Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-17

! as with one voice, and would have driven
her forth into the night with their hands
| but that she seemed to fit before them UP
| the steps and to disappear in the darkness
| After a moments hesitation Umphray Splr-
way followed, and we all found ourselves In
| the crisp silence of the winters night.
| looked all about me for the little figure in
| the dress of red soldiers blanket but | saw
| ber not. 1t was cold, and stray pellet CT
hail or two spat in our faces, for the frost
was too keen to let the snow come down
with any freedom though the sough of the
wind from the north told us that it was not
far away.
For several hundred yards beyond the
circle of the yellow lights Of the change
house windows the street OF the village OF
New Minis is bounded by the kirkyard wall.
AS We passed along l think we all looked
up apprehensively to it. And for one felt
certain all that while that Philip Stanstield's
gun barrel would be peering down upon us
from its long, irregular ridge.
But what we made out was quite different.
Again we saw the little girl. She stood erect
upon it, just by the Intel of the gatepost,
her blanket-swathed figure bfotting out q
slim belt of stars Again we heard her voice
speaking to us as she had done on the steps
of the inn.
my mither! III men, what have ye done
with my mither?'
GO home, little one," cried Sir James; "go
home where you belong. 'Tis no seemly
hour for a bairn to be sitting on the wall of
the kirkyard."
II want my mither! / will not go home
without my mither!"
The answer came down to us with a
strange Tilt to it, as If the speaker were
aftp n
pause '.
And I'm no sittin'. I'm standn'. want
my mither."
I'VE do not know your mither nor where
she is said Sir James. go home when you
are hidden like good lass And If ye are
feared to gang, tell your mither that / said
ye we're no to be lckit this time for bidin
DOT late"
"And wha are ye that bids folks that
gate?" said the elf's voice from the wall
shrewdly.
II am Sir James Stanshed." said my
grandfather simply. Whereat from the kirk
dyke came peal on peal of the strangest,
merrlest laughter, like bells on harness
heard across tho snow.
"Why do you laugh at my name, bairn?"
my grandfather asked with certain stern
ness.
The laugh stopped short as II cut off with
shears
Because my mither laughs like that when
she lays oot your washin'," she answered.
Lays out my washing?" said my grand
father uncertainty.
aye" returned the child; "wen my
mither folds up the linen sheets she aye
laughs when she comes TO the hindmost
one This is Sir James Stansfelds wind
ing sheet she says. And then she laughs
and 80 / laugh, too, though | do not ken
what for"
And again there came the sound Of childish
mirth from the top of the kiTkyard wall.
Then. all suddenly, the little dark figure dis
appeared and the sound OF her laughter
tinked away iTegularly into the distance,
coming back to us now clear, now faint, till
It was heard no more. And looking through
the bars of the kirk yet, we could see It fft-
ting like snowflake across the tombstones
toward the vault of the stanshelds.
/ think l never felt my bonnet lit off my
head more plainly than that night. Even
the minister beside me was groanlng and
quaking.
WHO is this DEVILS bairn?" he asked OF
Umphray Spurway. ~ will have her In
dicted at the Presbytery for a witch"
Some chance bairn-the child Of an evil
mother" said my grandfather.
"In my country" said Umphray spurway