The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-03-30

fAkr III.
hnt ,io,i,.ra,itr Overwhelmingly miserable
bad h.s.I from the panic fears that
Hack and vJere. while the world was
ye,,1"I,mo" yea% ,.,ns, led haxsart on to the hsh
she She was hul {Cy. She hardly noticed that
daw as sb.} cry ana cold and damp with
whicL.>, resumed her journey. upon
>strong and fierce. The way was much
longer than she Thought and she length
ened 1t by missing ii several times, find
ing intricate directions all the more pllz-
zling because she was dazed for the want
of food ana sleep. Two women of whom
she had made Inquiries and who told her
OF terribly many miles gave her a drink
OF milk, but that Was all she had the
whole day. With her gaudy hat and her
careiessiy-wisped-o shawl and bedrag.
sled pink gown. her curly hair tossed and
RULED and her eyes wild and wOebegone,
she had become forlorn. strange-loOking
hgure, which passers-by eyed curio,lsly,
ana on which they sometimes made re-
marks. rms alarmed her greatly, for
solitary wanderngs were new expert
ence TO her She made up her mind never
to be ballad singer. and her aunts house
grew more and more desired refuge. At
last, when the shadows stretched Very
long and the Sunbeams had relaxed their
scorching grip. she came to a bit Of road
that seemed familiar to her. Round the
next turn, II she was not mistaken, stood
the little white cottage at the foot of a
steep field. In the angle where two lonings
met-she remembered the place very well.
And. sure enough, round the corner
just as she had hoped. the little white
cottage came into view, a sight which for
few moments she beheld with much
comfort of heart. But she had not taken
many quick steps toward 1t before she
perceived that something was amiss. ON
the brown slope of the thatch thick
cloud of smoke was brooding. dull and
pale, and, as she looked, thicker black
clouds came rolling up through it in
great heavy puffs. pierced here and there
by sharp thrusts of flame which even
under the sunset of the sky CLEANED
strong and red. Very clearly the house
was on fire. which was IL dreadful thing;
but what struck ROsanne with still more
dismay was that there seemed to be- no.
body about to mind 1t. Three small
stranger boys We're sitting on the triangd-
lar grass plat between the two lanes jiss
in front OF the cottage. but they were
busily playing some game with bits OF
broken crockery and taking no interest
in the fire. Nobody else was to be seen
Rosannc ran up 10 the children in a
breathless scare. where's all the Ma
in II. wild the roof blazin' over their
heads:" one of the boys glanced at
her indifferen'ly.. "Och. the AIahonys
was put out of it Yesterday for the
rint." he said. "and the coloners burn
pie of comm back to them. and squat |
ters. and ;ramps. and all manner. Give |
me the blue-edged bit. Billy"
Ard where's me uncle gone to-" said
R0sanne.
II dunno" said the boy. unless it was
to the Union below at Hewitstown''
sure. not N an said Billy: II heard |
them sayin' Pat Mahony was gone to his /
brothers place. away at Tullylough''
The first boy, who was ireckled and !
blIie-ryeu and rel-hpaupl Dilt nut his /
tongue IN acknowledgment of this cor |,
reclion. and the third, who was like him,
said: NO, he isn't. They've all took off /
TO the States kosanne though. they