The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1897-02-12

now overhauled the Dutchman's*
whole assortment, without buying
a cents worth, and as last resort
the peddler opened small box con-
tanning strings of beads, saying to
the girl, as he held up a lot
"You puys a string for te lettle
folks? 2"
"What's the price," asked the
girl.
"Only tree cent"
"But I have two little ones to
please and if buy at all, must
purchase for both, and that
amounts to ftp, you know"
"Me only see one-you have put
one little poy; you puys him some
bead," said the man of the pack,
looking over the girls shoulder,
who sat with her back to the child
rem while she viewed the contents
of the pack.
The girl turned her eyes hastily
in the direction of her charge, and
a fendish smile might have been
seen to play for a moment on the
countenance of the peddler, as he
commenced hastily buckling up
his pack, preparatory to start. The
girl ran instantly towards the boy,
on perceiving him alone, crying
"Erny, where's sis9 What have
you done with sis9"
The child held out his arms to
the girl, as she approached him,
laughing with childish delight.
The girl, growing more impatient
for the safety of Rose, who was no.
where to be seen, caught the boy
in her arms and lifted him from the
ground, as though, in her increasing
anxiety, she would force solution
of the mysterious disappearance o,
the girl from him by caresses.
"Where's sis, Erny7 Where's
sis? Where's Rose gone to-"
eagerly inquired the girl.
But little Ernest only laughed
in reply, and repeated the words
mechanically after the terrified
nurse, lisping, in his infant accents,
Rose-sis-Anny," his attendants
name, clasping her around the neck
at the same time, and making an
effort to kiss her. But the increas-
|. ing concern of the girl left her in
no mood to participate, in his baby
fondness, and she responded in a
, somewhat harsher tone than was
her wont, to his baby caresses.
"Why don't you tell, you little
: Ounce? Where's your sister?
Where's Rose gone to?"
The child, finding his love re
pulsed by unkind words and looks,
, broke into fit of weeping, as may
be readily imagined, saying
"Rose gone. Amy don't like
me-"
"Erny mustn't cry" replied the
girl, soothingly. *Come kiss Amy,
|, and let's 60 hunt SIS"
The child again smiled, and en-
/ braced his nurses neck, while she
wiped the tears from his eyes, and
"kissed him into rest" again.
, The girl hurried along the bank
of the stream with little Ernest in
= her arms, reproaching herself for
/ having neglected her charge to
2 crafty vain curiosity, and trembl-
t ing with fear that she should dis
f cover, at every turn of the stream
! the lost child lying in its bed, a
victim of her neglect and careless
: ness. But no traces of the little
girl were discovered along the
margin of the stream, and the ter
J rified girl penetrated for some dis
7 tance into the gloomy forest, calling
7 the lost one by name; but no sound
gave answer to her cries of anguish
save the echoes of her own voice
| that rang through the hollow woods
But once, and once only, she ina
9 gined she heard faint scream of a
t child, and hastened far into the
9 depths of the forest whence the
sound came, but no answer to hel
: calls, no traces of the lost one could
= be seen or heard.
: The shadows of evening were now
s gathering fast over the dark forest,
/, and deepening the gloom of its soli'
' tude. The hoOt of the owl alone
t breaking the stiffness of the summer
t eve, and objects inanimate looming
r up amid the gathering gloom, as
1 sumed every moment more spect'
J, raj aspect. The superstitiOus
n anxiety of the girl now for time
s overcame her concern for the lost
!, Rose, as she turned, with little
/, Ernest, again in the direction Of
+, home.
Y The family had taken alarm al
r the girls protracted absence, and
= sNote-In those days the Jew peddlers were
1 thought to be Dutch BY the country people.