San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-10-13

sweetly as usual over all the doings OF the
day. Yes, she would wait. But she went
in slowly, with heavy step and slow. How
pleasant and bright the familiar room
looked. 1t was full Of wood odors, too, and
tinted leaves Mamma and Aunt Cicely
were busy with their pretty work.
"Ah, here you are, Elsie" cried Mrs. Ford.
"See how lovely our souvenir for grandma
will be. She will know what our autumn
woods are like now. She never sees such
confagrations in the sober English forests"
Elsie took the pretty book and looked at
the leaf bouquet in a stunned way, but
could not speak. Mrs. Ford was too busy to
notice it, however, for the next moment she
| cried:
1--WE are waiting for you, Elsie, to get us
some more scarlet leaves. There are beau
ties on TINT tree at the corner of the barn"
"rn get some," gasped Elsie, glad to get
out in the air once more.
She emerged just as the quaint figure of
the tramp drew near the house. He waited.
"Ha, there's the little famingo again." he
said, as the slender figure in the red gown
appeared.
Elsie walked slowly. her blue eyes cast on
the ground
It was rather startling for her to hear q
grufY voice near her utter these strange
words:
"Hullo! goin' to give yer dad the go byr
She could not believe her ears. She stared
with frightened eyes at the creature who
seemed to have sprung out OF the ground
like the1 fairies and gnomes she had read
about. Only this w:s moro like an ogre,
with his fiery tyv-;, al with his croaking
voice, and long black beard and hair.
"Nihat-whct did you say, sirr faltered
Elsie, thinking it best to be very polite
II said are you going to give yer dad the
go byf' repeated the man. well, you have
growed pretty little creature Don't know
me, do yuu' No more you Couldn't"
Eisie's heart beat very fast. She thought
the man must hear it, but she managed to
say:
who are youf Why should know
your
"Who am II Amt been tellin' you all
along I'm your father"
Oh. it seemed as if the solid ground was
sinking and rising like the waves Of a great
sea as she listened to these dreadful words
She caught bold Of the fence rail to steady
herself.
You look surprised, little one said tho
man Amt they told youi Now that's
shame for it to coine on you SO sudden. But
they was wrong thinkin' wanted to drown
you We was so poor, you see, | couldn't
bear to see you q S:arvin' before my very
eyes, and 50 | thought Id put an end to both
of us at once; but they don't let folks have
their own way in this blessed country that
they calls free. 80 lhCy fished you out and
put me in prison all on misunderstanding.
oh, it was all true, Them
The mans words were IN awful corrobora-
tiOa o! what she had heard az school
Vow, little one, I'm hungry enough to eat
you most I've run away from prison, too.
Y0u I::l:t hide me, and bring me something
70 c."
"OL, | can't-In-
There's no such word as can't" said the
I'M, via. un awful frown- Its well seen
haiH't h:,I tie hriH%.n' Of you up You
must DO just ,so say. What's to bender me
takin you with me to help beg. or do the
work for mef'
This awful prospect quite subdued the poor
child
You might hide in the hay in the barn."
she said, her heart beating hard at the pros
pect, land when can will bring out some
food"
"And something to drink"
81 can get some milk, may be-" said the
trembling little girl
Pooh! milk-nawr' snapped the grimy
man, in a voice that made the poor child
Jump Coffee of the strongest kind. Say.
do they lock this barn at night!"
"Yes."
Then you must find the key and bring it
11t 70 | tn o|P IN hp
Mind. if you don't do just as | say, I'll claim
you in the morning. Noon can keep a child
from its own father"
Shuddering from head to foot, Elsie showed
the man into the barn. where be made him
self q bed in the bay
Then the child went back into the house,
quite crushed with the misery that had come
upon her. She felt SO sure of the truth OF d
all, and such dread lest this terrible parent
would carry out his threat, that she did not
say a word to Mrs Ford
81 think Elsie m,sit be i'll" said Cicely, rs
she watched her; "she has not leofed right
since she came from school"
On being questioned, Else admitted tia,
she had q headache. and tn tears came into
h.e' eye. IL Mrs. Ford oysl. down to kiss her
| good ni;ht
Oh. how she logged to sob out all tie terri
s,sc story Oh that Ei;:d Ggeast, where size had
tUund Il sIES:tr in oil her childish troubles.
But tue horrible phantom Of that grimy plan
who waited for her in the barn kept her back
Tie 1l'aiSht. Of what her life might bc, filled
.Ier with cold horror. She laid aside her
| EtTStE dainty cloi hes with q vision of herself
n rss;S, u1nlp!nS down the long roads and
IeGgiu. from door door 1t was all as real
- h"' 49, co;:h be. she never paused to doubt
- Que&;i" Oh, how pleasant the soft bed,