The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1898-08-02

Cling street with numerous small cot
tages, a few poverty stricken shops,
and one-storied tavern. Jock Stew
ing on the threshold with a droWsy
stare, having just thrown open the
door; and on questioning him Mr.. Lor-
raine gained his first and only piece
OF information. A woman, strange 10
the place, had entered the inn over
| night, carrying an infant underneath
her shawl, and asked for glass or
| milk, which she had drunk hastily ana
| fitted away-like ghost. Her face
was partially hidden, but Jock was
certain that she was a stranger. Stay!
yes, there was something more. she
had inquired for the manse, and the
inn-keeper had pointed out the direc-
ton of the church and the minister's
abode.
Further inquiries up and down the
village elected no further information.
Perplexed and weary, the good man
trotted back to the manse. Here, in
the rudely-furnlshed kitchen, he found
bright fire burning, his breakfast
ready, and Mysie seated by the ingle-
side with the child in her lap, IN
voluble conversation with the old sex
ton.
= =
The wretched mother, whoever she
was, had indeed chosen wisely when
she had resolved, while determining
to abandon her infant, to leave it at
the gentle minister's door. Days
passed, and in spite of Solomon's pro-
testations. it was still an inmate Of
the manse Mysie Simpson under
stood the rearing process well, and
since the child, as she had surmised,
had never known the breast, it throve
we'll upon "the bottle" The minister
went and came lightly, as if the bur-
den of twenty years had been taken
from his shoulders; had it indeed been
his own offspring he could not have
been more anxious or more tender.
And Solomon Mucklebackit, despite his
assumption of sternness and indigna-
ton, was secretly sympathetic. He,
too, had a tender corner in his heart,
which the child's innocent beauty did
not fail to touch.
One morning, some seven or eight
DAYS after the arrival of the infant,
when the storms had blown themselves
hoarse, and dull black thaw had sue
caeded the falling and drifting snow,
news came to the manse that the body
of woman had been found lying on
the brink of the Amman, just where it's
waters meet the wide sands of the
SolWay. and mingle with the salt
stream of the ocean tide. Greatly agl-
tated. Mr. Lorraine mounted his pony,
and at once rode along the lonely high
way which winds through the fiat
reaches of the Moss. Arriving close
to the great sands, he was directed to
a disused outbuilding or barn, belong
ing to a large sea-facing, and standing
some hundred yards above high-Water
mark A group of fishermen and peas
ant men and women were clustered at
the door; at his approach the men lift
ed their hats respectfully, and the
women courtesied.
learned that the body had been dis
covered at daybreak by some salmon
fishers. when netting the river at the
morning tide They had at once given
the alarm, and carried cit up to the
dilapidated barn where it was then
lying.
The barn was without door, and
partially roofless. Day and night the
salt spray of the ocean was blown up
on it, incrusting it's black sides with
species of f1lmy salt; and from the dark
rafters and down the broken walls
chung Shiny weeds and MOSES; and
over it a pack of sea-gulls wheeled and
screamed.
The minister took off his hat and en-
tered in bare headed.
Stretched upon the earthen floor was
what seemed at first rather a shapeless
mass than a human form; a piece of
coarse tarpaulin was placed over it,
covering it from head to foot. Gently
and reverently, Mr.. Lorraine drew
back a corner of the tarpaulin and re-
vealed to view the disfgured Inca
ments of what had once been living
face; but though the features were
changed and unacceptable, and the
eye-sockets were empty of their shin
ing orbs and the mouth disfgured and
hidden by foulness, the face was still
set in a woman's golden hair
With the horror deep upon him, the
-, ;,,ic+ov from b1od and nravnd Thon