woods. She began to sing little as
she walked, in that sorrowful smothered
way that made Madame Joliet angry.
All, that was all over now There would
be no more scolding and beating, no
more tired days, no more terrible nights
spent in the dark and lonely cellar, no
more going to bed without her supper
and crying herself to sleep. Massa Lin
KUN would never treat her so She nev-
er once doubted, In that foolish little
trusting heart of hers, that he would be
glad to see her, and Hungry too. Why
should she? Was there any one in all
the world who had looked SO at poor lit
tie June?
So on and away, deep into the woods
and swamps, she trudged cheerily; and
she sang low to Hungry and Hungry pur-
red to her. The night passed on and the |
stars grew pale, the woods deepened and |
| thickened, the swamps were cold and
wet, the bramblea scratched her hands
| and feet.
"Its jes' ober here little ways Hungry"
trying to laugh. "We'll fine him purity
SooH. teTrlDle tlIeu all -Sieepy, |
Hungry"
She sat down tn an on heap of leaves
to rest. and laid her head down upon
her arm, and Hungry mewed little,
and curled up in her neck. The next
she knew, the sun was shining. She
jumped up frightened and puzzled, and
then she remembered where she was,
and began to think of breakfast But
there were no berries but the poisonous
dog-wood, and nothing else to be seen
but leaves and grass and bushes. Hun
CRY snapped up few grasshoppers, and
looked longingly at an unattainable squir-
rel, who was flying from tree-top to tree
top; then they went slowly on.
About noon they came to bit of
brook. June scooped up the water in {
her hands, and Hungry Tapped it with {
her pink tongue. But there was no dim {
ner to be found, and no sign of Massa |
Linkum the sun was like great ball of {
fire above the tree-tops, and the child
grew faint and weak.
81 didn't 'spect it was SO fur" groaned .
Hungry, Pears like wen fine him ber-
ry soon"
The sun went down, and the twilight s
came. No supper and no sign of Massa I
Linkum yet. Nothing but the great for {
est and the swamps and the darkening
and the long, hungry night. a
June lay down once more on the damp |
ground where the poisonous snakes hid u
in the bushes, and hugged Hungry with e
her weak little arms, and tried to speak s
out bravely: "We'll fine him, Hungry, "
sure, to-morrer. He'll jes' open de door a
an let us right in, he will an he'll hab p
breakfas' all ready an waitin', pears like o
he'll hab dish OBJ milk up in de corner a
for you now,-tink O. dat ar, Hungry p u
and then the poor little voice that tried 81
to be so brave broke down into great u
sob. "Ef on'y jes had one little mouth is
full now, Hungry !-on'y one" W
So another night passed, and another 81
came. A faint noise woke June ST
from her uneasy sleep, when the sun b
was hardly up. 1t was Hungry, purr- fl
ng loudly at her ear A plump young 81
robin lay quivering between her paws h
She was tossing it to and fro with curves al
and springs of delight. She laid the IL
poor creature down by June's face, look m
ng proudly from June to it. saying as in
plainly as words could say, Heres hi
inc breakfast. | got it on purpose for pl
you. Why don't you eat for PHYS sake ca
There are plenty more where this came te
ROM" si
But June turned away her eyes and to
noaned; and Hungry, in great perplex- 70
ty, made way with the robin herself. al
Presently June crawled feebly to her 1t
eet, and pushed on through the bram- tn
,les. The kitten, purring in her arms, tie
ooked so happy and contented with her kl
)reak fast that the child cried out at the b,
light as if in sudden pain. OF
80, fought we'd git dar fore now, es
IN fought he'd jes' be so glad to see hs
is l''-and then presently, "He jes' look to
% kinder smiin' right out OBJ his eyes, re
th
A bitter wind blew from the east that az
lay, and before noon the rain was falling, Va
lreary and chilly and sharp. 1t soaked eft
Tune's feet and ragged dress, and pelted pa
n her face. The wind blew against her,
md whirled about her, aud tossed her
o and fro,-she was such little thing,
md so weak now and faint. N N
Just as the early twilight fell from the W
eaden sky, and the shadows began to 1l t'l
kulk under the bushes, and the birds ~
athered to their nests with sleepy twit- IA ~
er, she tripped over little stone, fell Sn' -.
weakly to the ground, and lay still. y
he had not the strength TO get to her "a q,
eet again. r.
But somehow June felt neither troub- So
ed nor afraid. She lay there with her sit
ace uDturueu 10 tDt ptlllllg Tdlll, WdlCl- ku
ng il patter from leaf TO leaf listening
o the chrp of the BIRDS in the nests,
stening to the crying of the wind. She fo'
Iked the sound. She had din notion gr'
hat it was like an old camp-meeting TO
Iymn that she had heard Creline sing to
ometimes. She never understood the eu
Tords, but the music came back like tlo
ream. She wondered if Massa Linkum DIR
yer heard it. She thought he looked
lie Il. She should like to lie there all is
light and listen TO it; and then in the tn,
lorning they would 20 on and find him, Sc
in the morning; it would come very lor
bon. ga,
The twilight deepened, and the night
anne on. The rain fell faster, and the !
harp wind cried aloud. sar
"It's-bery cold" said June, sleepily, col
nd turned her face over to hide 1t on nc
ne kittens warm, soft fur. GOO night, fou
hungry. Well git dar to-morrer. Wes fee
los dar, Hungry" hIe
Hunyry curled up iclose TO her cold, ops
ct cheek-Hungry did not care how an,
lack it was-with a happy answering Oe0
ew but June said nothing more. pla
The rain fell faster, and the sharp are
ind cried aloud. The kitten woke from the
nap. and purred for her 10 stir and yea
,eak but June said nothing more. Tn
Still the rain fell. and the wind cned Off
"a the long night and the storm and ane
IL darkness passed, and the morning eve
me. wei