The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1891-08-07


went weakly in through the low door,
way of his humble home, a bright fire
of pine knots was flaming and popping
in the fireplace, and a pot of coffee, sit
ting in the hot ashes at one corner OF
the fire, was breathing sweet fra
GRANGE from it's mouth. A wave of in
expressible thankfulness swept through
him at the sight. The children clus-
tered about him with exclamations of
wonder, and the mother, placing the
little stranger in chair before the
pleasant flames, went into the other
room. The giant-lilze father, rubbing
his hands before the grateful blaze,
looked at the children with beaming
face.
sWal, my hearties," he said, ''ye see
I've brought ye little sister"
The child, as if somewhat frightened
by the circle of roguish faces, put out
her hands appealingly, and the big
man drew her into his lap and crooned
over her like woman.
ssDon't We be afeared, little thing,
don't ye be afeard," he said. ''If y'r
pap or nanny never come yell be al
ways safe with us. We had a little gal
once, amost y'r size an heft, an'-yes,
she looked amost like ye. We called
her Breeze, an / guess we'll call We
Gale, for y'r amost like her."
The child looked trustingly up into
his sympathetic face, but it was plain
she did not understand him.
1 reckon ye can't make me out, little
bird, from the way ye look" he said;
''but ye needn't be afeard, ye needn't
be afeard."
The children were pressing about
them, and the father drew Lannie upon
his other knee. The pudgy little fellow
looked at the pale-faced child a moment,
then, touching her thin hand, he looked
up into the mans face and lisped: ''She
Lannie's sister! Lannies new sister!'
and the other children jumped up and
down with glee,
The mother heard it as she entered,
and when she came forward with the
tiny dress and shoes that once had clad
their little Breeze, her heart was full.
Taking the willing child to her breast
she passed into the other room again to
cloth her in dry garments, and the big,
ragged, steaming man leaned forward
and poked the fire, and the children
wondered, for his eyes were wet.
Presently the woman came back, and,
with quick step, set about getting
breakfast. Armor remained leaning
forward, steaming, and gazing dimly
into the bed of burning knots. Pesent-
ly his head sank down as if it were lead;
he had fallen asleep from utter ex-
haustion. The woman touched his
shoulder.
''Drinlz this cup of coffee, Trave," she
said soothingly. ''H'll strengthen you
till get some breakfast on the table"
But he could hardly drink it, his
hands shook SO, and he looked up pitee
ously in her face. Lucy, I'm amost
pegged!'' he said. =
''Yes; oh, Trave, can't you stop now?
Can't you quit drinlzing?" she cried,
and her thin frame shook from head to
foot, Z.
The man swayed forward over his
knees and groaned ''Lucy, viii If
lzinl' But suddenly he threw himself
back with look of torture in his face.
II need it now! I'm Albumin up. Lucy!"
he cried. 'Ain't there any in the houseq
Jist spoonful"
x look of despair spread over the
womans face. ''Trave, there amt any,"
she said, you must go to bed now,
and sleep until y'r better" and she led
him into the other room as if he was a
trembling child.
When she came out again she asked
for Paul, but none of the children had
seen him, and she went anxionsly to
the door and looked out. The boy was
hmping slowly up the path with his ia
theirs rusted rifle on his shoulder. He
had found it in the bottom Of the water
logged boat. ---.-.--... -----.-stA--.--