News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1892-02-11

! her brown skirt Il blouse of scarlet
flannel, yellow handkerchief tieC
about her throat, and a broad
brimmed hat fairly aQlow with bright
J artificial flowers.
, Reaching the market she took hel
stand in II conspicuous place, and
hanging her fish in pairs upon hel
arms, her wrists, her fingers, as if she
were a rack for their display, called
"Fish! Satanna's fish" to every
passer-by.
Some there were who laughed at her
queer appearance, and called to her
to keep quiet and get out of the
way and others, who remembered
that the old woman had once been
one of the sisters of st. Anne, treat
ed her with a semblance of respect,
and those who could not forget that
in a rage she was said to have burned
the st. Anne convent to the ground
! dealt with her quickly, handed her
the exact sum and counted them
selves lucky tC have made their pur-
chase without exchanging a. word
with her
"It was very kind of her church, -
these customers had said among
themselves, to build ber a cottage
on the cliffs, only ten miles from here,
where she can catch these best of fish,
and, with permission to leave her eX-
lie once a week, bring them to mar
ket for a ready sale, as she had done
for thirty-fve years. Had it been
! given to our government to punish her
she wouldn't have escaped so easily"
1t was the child's first Saturday
with Satanna, and as she could not
well be left alone at home the old
woman dressed her with cOnsidera ble
pride in the clothes she wore when
washed ashore, and twisting hers gold
en- curls with some pretense to order,
| she sat the little one astride one shoul-
der, placed the basket of fish upon
the other, and started on her market
way.
"YOu like small one?" she said, as
the child jolted up and down as if in
the saddle and chirped "go-long" to
her sure-paced horse, and laughed in
glee. You are merry one indeed ~
As The walk grew longer and more
tiring Satanna took her on her arm,
and. grooming a sort of lullaby as
she went along, reached market with
the child sOundly asleep.
"What is that, that old Satanna
has brought with her this morn
ing?" exclaimed a rough voice, by
my faith, it is child as sure as | am
alivep
"Indeed it is. and my very own,"
retOrted the old woman quickly, and
all the more readily as it was well
known that children feared her and
ran at sight of her. as if she had the
power to "voOdoo" them.
"Bless us Old woman, has the sea
given you a child?" cried another
rough voice, but she cast her gimiet
eyes upon the speaker and ne skunk
away unanswered.
Soon the child stirred, raised its
head, and, fully awakened held out
a hand to the pigeon pecking in the
"FOr heavens sake, Satanna, that
golden-hair cherub ism t yours You
must have stolen her from some one,
if no other than a mermaid eX-
claimed woman's voice.
"Why should an old woman like
me wish one as small as she, enough
to steal her? Answer me that" ques-
toned Satanna, resentfully.
But where did she come from?
What's her name?" cried the gath
ering crowd.
"She was but the cautious old
woman reflected Why allude to the
wreck if they did not suspect it?
Her name?-I never heard name
for her; you may call her what you
please" And sullenly turning her
back upon her inpuisitors she hoped
to silence them.
Has IA signOrina no name?" in
| quired an artist, attracted towards
| the group byits picturesqueness, and
wishing he had the fair child in the
| arms of the grim old woman, in all
her market toggery, upon his canvas
Call her Anemone, Sea-Anemone,
! he suggested.
| There was something in the name
| that was not displeasing to Satanna,
and the child smiled to the artist as
| if accepting his choice of names.
/ "Cear the way there, you raga-
mullins, and let the old woman
alone" cried IA policeman, swinging
his club as he went by and scattering
the crowd right and left.
"TIs a dear little one! A sweet
one exclaimed a fruit woman from
her stall, as Satanna sat the child
upon her feet. "Come here and get
this and sheheid an orange toward
the child. But Satanna grasped
her securely by the dress. and the
woman. afraid of the old woman's ILL
will, which might take the form of
whitening the fruit upon her stand,
ceased her enticings.
"Fish! Fish! Satanna's fish y
called the old woman as party of
ladies approached, and the child,
startled by the cry or overcome with
sudden diffidence, hid her face in the
old woman's skirt and escaped their
notice.
| Good luck attended Satanna's
sales that morning, and while it was
yet early she had bought flour, meal
and fruit to carry home in her emp
tied basket, and, with the child
again perched aloft her shoulder, was
soon far down the coast on her re-
turning way.
CHAPTER ".
Five years had swept by upon the
rocky coast and the little child now
known as Anemone was a winsome
girl of nearly 3 years whose chief
companions were the cliffs, the sea,