Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1895-03-21

says1. "and will hear your lesson"
l.put the rag doll in my pocket and
took the old primer 1 had found and
wentto her.
.sIipd the place and go on with your
lesson says l, and l gave her the
book. She turned over the leaves, az
u she was quite accustomed to it, and
saw at once that / had the right
book, 1t was queer little primer
that had been written by an old cler-
gyman in Marsnb"ook. and used in the
school there many years before. She
found the place soon and began to
read, speaking up quite loudly. You
could have heard her out of doors; the
windows We're open. The piece WAS
called "rhc Character Of God Child"
She read it very we'll. l only made her
spell out a few Of the words
"You know your lesson very WE'LL"
says l.
Then I took the doll out of my pocket
and gave it to her. She snatched at it
with her little white. cleaning hands,
and they touched mine, and l felt the
cold strike to my heart again.
She Rugged the doll tight and kissed
1t with her stiff, parted lips. Then she
held It at arms length and looked ut it.
"Please, teacher. find my doll for
me-, says she, With a great wall, and
saw she knew it wasn't her own
doll.
Hush" says I. II can't find doll
that's been lost fifty years. This doll
is just as good. Now, you'd better
take it and run home"
But she gave that pitiful cry again:
"Please, teacher, find my doll for
me-
''You are not behaving nicely at all"
says L. "Fhat doll is just as good.
Now, you'd better take it and run
home"
But she gave that pitiful cry again:
please, teacher, find my doll FOR
me-"
you are not behaving nicely at all"
says I. "That doll is just as good"
Then, don't know what possessed me
to say it, but said: "She hasn't got
any mother. either"
How tightly She Rugged the doll and
kissed it again and again, and did not
say another word against it.
''Now, you'd better run home" says
She rose up and courtesied. and
was all ready to spring. l followed
her. didn't know if could keep her
in sight, but did, and she went into
the graveyard. saw CLEAN of white
in there minute; then it was gone.
That evening I went to DR.. Emmons
and told him what had happened.
'tNow," says I, Il want to know
where that child was buried"
With a pale face he informed me
that the child had bee entombed in
the village cemetery.
Then I asked him to take a lantern
and 60 to the graveyard with me and
look in the tomb. l scarcely thought
I could make him at first He said the
Williams family had nearly all died;
the others gone away. There wasn't
one Of them left. He didn't exactly
know who had the key Of the tomb,
and he kept looking at me closely. I
suppose he was afraid 1 was getting
off my balance. He kept looking at
me. and then he felt my pulse and
counted it by his watch.
s'You don't want to give up the
school?" he inquired.
''No, DON'T says I.
He went out after while and pres
emily he came back with a lighted
lantern ard key. I don't know
where he got it. Then we went down
the road to the graveyard. 1t was a
dark night and it was raining a little.
He went along in front with the Ian
tern, and followed behind. He did
not speak a word the whole way.
When we came to the old graveyard
he opened the gate and we went in.
His lantern lit up all the old head
stones and trees and scragsy bushes
as we went across to the Williams
tomb. 1t was not very far from the
gate. A lot Of little bushes were grow
ing out of the peaked 1oof, and I read
civilians" in the stone work over the
iron door. The doctor fitted the key
in the iron lock while 1 held the Ian
tern. felt as used to when child
in the dark, but held the lantern as
steadily as If my hand had been an
iron hook.
It was hard to turn the key in the
paddock, but finally the catch snapped
back and he pulled off the paddock and
slipped the hasp. But even then he
could not open the door until he had
cleared away some stones and pulled
up by the roots some little plants that
had grown over the threshold.
After he had cone this he opened
the door, and a puff of the same
strange odor which l Lad noticed
about the child came into my face.
He took the lantern and stepped down
and into the tomb, and l after him.
Allsof sudden he stopped short and
caught hold of my arm.
There, on the floor of the tomb, in
the lantern light, right before us, lay
the doll and the primer.
Never until then did 7 believe in
supernatural appearances; but, as sure
as I am living woman, am certain
that the little figure saw was the rest
less spirit of the murdered girl.
KNEW THE VALUE OF SWEARING.