Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-08-01
DEMAS DODD'S DAUGHTER.
BY HELEN FOREST GRAVES.

sim sure [ don't know what to Go
about It, said Mr. Griggs, hopelessly,
scratching his ear with the feather end
Of his quill pen.
1t was glorious August day at Bill
berry Four Corners. The mullen stud
deJ pastures were baked with heat; the
closed cups of the morning glor1es hung
disconsolately among the whiting leaves,
while cattle stood knee deep in the Bill
berry River, where pollard willows made
a friendly shade.
At the Town House, however, there
was no such luxury as trees. Trees
shaded the cabbage field; their roots
drew all the strength out of the garden
soil, where onions, potatoes and sugar
beets were to be grown, and their LEAKAGE
made a green mould on the roofs. The
Town House was meant for use, not
show, and the selectmen had no scru-
pies on the subjectof beauty; and so the
sun came IN like the breath of a fiery
dragon, and smote Mr.. Griggs, the
superintendent, On the very crust of his
bald head.
''Pull down the window shade, some
bo3y!" said Mr.. Griggs, writhing IN
easily IN his chair. sob, dear! oh,
dear! I wish Mrs. Blob was here. She
knows"
''What is the man calling about?'' said
Mrs. Griggs, bustling in from an adioin-
ing room. Don't you know that Mr..
D6mas Dodd is waiting?"
take the books for yourself" said
the superintendent pushing a huge pile
of folios toward his better half. ''What
is one TO do? There was two of 'em left
on the doorstep the same night. We
called one Ruth and the other Naomi;
and We surnamed her Snow, because it
was 81 awful stormy night. The equin-
ootiai, don'tyou remember? And here's
Demas Dodd says one of 'em is bis dar-
ter, and he wants her; and Mrs. Bibb is
gone TO bury her second son. And how
IN the name of all creation be I to tell
which was which,
Let him pick and choose for him.
SELF" said Mrs. Griggs impatientIy.
TEL him jest how it was,
FNo," said Mr.. Griggs, authoritative
y. THAT would derogate from the Gig
nifty of the town superintendent. I amt
to be took unawares like that. It amt to
be supposed IS the Town House authori.
ties can be nistook."
''Stuff and nonsense!'' said Mrs.
Griggs. ''We're all human, amt we?
But if you feel like that why flip up a
penny If It comes up heads let him
have Naomi; if it's tails, say Ruth.
And she produced a copper cent on the
spot, twirling it nimbly on the table.
For second or two it spun around
then fell heavily on It's side revealing the
expressive ineaments of the Goddess of
Liberty
" Headsi' said Mrs. Griggs. 'sSend
Naomi down to him. And l amt sorry,
for Naomi always was careless, fIghty
thing, and Ruth is dreadful handy with
the house linen and mems wash.
But man ought to have his own
daughter feebly demonstrated Mr..
Griggs.
eve can't do no better by hin, . said
Mrs. Griggs. Sand if he hadn't no more
material affection than to leave his own
daughter IN a basket on the doorsteps
such an awful stormy night as that
was"
cit wasn't him; it was old Mrs. Dud-
gick, his wife's aunt, . explained the sup
euntendent of the town poor. ''You see
he was awful down IN the world, and he'd
gone to the Azores to gather YARDS to
make cough cure as should knock
everybody's colds into middle of next
year. An when he heard the child was
dead he hadn't no heart to come back.
And he hever knoWed she was Twin until