The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-01-12

ST / didn't think she'd rot ont ..

III didn't think she'd got out o.
hearing, Id call her back" said she.
"A bed of hay in tho barn would be
netter than no shelter at all, and there's
bit of cold chicken in the pantry and
pitcher oil buttcrmills."
The cold chicken will warm ur
very well for to-morrow's breakfast"
SAID Mr.. Trappc. "Willful waste makes
wocful want; and I've engaged the
bnttermilll to Elder Hopkins Mt four
cents. Il quart. You'd give away every
thlng we've got, if you had gour way!
ana you'd fetch up finally in the poor
house,"
Mrs. Trappc hobblcd back, mute, to
her old place by the iire-she knew
very well that her will was to Timothys
but the wave that filings itself with
fntiic force against the solid rock of
the shore-and rclapscd once more into
silence. But, pcrhaps-who llnowS?-
the Impulse of good which had momcu-
tar.iy stirred the sluggish tides of her
heart might have counted for some
thing in the pearly pages of the Record
ing Angels book!
The next morning, when Timothy
Trappe got up. the snow was piled
brcast-high against the door, the
fences were all hidden and the out
houses seemed all to he floating in a
sea of white. The tempest was over;
the sun was fecbly striving TO break
through waste of watery clouds, and
the wind was as keen rs u knife.
BLESS mc!' said Timothy, rs he
wound Il red-and-bl worstcd COM
fortcr around his neck and shouldercd
80
old-fashioned fall! We hain't had
such storm in twenty year! Halo,
Neighbor Jexon!' as he reached the
front gate, you amt never irwin to
break the road by yourself. business
must be prcssin', if
business is pressing" Neighbor
JcXon made reply-a tall, round Shout
dcrcd man with kindly gray eyes Just
visible above the wrappings in which
he was enshroudcd-"I want Won, limo
thy Trappe."
Want me' And what, in the name
Of common sense, do you want with
mc?" cried out the amazed farmer.
There was woman found froze to
death last night, under the stone wall
of the apple-orchard by Miles IIawley's
cider mill, with Il little girl crying be-
side her" spoke Jcxon, slowly
What of tina to" said Trappe, rccoil-
ing Il little as he rccollcctcd the child
in the worn scarlet shawl and the l:air
flowing over her face. "lt's no bust
ness of mine"
VI was your daughter, Bessy Brig
gan, and her child"
YOU'RE telling me lc.' shouted
Timothy Trappe, clutching at tho
fencc-post for support. You're AIDE
ccivin' of me! Do you suppose I'm goin'
to believe any such story as that?'
Come and see for yourself" said
Jcxon, pitvingly. "A man who was
brinGin' IL load of barrels to the mill
found her there at nine o'clock Mrs.
llnwlcy took her in, not knowing who
she was and sent for the doctor The
doctor was ut my house, with our little
croupy BILLY, and took him there in
my sleigh. And | knew her the minute
set eyes on her"
mittencd hands before his eyes. Tut
il amt truc 1t can't be! If it was my
Eessy, why diGn't she come to mc-lo
her own fathcr?"
Man alive, you iorgct,' said Jexon.
conpassonatcly In such IL night as
last night there wasn't Il soul could
make their way or tell one point OF the
compass from another. And when
your Ecssy Was Il girl, You lived in the
old stone house by the cross roads, il
you remember"
True! True Trappc spoke faint
~. like man in Il dream. Eyes, I'll
go with you, NeiGhbor Jcxon, and it
will be a mere matter of form. My