Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1897-12-23

| and pace the porch. inhaling from the
heavens and earth deep draughts of
beauty and delight.
Il am blessed beyond my merits: l
am too happy: and l should fear the
| approach of some counterbalancing
evil if did not trust in the free good
ness OF the Lord" thought the humble
and grateful old man. as he reverently
raised his hat and replaced it upon his
head.
Again he threw himself into his
chair. and soon became absorbed in the
fortunes of the young Scotch adventur-
er. when again he was disturbed by Il
bird alighting upon the brim of his
str:.w hat.
He raised HE eyes from his book.
| and there. on footstOol before him.
sat little girl, quite still, and gazing
at him with large. calm blue eyes.
For. YOU see. neither birds nor babies
feared the big captain. though the ell
emies of his country might have had
just cause to do so.
For a moment he gaZed In speechless
amazement upon the vision. doubling
the evidence of his own senses. What
was it: Where had it come from?
Had it dropped from the sky: Had
the little bird brought it? The bird al
most might, it was so small child
At length he spoke:
WHO are you. baby:"
"Daney." answered the mite. without
| wnking.
"Danae:' said the captain. reverting
to his NEUROLOGICAL studies.
NO. Daney." replied the little ap-
40 Wit II hn w
from head to foot with her blue, fear
less eyes.
Il never heard of such a name in all
here. Daney:"
None body. toned my own self"
You come your own self? Why.
what in the world did you come for?"
"BetauSe l wanted to-"
Because you wanted to- That's
very plain English! But why did you
want to come here. baby?'
"'Tausc it is so nice here" replied
| the atom, looking in the face of the
uuestoner with an expression of sur
prise. at what she seemed to consider
| SO very vain q question.
"Why, so it is nice here. and so far
you show your taste. baby. But where
did you come frOm:'
''F'om de water
The captain looked puzzled. The
! Sprite before him seemed. indeed. as il
| it might have been mcrInnitl's baby,
or Il water-nymph or a spirit. Half
doubling whether his hands would not
pass through it as through Il shape of
air. he took the child upon his knee
and looked upon her attentivcly. She
| was little creature. seemingly about
three years of age. very thin and pale
with light-yellow hair, eyebrows and
| eyclashes She wore a faded nankeen
| slip. And so her face. hair and dress
were all of one hue-palc-yellow; and
! in truth. a more washed-out, faded
little object was never seen before.
And vet her features were delicate
| and regular; her wrists and ankles
slender and wcll-tnrned: and her bare
| feet and hands small and perfect in
form.
How old are you. little onc:-two
three. four years. old!''
ooh. a dreat deal older dan dat. hun
d'ed and bundled year DID,
The captain quickly put the thing off
his knees, stood it before him. and
stared at it in CONSERVATION, cxclaim-
ing:
| What
"Mo so old. me don't know how old
Me don't know when me first was"
| The honest old bachelor was too I'M
| familiar with children to know any
thing about their oftcntimes queer no.
tons Of themselves and he gazed upon
this antediluvian infant in unmitigat-
| ed establishments
Who is your mother baby" he
asked.
"Dudy"
| That's another unhcard-of name!
| Who is your father?"
''D0C!-tate me up in your lap ADAM
said the child, holding out her arms
1t was not in William Fuljoy's low
| ing nature to resist this appeal. He
raised the child to his knee She
turned. put her little thin, white arm
up over his shoulder, nestled her little
pale face against his bosom, and with
Il sigh Of deep satisfaction, resigned
| herself to rcpose murmuring softly:
Me do to leep now"
And she did 20 to sleep. And the
captain remained as one spcll-buund.
| For fear of disturbing her rest he sat
so still that the little bird came back
and pclrhcd itself again on the rim Of
his hat. And the figure the captain
| looked. sitting there with the child in
| his arms and the bird on his hat:
| How ]ong the patient captain might
have sat there. if he bad been left
alone no orc t.nOws--probably until he
fell asleep himself, if he had not been
| startled by the sound Of swiftly-ap-
| preaching footsteps followed by the
| appearance Of IL tall dark, wid-look-
| ing woman who, with bare head and
streaming hair strobe onto the porch,
| screaming out:
"Arrah. thin. and yc are there. sure
enough, are yc? And me wild my TWO
eyes out on sticks lookin for yc! Wait
till get We. that's all.
The noise awakened the child. who
| stared around her with a frightened
glance and then. recognizing the wo-
nan. slid down from the knee Of her
new friend. saying, with a sort Of sad
baby humility and patience:
INC mus do home now
as this your child. my good wo-
| man. inquired the captain.
And sure whose else should she be.
and bad luck to her! l beg your hon.
! or's pardon. but me hearts broke en-
tircly wild thrying to kapc her in.
e