Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-07-08

M Ills ElA1l
.Nn. Daney," replied the little APP
no rition, measuring the questioner
from head to foot with her Diue' rear
less eyes,
II never heard Of such a name In all
the days of my life! Who dropped you
here. Daney?'
None body. / toned my own sell
.You come your W sell! why.
what in the world did you come Tor!
.'Betause / wanted to.
Because you wanted to- Ihats
very plain English! But why did you
want to come here, baby
.'Tause il is so nice here replied
the atom. looking in the face or the
uuestioner with an expression or sur
prise, ut what she seemed to consider
SO very vain a question.
"Nhy, so it is nice here! and so far
YOU show your taste. baby. But where
did YOU come fromI
'.F'om de water"
The captain looked puzzled. The
sprite before him seemed. ndeed as TX
II might have been a mermaid's baby,
or a waternymph. or a spirit. HaH-
doubling whether his hands would not
pnSs through ii as through a shape or
air. he took the child upon his knee
! and looked upon her attentively. She
/ was a little creature, seemingly about
three years of age, very thin and pale,
! with light-yellow hair. eyebrows and
cyplashes. She wore 4 faded nankeen
slim. Ar,, so her face, hair and dress
were all OF Que hue-pale-yelloW: inc
In truth, a more washed-out, faded
little object was never seen before.
And vet her features Were delicate
and regular; her wrists n ankles
slender and well-turned; and her bare
feet and hands small and perfect in
form.
Hoy old are you. little one?-two,
three. four years. oldg
"Oh, a dreat deal older dan dat, hun
d'ed and bundled year old
The captain quickly put tile thing of
his knees, stood it before him. and
stared at it in CONSERVATION. eXclaim-
ing:
What"
ME SO old, me don't know how old
Me don't know when me first was"
The honest old bachelor was too UNI
familiar with children to know any
thing about their oftentimes queer no
tions of themselves. and he gazed upon
/ this antediluvian infant in unmitlgat-
ed establishment.
WHO is your mother. babyT' he
asked.
"Dudy-'
That's another unheard-of name!
Who is your father"
"Doc,-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
a sigh of deep satisfaction, resigned
herself TO repose. murmuring softly:
Me do to leep now"
And she did go to sleep And the
captain remained as one spell-bound
For fear of disturbing her rest he sat
SO still that the little bird came back
and perched 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 hiatt
How long the patient captain might
have sat there, ii he had been left
alone, no II knows-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 n tall. dark, wild-look-
ing woman who. with bare head and
streaming hair, strobe onto the porch,
screaming out:
"Arrah. thin. and We are there, sure
enough, are We? And me wild my two
eyes out on sticks lookin for We, Wait
till | get We. that's ALL
The noise awakened the child, who
stared around her with n frightened
glance, and then. recognizing the wo-
man. slid down from the knee of her
new friend, saying. with a sort of sad,
baby humility and patience:
ME mus do home now"
is this your child, my good wo-
man.. inquired the captain.
And sure whose else should size be.
and bad luck to her. | beg your hon
ors pardon. but me hearts broke en-
tirely wild THRIVING to kape her in.
Sure, If | was 10 put my eyes out on
two sticks, i couldn't kape the sight OF
her. But she'll be no throubling your
honor soon again after the batting Ill
give her.. exclaimed the tall virago,
giving the little II n premonitory
shake.
No. she has rot troubled me a bit
not the least bit-poor little thingl
And pray. do not hurt her. Did you
say h was your chlll-your own
child?"
Sure. and amt | just after telling
your honor that same"
The captain looked from the woman
to the child. comparing them together.
The woman was unusually tall. mus
cular and strong, with high. well-cut
features. a dark. swarthy complexion.
deeply-set, burning black eyes, well.
marked. black eyebrows and long hair,
plentifully mixed with gray. She must
nave been handsome in her prime; but
thai was long past; she was sixty, il q
day. and probably older than that.
The IN was fierce, violent and
dangerouslooking = the child gentle,
patient and loving. There was not a
point or resemblance between them.
And simple. credulous and confidinc
as the old bachelor was. he was not
quite prepared to receive as gospel
truth h statement that this baby of