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

the hurry and fuss OF business and hard
work the thought Of the wee lassie at hsme
was ever present with him. Sometimes
she was q fairy in rags, sometimes as
elderly witch disguised as little girl,
that he thought of in his quaint Scotch
way; but most OF the time she was little
misused angel, who for some reason or
other was condemned to stay on earth till
4 great evil should be overcome or great
good accomplished. "Of course the lsssie,
in plain English, and stripped Of the dec
orative art of the Imagination, was baby
tramp" he told himself, and did his best
to believe it. She might be "a wee luny"
in addition to everything else, and the
cottage was as likely to be heap Of ashes,
on his return to it, as it was to be standing
as he left it.
In the meantime the little deaf mute was
spending what seemed TO be very quiet
afternoon. She washed up the few dishes,
and after seeing that everything WAS in
what .eemed to be its proper place she
drew chair to the window aud proceeded
to look out. There was something As
strange about this proceeding as about
everything else. She did not raise the
curtain, but pseped stealthily out OF one
side, looking always in the same direction
toward the northeast; and save for an
occasional pilgrimage to the side window,
probably for the purpose Of judging Of the
time by the suns PROCESS. the little ono
remained at her watch. Way OF in the
distance lay the turnpike road, looking to
ordinary eyes like q white line against the
green Of the hills and meadows, aud on the
upper part Of this road the child's gaze
was intently fixed. No vision but that
made keen and far reaching by the eclipse
of the other senses could have distin-
guished one thing from another ut this
great distance, but tho wee lassie could
have described every vehicle and every
foot-passenger that Travelled the turnpike
while she watched. At quarter past six
the overseer unlocked the door Of his cot
tags. The "bit black-bird" WAS perched
OIL a chair when he entered, apparently
quite at home. She looked her host full
In the face again, with wide-open solemn
eyes, and John McFinlan's wonder was
greater than ever. He glanced around
the room and saw that the table was laid
for his supper. The tea-kettle was sing
ing on the hearth, and everything was In
perfect order.
81 mauw have housekeeper, 1t seems,
fits naught but dummy" ho Aid to
himself with comical gesture. Then he
seated himself and hello out his arms to
his singular guest. She went to him at
once, and stood by his knee.
'T'm thinking it's bit owlic you are,
instead of a black-bird," he said softly,
"an owlie that has eyes for the night aud
the day but 1 Gamma explain why you
should fly to my nest, you wee birdee"
he went on tendorly.
The baby eyes were As solemn as his,
but again the ghost OF smile played over
her face. Then she stretched out tiny
hand and laid it OH her companien's
cheek. McFfnlan's kind heart was stirred
to the very depths by this mark of afrsc-
tion and confidence. He took the tiny
hand in one OF his great palms, and with
the other formed some of the letters OF the
deaf aud dumb alphabet. The child shook
her head sadly. 1t was plain she had
never been taught anything. Her COM
panion noticed that there were great red
marks on the little ones neck and arms
and bruise OH one temple, which must
have been the result Of 8 terrible blow.
He pointed to them with an inquiring
gesture, and the wee lassie pressed her
hand to her heart and shook her head
again slowly and pathetically. For a
long time this singular couple continued
their silent conversation, and the sun
sank lower and lower, and when he had
dropped away entirely the child pointed
to the table and the boiling tea-kettle.
McFinlan got up and made the tea, and
after adding a few things 70 tho table
drew up too chairs, and invited his guest
to be seated. She came at once, and after
pushing her chair little nearer her COM
panion's climbed up and calmly took her
place. The wee lassie partook sparingly
and hurriedly Of the food placed before
her, and then waited for her host 70 finish.
When all was over she cleared the table
and washed the dishes, and as she busted
herself Mr.. McFinlan smoked his pipe on
the doorstep and thought over the situa-
tion. When 1t began to grow dark he
noticed that the child became more and
more uneasy. She looked out Of the win
dow frequently, and sometimes went to
the door and stood ON the threshold, evi-
IDENTIFY In great trouble and perplexity.
At last, when IL was quite dark, the sin
gulsr creature climbed up In chair and
took the oyersecr's hat from It's peg and
handed It TO him. Things were growing
more and mors complicated, and, as the
astonished man put tbe hat on his head
and prepared to follow this deaf and
dumb infant. he w.s conscious of feel
ing Of awe and reverence that he bad
never experienced before. He was not
afraid-John McFinlan could never be
that-but there was something 20 weird
and out Of the common In the whole oc-
currenee that try as he might to prevent
it, his heart would beat In double-quick
time and every nerve in his body keep in
harmony with the strange rhythm. The
oyerseer was not much confused when bis
Guide haltad In front Of the HorkG. Uefe