The Van Buren press., 1899-04-22

hand. Don came in for share of these
with the rest; he was missing soon
after and was not found till nirhtfall
fast asleep on his mothers grave. Mrs.
Smith considered she must break him
OF bad habit, so she beat him again,
and told him he should not see Mairly
II he went there any more. That night
he cried so that the other children
could not sleep, and after week in
which blows, seedlings and cajolings
all failed to "break him of the habit. -
he was put to sleep in an out-building,
that the household might have peace.
For the rest he was dull and docile
enough, listening with pathetic credul-
ity to Mrs. Smiths assurance that Mair-
ly would come soon, which was her
formula when she wanted to be kind.
Mairly had been taken by the vicar
to her new home. She looked such a
quaint little figure in her long lilac print
gown and white apron, the uniform of
the orphanage, that the wears daugh-
ters called her a 'sweet little dear"
and gave her silver six-pences, and the
servants kissed her and cried over her.
She was some years younger than the
usual age of admission, and the girls
at the home seemed very big to her. The
long rows of lilac print frocks and
white aprons bewildered her, and the
sameness of voice and expression never
ceased to perpleX and distress her. If
there were some who were inclined to
tease and torment her, there were others
who would have liked to make pet of
her, but Mairly never distinguished be-
tween these; she suffered the caresses
of one in exactly the same spirit as
she endured the petty tyranny of an
other.
The teachers found her good and obe-
dent, and she went through the daily
routine with immovable patience, but
without interest. When there was some
unusual sound in the house, or a visit
from stranger, Mairly's face sharp
ened into Il look of intense expectancy,
and then settled back in awhile to the
same dull patience. One day, when a
visitor had come and gone, Mairly's
disappointment expressed itself in a
sudden demand of the matron:
"Please, ma'am, when shall 1 see
Don?"
You will see him some day, if you're
good girl" said the matron, kindly.
"But when, maam, pleaseP
~ cant tell you chat, Mary"
Its much easier to be good if l
know when," pleaded the child; but
the matron could make no promises,
and Mairly abandoned her hope from
that day.
One night in the early spring, she
awakened with the sound of Don's voice
in her ears, crying "Mairly!" most pit
eously. She lay quiet until the usual
time for getting up, and when the
household assembled for prayers she
went up to the matron with the custom
ary bob and curtsey.
"Please, ma am, | must 60 to DON"
"You can't do that, Mary, I'm afraid"
81 must go, l must go!" sobbed the
child, her fortitude giving way for the
first time. Don wants me, he keeps
crying and crying; he walked me last
night with his crying!"
1t was in vain they tried to comfort
her-Don was in trouble, she must go
to Don. She kept sobbing this out, till
at last she was pronounced naughty,
and put in a room by herself to get over
it.
Mairly was very quiet when she was
let out, and by evening the scene was
forgotten. In the early morning she
awoke again, and sat up listening, but
without making any sound. She crept
out of bed and put on her clothes in
the dark, pausing now and then to hear
the steady breathing of the sleepers in
the long dormitory; then she took her
shoes and went out along the corridor,
past the open door of the teachers
room and down the crealing stairs. In
the basement she got her cloak and
bonnet, and, by standing on char,
shot the heavy bolt of the playroom
door, and so into the yard. There was
no way out of the grounds, but at the
end was a space rallied off for hens,
and out of this a small opening had been
made for them into the field beyond
The door into the hencoop was only
latched, and, by dint of great struggle,
Mairly was out through the hole, leav-
ing part of the lilac print behind her.
II was some hours before Mairly's
fight was discovered at the orphan
age, and at first she was only looked Tor
in the grounds, for it was thought inn
possible she could have got out. AT