The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-23

child some supper, while Buster joan
Jagged behind and watched the man till
the bell rang. Meanwhile the grandfather
had told his daughter che mother Of Bus
ter John and Sweetest SUSAN about the
child in the wagon and that lady was IN
| quite q furne about Il. At first she insist
| ID on going down and taking the child
| away from the man; she was sure there
YVES something wrong.
There maybe" said the White-H Haired
Master. but we are not sure about il,
and we might make bad matters worse.
There's plainly something wrong about
the man; that much is certain; but the
child may be his, and 1t may be badly
spoiled. No it would be wrong to inter-
fere with him; I've thought it all over"
"If youll take my advice, " remarked
his daughter, you'll make the negroes
tie the man and lock him in the corn
crib until we find out something about
him."
That would hardly be legal" said the
old gentleman.
well, l don't think there is much law
in the country at this time" the lady
insisted. IF we knew he had stolen the
child, what could you do with him?"
What you say is very true" remarked
the Whte-Haired Master; "truer even
than you think it is. Sull, there is no
reason why we should be hasty and un-
just"
As the lady was convinced against her
viii, she remained of the same opinion
sull, and that opinion became a convic-
ton when Sweetest Susan arrived and ton
ali she saw and all she thought. But
there was nothing TO be done but to give
the child one fun meal if it got no more,
and so the lady set about fixing supper
for the unfortunate She pied a plate
high with biscuits and ham and chicken,
and when the children were through sup
per they waited impstienuy for Drusilla
20 finish hers, SO they could all go to-
gether. Sweetest Susan insisted on carry
ing the plate herself
When they arrived at the campers fire
they found the man eating supper by him
self.
Where's the baby?" asked Sweetest
Susan
I'm the Vaughn" replied the man curt
~. Il wanted 40 take the imp out, but
he wouldn't let me tech him. Git him out
If you can"
The child needed no coaxing when
Sweetest Susan called him. He craw,ed
TO the front of the wagon and held out
his arm to her and he Rugged her so
tightly around the neck, that it was as
much as she could do to climb down with
out falling. The little fellow was we'll
dressed, but he was barefooted and his
feet were very cold.
Where are his shoes?" asked Sweetest
Susan, Indignantly.
He must er pulled 'em off and flung
'em away. o, he's a living terror, he is.
Don't you let him fool you"
The child ate his supper sitting in
Sweetest Susans lap. and he seemed TO
be very hungry. He tried to make Sweet
est Susan eat some, too, and once or twice
he smiled when she pretended to be eat
ing ravenousiy. But for the most part
the child kept his eyes fixed on Mr.. Ran
som, and chung more tightly to Sweetest
Susan whenever he caught the man look
ing at him.
The result of il all was that when the
time came for the children to go to the
house, Sweetest Susan found it impossi-
BILE to get rid Of the child. He wouldn't
allow Ransom to take him-he seemed
ready to go into commissions whenever the
man approached; and, finally, in order 20
induce him 10 get into the wagon, Sweet
est Susan had to go in with him (accom-
panied by Drusilla), and once there, she
was compelled to lie by the child until it
dropped off to sleep. He held her hand
tightly clasped in his tiny fists.
Buster John was impatient, and said he
was going to bed, and Sweetest Susan told
him to tell mamma that she and Drusina
would come as soon as the baby went
to sleep. Dursilla, drowsy-eyed. lay down
on the bedclOthes and was asleep before
the child was. Sweetest Susan made ev-
cry, effort to withdraw her hand and slip
from the wagon. but these movements
aroused the child, and set il to whimper-
ing
Everything was very still; even the
frogs called to one another drowsily. The
mules had cleaned up their ration of fod-
der, and were now doing. Under these
circumstances, IL was not long before
Sweetest Susan was as sound asleep as
Drusllla, and. apparently, the child was
asleep, too.
Ransom in due time arose from the fire
where ne had been sitting went to the
rear of the wagon and looked in and then
stood listening intently. Nothing was to
be heard but the regular heavy breathing
or three sound sleepers. He went to the
spring, got come water, aud carefully nut
out the fire. AT no time had it been a
large one. Thcn siealthily, almost noise-
lessly, he put the mules 20 the wagon.
drove GU. at the gate and into the pub
lie road. Once Swee test Susan dreamed
that she was eoing to town in the wagon
with Johnny BarIeT; Rat that must have
been when the wagon was going down
the long and steep hill that led to the
Crooked creek
An hour after the wagon had disan-
peared Mrs. Wyche. the children's moth
er, aroused herself ffoln thoughts of her
husband, who was in the army. and re-
membered that it was long past the time