The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-11-01

women. IN a way. and quiz reigned
IN the hall and parlors The few hies
that had braved an entrance through
the shaded windows felt lonely and
subdned. and meekly promenaded the
ceiling. with no thought Of buzzing.
The sound of wheels on the gravelsA
drive about noon Brought three heads
Instantly 10 the oriel window of the
upper hall. and two woolly ones ap-
pesred al the side porch.
Who In the world Is coming to see
Us In haeai" exclaimed Miss Louisa.
In disgust
And such hackr
--EKtraordinaryr cried Miss Ger
frude. there Is a trunk, and the
wretch Is throwing it on my grass az
If it were dirt road Here. you fel-
low. there is some mistake; that trunk
does not belong here. especially On
the grass-here. listen
But the slouchy hack-driver had
evidently gotten his fare, and paid no
attention to the shril, unintelligibla
voice
'-Sarvent. mistis:'' the old gray
headed butler showed signs of excite
ment about the whites of his eyes:
'dar Is q young Dusson in de parlor.
marin meks Dole to spose she axes
yo' eomp'ny"
ale IL O 1oar Ta--e-
We'll now. mistis. she mought be a
Sdy. by de look of her. and den agen
she monghtn'L"
lid she give her Manner
Lord love Yer, mistis.' cried the
old domestic, forgetting his decorum.
de Pc thing cough SO she amt got
BRET to say muffin; pear like she gwine
faint away TO she could get any word
-5uten her mouf. and | tink bes come
and let On bout her"
Before the words were fairly uttered.
Miss Patty was at the parlor door
The poor young woman had indeed
tainted, the stained handkerchief. the
red line on her lips and her ghast Y
pallor telling the pitiful story Seat
sd on the rug at her feet was a sturdy,
ree-year-old boy. In short skirts and
ia e legs He was fea-lessly investi-
eating the eyes and teeth of the leop-
ards head, and evidently had no con-
sciOusness OF any thing unusual in his
companion condition. Perhaps. alas.
ii was 4 sight familiar TO him All was
confusion and terror in the usually
still house These old maids had never
been sick in all their well-regulated
lives, and except for sort OF woman
~ instinct, had little conception of
what ought TO be done 4 bed, e
spoonful of brandy. a cool spray in her
face 0octOr-and presently the sunk
en- dark eyes opened but there was not
strength for a single word of explana-
ton. and before shutdown another hem
orrhage carried of the feeble life that
had SO Suddenly and strangely come
into the Burnside household that morn
ing.
The child was too young 10 tell any
.aing except that his name was
'=sfira" He prattled of boo-too cars,
bridges, of Mamma sick, of litter b ack
doggie at ours home. of tan3y in e
funk and such objects of baby in
terest- Fortunately he did not pine
long for his young mother, hidden
forever from his sight in hasty, IN
sept grave. Doubtless she had been
too feeble to give the child much at
tention- and he seemed quite able TO
bear the burden of his own existence.
finding vivid amusement in every
thing around him There was not the
faintest clew TO the Identity of the
dead woman In her pocket was not
even purse only coarse unmarked
handkerchief The shabby little trunk
was almost empty, except for a few
suits of neafly-made clothes for the
boy and few carefully darned articles
OF female underclofhing, not letter.
not book not scrap Of paper any
where
I'VE viii keep the child, brother
said Miss Perine. until you ask ad-
vice of some experienced person AS TO
where TO place him"
Yes" assented Mr. Middleton
Perine. laughing uncontrollably over
Wins persistent efforts 10 sit on the
smooth eonvexify of the leathe sofa
But, As far as any body knew, Mr.
Perine never made a single inquiry OF
the aforesaid experienced person
The very day after he came to Burn
side Vim climbed up, at the risk OF
ali his bones. into the drag. possessed
himself of the reins- and gravely an
nounced: Me divine ON, me dig
boy" and from this time forth. ex-
cept when his small humanity was
overfaken bT measles. or chicken pox.
or some of those infantile jailors. moi
a day passed that small William. As
his baby name came to be translated.
did not go into town with the old
lawyer coming back with the careful
cOachman-
There was never q word said
amongst the sisters about parting with
the child They even ceased to specl-
ate about his relations. secretly hop
ing that there were none am NOT
sure but that they avoided reading the
advertisements under Lost. Sfray cd
or Sso.en-" In Wins tantrums- and
he had now and then violent tan
trums. he was turned over to Mis-.
Louisa who was steady In voice and
manner, and who. the little fellow
soon lea ned, was master of the sifna-
tion Miss Gertrude undertook to feeC
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