Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1883-04-14


occurred to the snembers Of the firm To
put watchnan Oh daty bsfore ten o'clock
at night
The wee iassie would not accompany
the overseer on his errnnd, and he noticed
40 he watched her movements carefully
that she seemed TO be listening iatsutly.
after the manner Of people who listen
wiki their ears. II took him few nsa-
ments longer than he expected to secure
the wen he wsnted, and when Within
few yards Of the werks, on his return, the
I.eviste.a town clock struck nias- A few
steps fsrther on tho wee lassie spranS
from the eide Of The road to meet him. lie
knew by her manner that nothing had
occurred In his absence, bat that whatever
was coming was at the moment fatally
near. The men took their stations silent
ly, two by the door leading directly to tho
private ofiee, while McFinlan and IN.
other man guard = sscond passage leading
In the same direction. When these prep
arations were completed tho little one
took her place by her friends side. Is
seemed to NcFinlan that the child listened
with her whole body, and he could not
tell that she even bresthed.
There was not long TO walt, and before
the overseer's senses had taken ceSuls-
suce OF anything unusual he knew BY tho
pressure OF the child's hand on hrs arm
thar the enemy was approaching. In two
minutes more there was Q sharp, quick
fight, and In much shorter tlme than it
would take 10 describe IL the desperadocs
two ktxlwsrt men-wers In custody.
When it WAS all over, and the burglars
safely lodged In Lewiston jail, McFinlan
took the wee lassie IN his arms and bore
her TO his cottage. She ha. kept care
fully in the background oh the way 10
town, and had not been seen BY the dis-
appointed villains. The overscer made
the little one nice bed on the door, aud
then said his prayers by her side.
Lord, teach me to do thy will by the
wee lassie," he prayed, "the poor bic
owlle that flew into my hsms and my
heart at the ono time. II Il maun be that
this Is her nest, help me to make the wei
come correspond to tho great service that
tho lassie has rendered us. ask IL for
thy Sons's sake, whoae heart yearned 10
the wee ones, dummies and oil. Amen"
The next morning the wee lassle was
up as soon as her host, aud when hs went
into tue kitchen he found her with hor
things on, ready to go. "No, no, my bic
owlie," he said, shaking his hoad and
smiling. "This is your home, and hero
you must bide. Our Lord and Saviour
has given me directions, and l always
hold to all the bargains l make with
Him."
Strangely enough, the child seemed 10
understand perfectly. She gave her COM
panion y searching glance, and thsn re-
moving her rag OF . sun-bonnst, took Tho
hand that her friend offered and laid her
soft cheek against 1t, aud In this way John
McFinlan's bargain Was ratified.
The trial brought out the fact that emo
Of the burglars was tho chlld's step
father. Her mother had died two years
before. The tools found OH the men wsro
Of the most improved description. Tho
plan was to blow up the safes, II neces-
sary, and to take good care Of the watch
man II he arrived before thay hnished
| their Job. The wee lassie had discovered
the plot by carefully watching the move
ments OF those men from day 70 day. lt
was discovered that sho had followed
them miles on their recennoitsring sxpe-
ditions. One evening she had tracked
them to the ovsrsser's cottage, where, ~
a safe distance, they waitsi to SEQ II he
left his house for the purposs Of watching
at tho works. Sometimes In IN emer-
gency McFinlan had aeted as night watch
man. When the wee iassle iefs her home,
q village three miles from Lsvlston, is hSd
Not been decided whether the lewiston
..crib" was to be "erseked" that sight Or
the next, and for that reason the shiId
watched the turnpike 70 80 10 they ssns
into town, ~ she know 10 va their intso.
tion TO do that afternoon IL they csncludeh
70 make the raid ths same evening. She
had seen them and made her calculations
accordingly. Tho villains oncs 10 custody
were tried and convicted for other rob
berries sLd sent TO prison for . long term
Of years. McFinIan's claim 70 ths child
was undisputed, and his delight In his
little friend and housskecper was very
pleasant 70 sec. -
"She came straight from the dear
Lords hands," he said, "snd how we'll bs
kenned that never could bide lsssle
with slstteriux tongue" Fe.