Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1900-10-05

troubled, for her little show had no at
traction for the village folk, and not
more than thrice the lvelong day had
her plump little hands revealed the Sc
cret of anyone's future.
Mary was touched by her loneliness;
she drew William toward the place
where she waited.
I'm sorry for you, poor wench," she
said in low voice. Hoo seems to be
doin' but little business wi that con-
certina thing
When they had reached the cage she
cried out with pleasure as she saw the
Java sparrows:
Lord ha' mercy! Birds as green as
grass!' Then she spelled slowly the
legend attached to the wires. sYour
fortune told for penny! Dear heart,
I must have it done! Dost remember,
VIII, lad, how you an me an tn OVID
woman towd as we should marry
happy
cay" said William, 81 do that. An
now one O. these little green birds shall
tell you again"
He cropped a penny into Guiseppa's
palm; at her signal one of the spar
rows pertly lifted folded scrap of
paper and pushed it between the bars.
| Mary donned her spectacles and un-
| folded it and read in silence. The
| message affected her strangely; she
staggered little and would have
| fallen had not William caught her in
| time. One hand pressed the paper
| against her bosom.
''It says good news comm fro
across the seas" she whispered, faint
Jxy T 1>r + h
lad is safe"
Then she fumbled in her skirt-poc-
ket and took out little moleskin
pouch, so worn that the hair only
showed in patches. She united the
string and shook out the contents
z sixpence, a threepenny piece, and
some half-pence-into Guiseppa's
hand.
Its all I've gotten, wench,'' she
said, 'but you're kindly welcome to
it." Guiseppa's big black eyes had
filled with tears; one or two trickied
slowly down the smooth olive cheeks.
81 thank you, ma'am,' she said, in a
broken English hard for these old
folk to understand. cit will find me
room and food for night"
Some young men from the neighbor-
ing village of OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
strolled up to the cage, and William
and Mary moved away.
| ''Poor SOUL" sighed the wife. "She
Gamma be more than Is, an she looks
nearly starved. It's cruel work-a
pretty lass like that-a black un,
maybe, but as comedy as ever I did
|
''Thou'rt always findin" pity for
Guckling. Where be'est thou, for
nowth' Bowd Cloudesley or tn Bulls
IYead?"
81 be for home," she replied, 81
| dunna feel as if 1 could talk to any
body tonight. My hearts so full O.
what's comm. Go you to where you
please. I'll be safe. enow gettin'
back"
So they crossed the green and re-
turned without seeing Giuseppe again.
choosing different way through the
Hollow Wood and along the Moor
Edge. For the rest of the evening
they sat and talked of their lads
childhood-of his pranks and his ro-
queries. They made surmises con
corning the changes in his appear
ance since he went to sea five years
ago; they pictured him with long
beard of rudy hue, like the nous.
tache that had sprouted on his upper
lip. When they retired bedward they
did not toss uneasily as they had done
since the post had ceased to bring his
letters, but fell asleep at once and
did not waken till sunrise.
Mary was astir first; the new
strength made her resolved upon tax
} ing up all her old duties. Before Will
lem had come downstairs she hat
"redded up" the house-place. As She
heard his stockinged foot on the
!, landing she took a basket of corn ant
opened the door, so that she nigh
feed the poulty. A sharp cry, how
ever, brought William to her side in
moment. He found her on the TIRES
hold, gazing bewildered at the sleep
ing figure of Giuseppe, who reclinet
| in q corner of the porch. A broker
hurdy-gurdy and a cage crushed on
: side, and in hollow of her gaudily
; of all shape lay on the flags at he
side, and in the hollow of her gaudily
: aprone. lap lay two poor stiff Jaw;
: sparows.
Its tn foreign wench," said Will
liam. mercy on US, how came sh
| here, WI her music box all smashed
an her little birds are dead as stones!
Mary lifted the girls head dress
5 which had fallen forward. The darl
face was all stained with tears. TIL
> old woman's touch, gentle as it was
Weakened plaintive little moan. GU
; seppa's eyes opened, and she began t
sob so bitterly that William stole ava
on tiptoe.
you'd best manage her yoursel1