The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-11-06

among high trees, her memory did not
go in the recall of the events of her
| mysterious babyhood.
From the first time she saw the toll
! bar swung, it became to her a source
| of boundless delight, causing her often
| to shout and dance with a glee that
| was almost a rapture.
| Every passer through the gate, hui
| man or animal, interested her, and was
interviewed by her. Once a sheep
! herder came up, with several hundred
| heads, whereupon she ran to me, ra-
diant with surprise, and shouting
80 Mittens, come out! come out,
| quick! There's whole big lots of great
| poodle dogs at the gate, and they are
| all in hurry to get doc, 'tos they are
| all CRYING, bar! BARI"
SHE thought the 'baa" ofthe sheep
was the cry of ''bar! bar!'' which fret
full people make when they are anx-
| lou to get through.
Well, the rest is sad enough, and /
| can but make it short, for it is too
| dreadful to dwell upon.
Little Mitts grew yearly taller and
handsomer. Everybody said she would
make a. splendid woman, even if one
eye was black and the other blue. /
could never wean her from tending the
toll-bar.
"Young ladies'" have no business
tending toll-gates."
I'm not a young lady" she declared,
laughing until both eyes became the
same color, and that color the jolliest
blue. 'I'm your Little Mitts for life
and in DEATH"
But darkness was nigh. One fearful
night Little Mitts sat up with me later
than was her wont. There had been
robberies in the neighborhood.
"NIittens, dear" she inquired, "aint
you afraid OF robbers? You have no
help at hand but slender me, and it is
generally known that you have saved
money; and that it is in the house"
II have not the least fear, Little
Mitts," said I, reassuringly, and then
she kissed me goodnight and clung to
me with tenderness unusual even for
her, before she went to her bedroom
out of the dollhouse.
Later than midnight I let in two
powerful-built men-detectives they
said they were, searching for soldiers.
They had Grape drops over their
faces, ''to keep the sleet from their
Eyes, Ollc vi OllclIl ca plstliICd.
I turned to give the fire a jog, at
which one of them thundered,-
Now, then, old man, pass over all
you ready CASH.
turned and looked at them. Each
was covering me with revolver.
'<Never!" was my reply. 81 had
rather die than lose all have, in my
old age and feebleness."
i, .,4<
they slowly pronounced
"Onel"
A gust down the chimney drove the
smoke into the room.
'"Two!" There was q light step.
Some one entered.
"Three" Isaw flash, I heard loud
report, an oath, and a wild cry, and
then there came swift roll of smoke.
The smoke of the chimney and guns
was lifted by gust of wind from the
door. l saw white figure falling. 1t
was little Mitts, shot through her bless.
ed body She had come to save her
old, worthless foster-father's life!
Then the fire fiared, and the room
was still. The ruffans must have fled,
for I saw them no more.
Regardless of all else, Icarried her to
the bed, and bent over her. No one
but God who knows the vast depths
there are in stricken human nature,
knew how I felt.
"Kiss me, Mittens, dear, she gasped;
"and have no heart of fear, for the
road I am going to stretches out fairer
and brighter before me-and oh, the
golden gates ere opening! Kiss me
farewell, dear old father-and" the
golden gates had opened.
She was dead.
Ihave never been able to unravel the
mystery Of her abandonment in her
early childhood, but still try to keep
the promise I made her Ito be dood,"
hoping some day her little hands may
open. the golden gates and let the old
gate-keeper pass through into that
world she saw in her vision.-Youth'
Companion