Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1891-01-10

| face peerir1 in upon him. 1t was the
| face of girl of about u, very wan and
plnched indeed. 1t had great, wild,
black eyes, which had a strangely
| pathetic look IN their depths, and was
shaded by cataract of floating black
hair She was clad in thin calico
dress, while her bare feet looked pain
| fully cold in the snowy mud In her
bare arms, which showed numerous
marks Of the whip, she carried heavy
! load of wood.
| "Hello, | say" she again piped,
what you doin' in there? Why don't
| you come out ?'
homer" he asked.
At the word home, the pathetic look
deepened, and she said in gentle tone:
Have you got home? Well, |
haln't. LeastWise | don't call it no
home. Who am /? Thought every
body knowed. Why, I'm the gal that
! works up at Jinkses, bout three miles
from here. Only home / got links is
for gittin' all the pris'ners he kin.
| Theirs the only house fur miles. Small
chance you got o gittin' out. Wish
could help you. Would if | could.
That is if you've got home to go to"
Il certainly have, my poor child"
said Dick, "but you couldn't help me,
for I've nothing to eat, and if | had
doubt if could make my escape
IF that's all, ! might give you a part
of mine" she said. "Couldn't you git
out if you had something to eat?"
There was such wlstful look in the
great dark eyes as she asked the ques-
ton that Dicks heart softened toward
this strange child, and he answered.
at p,iOhf 1io ont with this stick if |
had food to last me week"
Then III bring it to you, she said,
turning to 90. "I'll come every even
ing. I must hurry now or they'll beat
me fur not brlngin' the supper wood
sooner"
"Do you have enough food to share it
with me ?" he asked.
She smiled bitterly, and answered
with mournful culver in her voice:
Don't matter bout me, mister No
one loves poor Bet"
relations?"
''Bet Is all the name | got. )inks
took me from the poor-house, / guess,
wish | was back there now couldn't be
no worse" and Wiping the tears which
had started to flow she walked away.
Left alone, Dick thought long OF this
queer child. Was she really friend?
Probably not Why had he told her
of his only possible means Of escape.
She was in all probability little spy
sent out to see if all was secure.
All through the night, at intervals,
/ and the next day, he dug away with
might and main, but it was slow work.
The ground was hard the point of the
stick dull, and he was weak. BY the
/ next evening he had made very little
/ impression on the solid black earth, and
was utterly worn out. AS he sat Watcn-
inc the RAYS of the setting sun through
| his one tiny window (the knot-holel
! the voice of the evening before startled
| him, and little package fell to the floor
from the hole in the boards.
/ He peered out just in time to see re-
treating figure speeding away. Lifting
slices of bread and a small piece OF
/ cheese wrapped in newspaper. Though
/ not very tempting no elegant repast was
/ ever eaten with more relish than that
| meager lunch. With renewed strength
and hone he again began work ana
worked almost constantly, with the eN-
ception of the time he was forced to
! sleep. Hope lent new strength when
fatigue threatened.
Every evening the child brought hlm
a scanty supper and drink OF spring
! water. SOln0LAu1eS SIG spun =" ~
words. sometimes hurried away without
saying anything. There was always
about the same quantity OF food, ana
! though Dick grew very weak on such
small allowance doubt if his generous
heart would have permitted him to ac-
cent that much had he known how she
skinned herself. In week and day
he stood weary but victorious. The
child and the stick had saved his lie.
Another hours digging would com
nlete the task and he would have hole
large enough to crawl through.
On the evening of the first day OF
March Dick Fulton was free man
again.
As he stood in the waning light, gaz-
no DER the desolate waste OF land, ne
saw a figure approaching, 1t was pet,
The simple. faithful child, bringing him
his food. She paused on seeing nun,
then exclaimed: "a
,,nst hurry back or they'll beat me
''sI She looked even paler than when he e
hod soon her week previously, and
+ha moor little blue arms bore recent
,,narks Of the cruel lash. She turned TO
90 Int Dick detained her.
aIook here, little one, wouldn't you
like to have a home?"
The sad ewes looked wonderlngiy into
his face. but she answered quickly;
"Welf. ] intend taking you nome
with me. Have you any clothes Whlch
wo,, want? If not, come quickly.
give only one thing | care tur, an !