The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1896-09-23


ever been seen since the piper of
Hamelin marched before his host.
For they we're little white-f faced and
destitute children, who have never
seen a river running clear rs crystal
or shining pebbles or the sky bending
like dome of sapphire, over their
heads and down to touch the green
and level land. The good women
planned the trip to Momence a month
ago, and not an invitation was de-
clned.
Not one, did I says There was
just one. Little Giuletta Condi had
beaten on the doors of the barracks at
sunrise that very morning; and when
they we're opened had rushed sobbing
to the pretty young captain to tell her
that she could not go. The woman
nurse with the striped dress and the
cool hands had been all night sitting
in the hot and poisonous air by Giul-
etta's mothers bed, she explained /;
and she had told her to hurry back,
for if the priest did not get there in
time it would be something for the
poor mother to die holding fast to her
little hand. All this between short,
sharp sobs that shook the frail shoul.
ders and filed the soft black eyes with
bitter tears. e. .ss'a':ssy, ~; ~ ~. :.
The little captain comiorted her rs
well as she could, and with the power
born of long experience in just such
sorrows. But Giuletta was the only
one absent when the time for starting
came. How they swarmed out of the
yellow coaches and went over to
possess the land that borders the
Kankakeel The land, indeed They
had not been there five minutes be-
fore they were dabbling their
pave-worn and grimy little feet
in the water; and in an hour
there wasn't wild flower ungathered
or allowed to blush unseen for two
miles around. For the first time in
their starved and wretched lives they
knew what it was to be "knee-deep in
June. Deeper, even, for the pink
clover and tall grasses grew high, al
most to the tops of some of their
heads That's what made the trouble.
For a sniff of the air and touch of
cool blossoms made little Paul Strauss
an apostle of freedom. He called his
brother Johnnie and told him of his
great scheme. They wouldn't go back
to the city; they'd just stay right
there all summer.
eat" responded Paul, "what we
eat in dat town? Nothin'! Look n,
dem cows; amt dere no fish.
Paul waved his hand oratorically
toward the pasture and then toward
the river.
Ten minutes before train time the
officers in charge of the excursionists
called the roll, and found two hun,
dred missing. Searching parties were
unable to find them. Sharp whistle.
from the waiting engine brought nc
answer from the usually noisy throats.
Finally n deserter ran crying into the
excited camp:
"Dey're out dere, under de bridge, y
he yelled. "Dey's goin' to stay and
be farmers!"
And, sure enough, behind the low
abutments, and under the shadow oil
the bridge were 100 children, while
deep in the field of clover another 10C
children lay hidden.
They wept and struggled desperately
at being taken out, and pleaded with
their captors to leave them where they
were.
81 don't want to go back" cried {
tall girl of ten or thereabouts, pitt
fully. IL can be good here. Oh,
can be good here. Let me stay"
"What can you do, child; wher,
would you stay?" asked the captain
kindly, and the girl went reluctantly
toward the train.
Another. with an old face, pinched
and eerie looking, under her tangle o
hair, said sententiously:
eyed better let her stayed! She't
jes' starve here, an in town she'll he'
to get so many wollopins first"
The tall girl heard her and turne,
around.
"Yes," she said, as if the argumen
was unanswerable. "An' I'd like t,
die when feel $3.50 sort O. clean.
God pity her, and pity us all!-Pa
citic Ensign.