Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1883-04-14
THE WEE LASSIE.
"What do you want?"


"What do you want"
John McFinlan, oveseeer Of the Lewis
ton Jewelry Works, sat eating his solitary
dinner by the open door Of his cottage.
He was a strong-featured, powerfully
built Sotchman Of forty-fve or there.
abouts. with iron nerves and iEdomitable
courage, but little shadow falling across
his door-sill had given him strange start.
For answer to his harsh interrogatory
tiny girl took the place Of the tiny shadow
and looked up into his face with pair OF
great dark eyes that seemed to the aston
ished man almost all there was of the child.
Everything else about her was 80 exceed
ingly diminutive, even to the rags that
covered her, that her companion could
scarcely resist laugh at the singular ap-
partition.
"What do you wantr" the man repeated,
resuming his knife and fork. His voice
was softer now, but John McFinlan haG
little time or sympathy to spend on
tramp,, whether large or small. 1t was
half past twelve, and in ten minutes he
must be starting for the works, good mile
avay. And still the child stood staring
into his face. There did not seem to be
any trouble or apprehension in the look,
neither was there any curiosity or entreaty
in the great solemn eyes that unwinkingly
pursued the study Of his countenance.
There was grim humer in McFinlans
stern Scotch natue, and rs the unfinching
gaze continued his rugged face broke up
into a smile of genuine amusement.
"why, lass, he said, 81 shall think my
self more handsome thai anybody ever
kenned afore if you keep on"
There was no answering smile on the
child's face. She drew little nearer, that
was all and as her companion rose from
the table she took him gently by the sleeve
and led him to the door,"
"She maun be a WITCH" McFinlan NUT
tered, as he followed her lead. The child
stepped on to the great flat stone In front
of the door, and then, with gesture which
seemed to the wondering man most uncan-
nv As we'll as unchildlikc, pointed to the
sun Just now riding high in the heavens,
and with another equally impressive mo-
ton to the low west.
"a poor dummy" said the overseer,
"and she wants to bide here till tho sun
goes down."
With view to testing the correctness OF
this theory he went back into the house,
and made motion for his strange guest
to follow. She came at once, and the host
handed her chair. The little creature
climbed up into it with alacrity, and then,
for the first time, suspicion OF smile
played over her face. 1t was only the veri-
est shadow, and it gave such Wistiul
look to the sad countenance that the broad
shouldered giant standing before her felt
"a IL his eyes were full Of scalding water.
The Scotch intuition and the Scotch eau
ton were now pitted against each other.
The first declared there was nothing smiss
with the wee lassis, and the second that
such strange proceeding could only come
from strange cause, and everything that
was strange was more or less suspicious.
In the meantime the child sat quietly in
the straIght-backed chair, with her great
luminous eyes liked on her eompanisn's
face.
"She looks like black-bird that's just
pecked the SHELL" he told himself, "and
there can't be any more harm to her. She
may be an emissary Of Savtan HIMSELF"
he went on, after pause; "but / Gamma
say her nay any more than could turn
the cold-shoulder 70 our Saviour, gi'en he
were to make me CALL"
All this time John McFinlan was pick
ing up the dishes and SETTLING the table"
He could not abide q housekeeper or q
servant, and as his wants were very sim
pie he found ample time both to do his
own cooking and to keep things tidy in
his little cottage. Only two minutes re-
mained now Of the nooning, and having
made up his mind to let things gang
their own gait" he took the little one,
chair and all, and carried them to the
table.
s'There's rye bread, and potatoes, my
bit black-bird." he said, "and here's bit
of meat to put something Of the human
into your great staring eyes,; but the
child slipped down from the chair, a. he
took his hat from its peg on the wall, and
followed him to to the door. She shook her
head when he looked at her inquiringly,
a. much to say she was not hungry, and
then reaching up TO the key, which was
on the outside Of the door, made motion
to turn it.. 1t was plain she wanted TO be
locked into the house. In order to be sure
ofthis, the proprietor tried the experiment
two or three times, and upon opening the
door the wee lassie was found sitting
quietly on the chair he had provided for
her. This was the strangest episode Of