The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1889-11-22

five years The ladies Perine betook
themselves to their several feminine
occupations, for they were Industrious
women, in a way. and quiet reigned
in the hall and parlors- The few flies
that had braved an entrance through
the shaded windows felt lonely and
subdued, and meekly promenaded the
ceiling, with no thought OF buzZing.
The sound of wheels on the graveled
drive about noon brought three heads
instantly to the oriel window of the
upper hall. and two woolly ones ap-
peared at the side porch
WHO in the world is coming to see
us in hackl" exclaimed Miss Louisa,
in disgust
And such a hackr'
"Extraordinaryr cried Miss Ger
trude, there is a trunk, aud the
wretch is throwing it on my grass as
if il were "a dirt road Here, you fell
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 shriIl, unintelligible
voice
''Sarvent, mistis;" the old gray
headed butler showed signs of excite
ment about the whites of his eyes;
''dar is young pusson in de parlor.
marin, L mexs bole to sp0se she axes
yo' comp'ny."
''ls it a lady, James?"
"Well now, mistis> she mought be
lady, by de look Of her, and den agen
she moughtn't"
did she give her nameP"
Lord love yer, mistis," cried the
old domestic, forgetting his decorum.
de po' thing cough so she amt got
bref to say nuttin; pear like she gwine
faint away TO she could get any word
outen her mOuf. and 1 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 ghastly
| pallor telling the pitiful story. Seat
ed on the rug at her feet was a sturdy,
! three-year-old boy. in short skirts and
bare legs. He was fearlessly investi-
| eating the eyes and teeth of the leop-
ards head, and evidently had no con-
sciousness of any thing unusual in his
companions condition Perhaps, alasi
I 1t was 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
! ly instinct, had little conception of
huN H.
| spoonful of brandy, a cool spray in her
| face, doctor-and presently the sunk
/ on dark eyes opened, but there was not
strength for single word of explana-
tion, and before sundowu 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 to tell any
thing except that his name was
Win" He prattled of too-too cars
bridges, of Mamma sick, of liter b. ack
| doggie at ours home, of tandy In e
tunk, and such objects of baby in
terest- Fortunately he did not pine
long for his young mother, hidden
forever from his sight in a hasty, un-
|
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 a purse, only coarse unmarked
handkerchief The shabby little trunk
was almost empty, except for few
suits Of neatly-made clothes for the
boy and a few carefully darned articles
OF female underclothing, not letter,
not a book, not a 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 tc
where to place him"
Yes" assented MIR. Middleton
Perine, laughing uncontrollably over
Wins persistent efforts to sit on the
smooth convexity of the leather sofa.
But, as far as any body knew, Mr.
Perine never made a single inquiry ot
the aforesaid experienced person.
The very day after he came to Burn
side Win climbed up, at the risk oi
all his bones, into the drag, possessed
himself of the reins, and gravely an
nOunced: ME dwive 'ou, me Dig
boy" and from this time forth, ex.
cept when his small humanity was
overtaken by measles. or chicken pox,
or some of those infantile jailors, not
a day passed that small William, as
his baby name came to be translated,
did not 60 into town with the old
lawyer, coming back with the careful
coachman.
There was never a word said
amongst the sisters about parting with
the child They even ceased to specu-
late about his relations, secretly hop.
ing that there were none / am no,
sure but that they avoided reading the
advertisements under Lost, Strayed
or Stolen" In Wins tantrums, and
he had now and then violent tan
trums. he was turned over to Miss
Louisa, who was steady in voice and
manner. and who. the little fellow
soon learned, was master of the situa-
tion. Miss Gertrude undertook TO feed
clothe him, and did both parts sc
well that his rosy cheeks stood out for
fatness. and he was likely to outgrow
more clothes than he could wear out
But Miss Patty was his playfellow,
and Mr.. Perine his especial chum and
confidant And ahl how strangely the
staid, somber, unsociable old house
was changed. Pets of various sort:
accumulated in yard and stable
Every member OF the household re
} signed some cherished prejudice fol
the sake of this little stranger. whC
so quickly learned TO say ''our':
I bo,,sa mo borsia Wins Auntie Trlld,