The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1884-02-28

call, l put mine fingers on my ears,
but I hear them just the same!"
''Who calls you, Helenore?" I asked.
"All things out-o'-doors; the birds
and boes and winds. They call me, al
ways, always: they say, 'Helenore, Hell
.enore, come? and I must co." she
cried, springing to her feet and looking
wildly around.
I feared she was losing her mind, and
was much alarmed about her; we tried
to divert and amuse her in every pos
sible way, and.for a: few days she really
seemed to be more quiet,
But one morning we missed her. The
afternoon previous, hand organ-grind-
er and woman, evidently his wife, en-
tered our grounds: Helenore went out
to hear them play; and we noticed that
she stood conyersing with them some
time afterward.
They had been hanging about the
neighborhood for several days, and some
how we felt sure that she had gone with
them, Our suspicians we're confirmed
by a farmer living mile or so above us
who said he met them just at dusk, as
he was returning home from the city-a
man and woman and our Helenore. He
said he recognized Helenore at once,
and spoke to her, bnt she made no an
sWer.
We learned furthermore from her
mother that All grinder and his
wife-old acquaintance of the family
had been in the vicinity for q week
past, and had put up night or two at
her house; and she donbted not that
they were the same persons we had in
mind. She made light of her daughters
disappearance, saying, with shrug Of
her fat shoulders, that ''she would he
back soon enough" and seeming to think
that in any case We were we'll rid of her.
But we missed her and we mourned
her, and I did not try to fill her place.
My Every latest" as Jack still called
her, seemed to have proved sad fail
ure.
I was lingering in my rose garden in
the twilight of warm September day,
hanging fondly over a bed of pet n.y.
brids-latest and sweetest of roses
when I suddenly missed little Ned from
my side, and looking around for him, I
spied him swinging on the front gate. I
started to go toward him, and at that
moment the figure Of woman sprang
up, as it were out Of the ground near
him, and at the same moment I heard a
glad cry from Ned: "Helenore! Hell
enore!'
It was our Helenore! She caught
him to her breast and flew, swift as the
wind across the lawn to meet me, and,
dropping on her knees, with one arm
still around the bewildered child, she
chung to me desperately, sobbing and
grooming; but not one word did she
speak.
1 begged her to rise, but she would
not; so sat down there on the damp
grass, and, taking her head in my lap,
soothed her with the old touch Of the
hand she loved so we'll.
At last she heaved long tremulous
sigh and lifted her face to mine.
II can not ask you to forgive" she
murmured humbly; that would he too
good for Helenore; but I come to see
you once more, and to tell YOU what is
so heavy here"-pressing her hand on
her heart-''and then to die
I led her into sthe house and drew
from her the history of her experience
since she left us in the spring.
"Were the people with whom YOU
went away kind to your I asked.
'Kind!" she cried fiercely. ooh, they
were indeed most cruel! True, they
did never hurt me like mine moder, but
they have made me so to suffer that I
wish not now to live any more"
"But you liked it at first, did you
not-the fields and woods and the mu-
sic?"
Eyes; I like we'll to wander and to he
free; but I learned soon that only chill
dren and birds and squirrels are truly
free-not woman with heart here and
her forehead and lay
ing her hand on her heart.
wondered at her words, but I un-
derstood them later.
Ger few days we had happy time,
and they were good to me, but then
trouble came. / could not dance when
was tired, and I could not learn to
sing their songs-and they laughed at
my own poor songs; so they began to
speak only bad words to me and to care
not if I starved and suffered.
"We were far awav-I know not
where-when we came to large woods,
where many men chopped the trees,
and some wifes and children were there
too, and I begged the music man and
woman that I might stay and work for
them and leev in little hut; and I
stayed. They too came back afterward
and worked"
''And were you happy there?"
She clasped her hands tightly over
ger bosom and n w and strange ex-
preston swept over her face that I did
not understand.
''Happy, happy" she murmured
"Oh, yes! isten-I will tell you!"
Zone chopper was kind to me; he said
he loved me-loved mew she repeated SOL
EMMY, with tender thrill in her voice
that explained all. "And he was so kind
to me, as if had been a queen. It was
he, too, madam, that did teach me to
speak so we'll, for he was Yankee man, !"
she added proudly: ''and you see I do
speak much better!"
I assented. "Where is he now?" I
saked.
ooh, / know not! I know not!" she
cried rocking herself back and forth and
wringing her hands.
'That wicked man and woman took
me away one night; they said that he,
my Eloi, had sent for me to go to meet
him, far, far off; and when we found him
not they Knocked and laughed at my
pain. Oh, / could kill them, liars!
beasta!' The last words were only q
hiss of rage, and she stopped short,
choked with passion.
"Helenore," said, s'why did they de-
ceive you SO? What had you done to
them?"
I 'What had I done to them? Noting,
noting; but they hated me like mine
moder do and would not that I should
be happy"
Here she paused and sudden re-
vulsion of feeling seemed to sweep over
her.
s'None are ever kind to Helenore,"
she said sadly-Esnone but You and
him." Then lifting my hand to her lips
she kissed it reverently and made the
sign of the cross. ..
I was deeply touched; I drew the girl
to me and said, with tears on my cheeks:
Fl Stay with us, Helenore, and try to
be happy again"
HWhat? say you sop she cried. her
eyes wide with wonder. s'Then, now,
you do indeed forgive like God" And
she began to weep naturally and softly,
shedding those tears which always re-