The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1886-12-11

tVtho io Wiz DoVi- uo 'i'N
called mo Little Bxby. I'm short fur
age, but I'll grow"
"How old arc youp"
"f don't know; Miss Kelley knows"
"Woll, what can you do for Mrs kcl-
lcyp"
The frecklcd face frightened.
al kin do cons d'ble jobs. I scrubs
an milks, an churns, an forks the
manure, an spades. an weeds gard,ng,
an washes, an tends | aby, an y
"You poor. poor child! Violet broke
in. impulsively. Vic cts chief fault was
her impulsivencss, her fr ends said.
Then she asked what was certainly %
very irrelevant and odd question.
"Bixby. did anybody ever kiss youp"
"No. am. shaking her head pos
itivcly.
"Did anybody ever tell you they loved
youP"
"Lovc mel" cried Biyby; her tone was
protest. Then suddenly her chin
quivcrcd and she said: Nobody loves
me; hain't no foks."
Poor thingn' and Violct's soft hand
smoothcd the shock of closely cropped
hair.
81 hcv tried to be a good girl to Miss
Kelley she said. al alters do st what
I'm told, but the cbllcrn tell lies about
me, an Miss Kelley she says amt wuth
my salt, an Pete broke the plue bowl [
never fetched, an he sa d twas me, an
she whipped me orful, an shct me up
in the granny with the rats all night,
and here the tears came into her eyes.
The blacksm tbs hammer had ceased
its blinking. and he was seen, with his
apron on, or tcally examining the
phaeton, while Pete led Lady out of TIL,
shop. Meanwhile tleshy, hard-feat-
urcd woman came out of the house
down to Vio'et.
II SEQ Bixby is a-talliin' to you.
B xby is bad girl; she tells lies She
isn't wuth her salt" the nasal voice
continued. at was the worst bargain
ever made takin' such n crcetur from
the poor-house. I've done II good deal
fur her, but I'm sex and tircl. I'm
goin' to take her back to the poor
house. says so to my man last II ght.
Out she gees, Nate" says /, "bag and
baggage."
"Tisn't true" sobbod Bixby, the
tears st Gaming down h r cheeks. Il
tleH tTlctt. l. IICNe NOIlc I'LL SIlC lOlC lllC.
Impulsive V olet! she turned and
placed her hand upon the girl, and sald
al tn nix can make this little girl USE
ful; will take her home witk mel"
Mrs. Kelly stood as one paralyzed.
This was Il sequel of which she had
ncvor dreamed. Her threat of taking
BiXby back to the poor house had be N
morh idle vaporing. Bixby's ''salt'
had be II rated very highly.
Bixby gasped; astonishment over
whelmcd her; her world seemed falling
into chaos. She hardly knew how she
went and got her sun-bonne net-she had
little else to gather up She had never
had any possessions, unless it was n
bottle-shaped gourl and some valueless
old but o s.
"I NUT kiss the baby!' she cried.
"You sha'nt neither!' sad Mrs.
Kelley. spitcfully; ''you sha'n't touch
him!'
He crowed on the floor, pudgy little
thing; Ii. had never been unkind to
Bixby. and she 10, ed him.
"Good-byc, Jimmy" she sad, de-
crossed Mrs. Kcllcy's threshold for the
last time.
Another page of her life was ended.
81 never was SO surprised in all my
life," said Violet Fcnn's mother to her
pretty daughter n-law, Elise, las when
Violet brought little BiXby home with
her,"
Surprised was Il mild statement, for
she would not have been more aStound-
| ed ut an irruption of Goths and Van
dals on their charming lakeside vii
lagc.
Her household was small, and ran as if
on veivot She had two servants, John
and Mar Il, who had been with her for
years. Biyby was certainly not needed.
and there would be much difficulty in
adjusting her to her proper position. A
great many molc-h lis elevated them
selves into mounta ms before the good
lady discovered that, after all, things
went on about as usual, and BiXby was
tho most tractable and eager to serve of
dependenc es.
II really can not see how you can
suffer such miserable creature about. "
said FL so. who's, idol was self. .She
has that miserable. low-down look
despise. and her freckles are as b as
clock-wheels, and her foot is most
fearful and wonderful thing. Give her
! an ncl and she II take an ell. She has
a chance. too. to make up all sorts OF
lios to impose on your CT dulty. Mother
Fem, you are too good: that is the
trouble with you! You will find her out
bv and by for selfish, ungrateful
thing"
Really, Elise" said Mrs. Fem,
driven to speak in behalf of Violet s
protegc, ''she is better than she looks.
She does not lie-l do not tn nk-her
| stories never change; and she is the most
obedient little thing. and she picks up
faster than You would think; Maria has
taught her to lay the cloth niceiy al,
ready, and she knows what napkin ID
for; and she has learned the Lord S
Prayer. Think of it, she had never
prayed in her life her religious ideas
are the crudest possible. She said il
seemed 10 her that Violet must bc God s
wife the day she brought her here"
shocking said Elise, GROSSLY. 81
do not sec, mother, how you tolerate her
for moment"
But how changed was Bixby's world
what largcss of happiness life had
strativc child Violet even d d not know
how she reioiced and kept
continual jubilee. She had fairly
gasped for breath when taken to her
own room. 1t was small hall-bed.
room, with sunny, white-curtained
window, cool mating on the floor, and