St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1884-01-26

side.
'.Sophy," said she. s'will you read to
me out of the Mother Hubbard book?''
go away, child said Sophy, wav-
ing her off without lifting her eyes from
the page.
ooh, play checkers!' said Sissy. lean
ing her cheek against her sisters
shoulder.
ooh, do leave off teasingl'' said
Sophy. 81 can't be bothered!'
Sissy, thus repulsed, trotted off again,
and, peeping out of the door, decided
that she would go and feed the fowls,
that were stalking around the door IN
very discontinued sort of way.
So she put on her little red hood and
worsted jacket, tugged to pull on her
Iubbers, and trudged out with some
cracked corn in tin pan, as she had
seen Aunt Hepsy do.
Sophy read on and on. until it became
so dark that she could hardly distinguish
one word from another Then all of a
sudden she discovered, from the chill in
the air, that the logs had nearly burned
out, and, from the unusual silence, that
Sissy was gone.
She called Sissy" No answer
came.
She ran to the door and looked out,
but nothing could be seen save little
foot-tracks in the snow, which followed
along the outlines made by the sledge.
''She can t have gone after mother"
thought Sophy, with sudden thrill of
terror tout into those solitary woods,
and with the painters proWling there,
tool!
Sophy was brave little lass. although
she was apt to be careless and neglect
full at times, SO she caught up the ham
mer-the first weapon Of attack or de-
Tense which she could seize upon--fung
on her hat and shawl, and started on
run to follow the small footprints, call
ing Sissy SISSY" as she went.
After a little the tiny marks left the
tracks of the sledge, and started off
into the woods. in all sorts of odd, zig
gag directions, q nd with sinking heart
Sophy followed them. until at last they
stopped at the foot of a monster pine
tree, which lowered far up into the sky
stopped in curious confusion, as if
the snow had been tramped down-and
there, mingled with the oblong shape
of the little rubbers, were huge, heavy
prints, like those of large dogs feet.
Sophy's head seemed to swim; she
grew very pale.
'EThe painter! The painter!' That
was all that she could think of. Surely
he could not have torn the child in
pieces and left no more traces than that!
Or perhaps he had dragged her away.
shrieking, helpless.
And with this horrible vision dancing
before her Imagination, Sophy set out
on a run over the snowy path, still fol-
lowing the tracks of the animal.
eff he has eaten Sissy, he may eat
me, too" said she, despairingly. II
never shall dare to look mother in the
face again
As She ran breathlessly along, sob
bing, faint and halfSfrozen, a far-off
scream struck upon her ear. She stood
still to listen.
1t was not the roar of wild beast,
nor the shrek of victim; but it was
the sound of laughter and merry voices,
and she could distinctly hear Sissy's
shrill tones, saying:
Won't you take me around by the
bee-tree, John? Do. Please do. ]
never saw a bee-treen'
"It's too late now, chick!' Cousin
Johns voice answered. And through
an opening in the trees, Sophy came in
view of Cousin Johns tail, stalwart fig
ure stalking along, while beside him
trotted Bruno, the huge Newfoundland
dog, who always went into the woods
with his master and returned when he
did, with Sissy triumphantly riding on
his back!
For honest old Bruno was the Great
ure with paws whom Sissy had met,
and whom, after her usual romping
fashion, she had ridden back to meet
Cousin John.
Can you imagine how sophy Rugged
and kissed sissy Can you imagine
what weight was lifted off her mind?
Between tears and laughter she told them
what she had feared.
Sissy laughed at the idea, but John
shook his head and told her she must
never venture out of sight of the house
again by herself.
at amt safe, said he. "The wild
beasts are Yenturesome when the snow
lies deep, and we cant afford to lose our
little Sissy!''
They all proceeded happily home
ward, and if the panther was anywhere
about those woods he did not get
chance to devour eithertof the Fay chill.
dren that evening.
And Sophy secretly determined never,
never to relax her care of dear little
Sissy again. Lucy Randall Comfort,
IN Golden Days.
An Alabama paper claims that
many of the persons who left that State