South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1883-04-06
The W. LAss1E.
by rLrAon KIRK.


'What do you deant2'
John Mcfinlanppverseer OF the Lee
vision Jewelry Works, sat eating his
solitary dinner blythe open door of his
cottage. He wa strong.featured,
powertuily.built 6cotchman OF forty
five or Whereabouts, with iron nerves
and indomitable oourage. but little
shadow falling actoss his door.sill had
given him.a stranee start. For ans.
wer to his harsh interrogatory a tiny
girl took the place Of the tiny shadow
and looked up into his face with o
pair of great dark eyes that seemed TO
the astonished man almost all there
was of the child. Everything else a.
bout her WINS 50 exceedingly diminu-
tive, even to the rags that covered
her, that her companion could scarce
ly resist laugh at the singular ap.
partition
what do you want?' the man re.
peated. resuming his knife and fork.
His voice was softer now, but John
McFinlan had little time or sympathy
to spend on tramps, whether large or
small. 1t was half.past twelve. and
in ten minutes he must be starting for
the works. a good mile away. 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 en-
treaty in the great solemn eyes that
unwinkingly pursued the study of his
countenamce. here was ii grim hui
NOR in McFinlan's stern Scotch ma.
iure, aud as the undinching gaze con
tinued lis rugged face broke up into
smile Of genuine amusement
why, lass, nc said, Il shall think
myself more handsome than anybody
ever kennel ufore if You keep on
There was no answering smile on
the child's face. She drew a little
nearer, that was ali; and % her com
panion rose from the table she took
him gently by the sleeve and led him
to the door.
She mauu be u WITCH McFinlan
mutte:cd, as he followed her Lead
Tie child stepped on to the great flat
stone in front Of the door, aud then,
with gesture which SCENE d to the
wondering man most uncanny as we'll
as unchldlikc, pointed to the sun Just
now riding high i'll the heavens, and
with another equally Impressive mo.
::c.' to..the lev west. a poor dummy
said The overScer, 'and she wants to
bide here till the sun goes DOWN
With 4 view to testing the correct
ness of this theory ne went back into
the house, and made motion for his
strange guest to follow. She came at
once. and the host handed her Il chair
The little creature climbed up into it
with alacrity, and then, for the first
time, suspicion OF a smile played o.
YER her face. II was only the veriest
shadow, and it gave such wi5tful
look 10 the sad countenance that the
broad shouldereI giant standing be-
fore her felt as if his eyes were full of
scalding water. The Scotch intuition
and the Scotch caution were now pitt
ted against each other. The first de-
clarcd there was nothing amiss with
the wee lassie, and the second that
such Il strange proceeding conld only
come from strange cause, and every
thing that was strange was more or
less suspicious. In tic meantime the
child sat quietly in the straightback
chair, with her great luminous eyes
fixed OH her companions face.
'She looks like Il 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
Sawtan HIMSELF he went on, after a
pause, but Gamma say her nay any
more than | could turn the cold shoul.
der TO orr Savior, gi'en he were to
make me q call
All this time John McFinlan was
picking mp the dishes and settling
the table lie could not abide a
houseGeeper or servant, and as his
wants were very simple ne found am
pie time both TO do his own cooking
and TO keep things tidy in his little
cottage Only two minutes remain
ed now Of the incoming, and having
made up his mind to let things gang
their own gait he took the little one,
chair and all, and carried them 10 the
table.
There's rye bread. and potatoes,
my bit black bird, he said, 'and here's
n bit Of meat TO put something of the
human into your great staring eyes :
but the child slipped down from the
chair, as he took his hat from its peg
on the wall, and followed him to the
door She shookher head when he look
ed at her inqairingly,a5 much az TO say
she was not hungry, and then reach
ing up 10 the key, which was on the
outside of the door, made a motion to
turn it. 1t was plain she wanted to
be locked into the house. I'm order
To be sure OF this, the proprietor tried
the experiment two or three times.
and upon opening the door the wee
lassie was found sitting quietly on the