The McCook tribune., 1891-05-22

Ollc illOIIlIllS, L ODScENcu dl uIluSudl
commotion in the village-men, wom-
en-, and children collected in groups at
different points, and all seeming great
ly excited, | hurried out to learn the
cause, and was informed that little
girl OF five years, the daughter of q
widow living some two miles from the
place, had been missing since about
four O'Clock OF the eprevious afternoon,
and it was supposed she had wandered
off into an extensive wood, not far
from the dwelling, and had got lost.
The nearly distracted mother, with
searched for her the day preceding as
long as they could see, and during the
night a messenger had arrived at the
village with an appeal to the citizens
to turn out en- masse, and endeavor to
recover the missing one, which many
were preparing to do. Immediately
resolved TO make one of the number,
and in less than half an hour was on
my way 10 the wood with party of
friends, and where were soon collected
not less than a hundred persons of
both sexes, and some of them quite
venerable.
After a general consultation, we
divided into small parties, each take
ing Il certain portion of the wood, and
lnf <>f
Il hill which was visible from our
place OF starting; but in case the child
should be found before reaching the
hill, messenger was to be instantly
despatched to the village, and have
a siX-pOunder discharged, as a signal
that success had crowned their efforts.
As the different parties were about
to commence their search, each under
the guidance OF Il neighbor livingin the
vicinity, my attention was called to
Il woman running across the fields
and gesticulating wildly, and some
one remarked that it was the almost
frantic mother herself We waited
till she came up to US, and do not
think | ever saw more terrible grief
depicted on human cOuntenance than
was expressed in her pallid face. She
was III reality only thirty years of
age, and naturally rather handsome;
but the deep lines of grief and anxiety,
now drawn on her eXpressivefeatures,
gave her the look OF sixty. Her eyes,
red from weeping, were wild and un-
settled; her lips were ashy and quiver-
ing; her hair was dishevelled, and her
dress WAS badly torn in different
1,ln ~ fpnn, bInr
bushes and brambles, with clasped
hands and wild, hurried glances from
one to another, she ran up TO where
was standing, eNclaiming in the most
plteOus, heart-tOuching tones: ''Oh,
for heavens sake, find my child! My
-larling.-my sweet little inpocent,''
III possible, madam, wesurely will"
] answered.
.Oh, find her, sir, or I shall 90 madn'
"Doubtless we shall find her before
the day is over"' | reioined; ''but you
must try and he calm, for this wild ex
citement will do you an injury"
Calm she cried, with a look that
was almost fierce; "who talks to ne OF
being gcaim when mylittleAdais wander
ingin unknown wilds, and dying of star
walton? Oh, heavens, will no one find
her and restore her to her mothers
,i.-mS? But | will seek her myself. |
will have her, She shall not be LOST
Saving this, she started and ran IN
10 thicket near at hand, regardless OF
tearing her clothes and lacerating her
flesh with the brambles. Fearing she
might lose her reason and either do
herself an injury, orwander off and get
Loot leo lnronr, pnI novSpIf
immediately started after her We
she plunged through the bushes like a
will beast. took hold OF her, using
considerable force, and told her, in a
stern. determined tone, that we should
not permit her to act in such an
unreasonable manner; and that II
she wanted us to search for and
find her child, she mnst be quiet, and
permit herself to be wholly nnder the
guidance OF the ladies present. At
first she was disposed to treat our
advice with contempt, and declared,
with a strange wild look, she would
do as she pleased; but when she found
we would not let her 90 unless she
promised compliance with our re-
. quest. she became more reasonable,
and declared she would do anything
if we would only set forward and find
her darling child.
We now began our search IN earnest,
spreading out our party IN q line,
some ten or fifteen feet apart, and
beating the bushes in our direct
course. In some places the woods
were very close and thick with under
bush, and here our progress was al
ways slow and tedious-for though
made a good deal of noise, and called
the name OF Ada at least once min
ute. yet it was not certain the wan
derer would answer. even should she
hear us, being perhaps so bewlldered
and frightened as to shrink from her
friends-and so, to make our work
sure, we left not even the smallest
hiding-place unsearched, but again,
where the woods were open, we push
ed forward pretty rapidly, and sue