The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1900-10-12
my HALF SISTER
XXX ny ELTON HARRIS xxx

A hasty rafting at the door handle,
Hates voice screaming, reused her,
and, running to open it, the child al
most fell against her, her thin little
face colorless. her tiny hands ~grasping,
as II for dear life. at the folds of her
dressing gown.
LET me stay with you. dear, dear
Mollie!" she sobbed and sighed. II
cannot-cannot stop alone; l should
die!"
It was terrible to see the nervous
excitement. the fear that shook the
child from head to foot. and as Mollie
caught her up she only remembered
that she was her mothers baby, the
little sister she had tried to love. Shut
ting the door, she carried her to the
window. paueing to wrap . rug round
her, for she was In her small night
gown, just as she had jumped out Of
bed, and shivering violently.
Eyes. yes, you shall stay with me-"
she said soothingly. in her round, soft
voice. But what is the matter?
Where are Jane and Harriet?"
Jane has gone; she said she was
not going to stay in this house to-
night for anything we could offer her.
She Just got the gardeners boy to take
her box after dark. and went. 1 don't
know what Aunt Clare will say, and
harriet will not sleep in my room
without her"
What! they both slept there?"
Eyes. because Of the strange noises
and-and things. woke up and called
out. and when I got up and felt Har-
riet was not there, and her blankets
were gone, my heart seemed to stop
beattng-I could not breathe. All I
thought of was you; l should be safe
II I could get to you. Something passed
me In the passage; I felt 1t brushing
against me. 1t was a ghost, wasn't
1T" And she covered down into Mol
lies arms, q pitiable object indeed.
Kate was almost beside herself, and
1T was long ere Mollie could calm her
agitation. Inwardly the sisters heart
burned with wrath against the two
maids, who in their own ignorant fear
had left this highly-strung child alone
at such Q time, after the shock Of the
preceding year. Seriously alarmed,
she rubbed the icy little hands and
feet. talking cheerfully the while, and
then rocked to and fro until the
breathing grew Quieter, and the aaxen
head lay still on her shoulder, while
she hummed the old lullaby which had
sounded In her own drowsy ears when
she was 4 little child.
Mother sang that" Kate said. sud-
denly looking up with a faint smile.
When l found I vas alone. I said all
I could remember Of my prayers-'Our
Father over and oyer again.
Il am glad Of that" replied Mollie
simply. "I. feared you did not, Kate"
Il am a %Freethinker in the daytime;
but 1t night in the dark, when l am
frightened, I always say all / can
think Of" said the child, with quaint
innocence, all the self-importancs
knocked out OF her for the momeat
by terror.
She listened very quietly when Mol
lie tried to show her that this was
wrong, and then her thoughts went
back to the last Easter eve, and she
spoke Of her father.
1T was very cold-oh, very!" she
said reflectively. HE took me eut in
the dogcart. and l cried with the cold.
SC he was. cross. l did not know he
was going to die, you see, or l would
have tried not to-"
"But you loved him, Kate?"
Pretty WELL" she responded truth
fully, for she had not words to ex-
press what she was sharp enough to
know-that her father had cared for
her for what she had represented to
him. when I went to the study to
say good night to him, he called out
he was busy, sd / went away. Next
morning when I awoke the snow was
thick, and I heard screams and shrieks.
SO l Jumped out of bed and ran to the
top of the stairs and looked down.
and all the servants, were there at
the study door, looking In and wiring
ing their hands, and crying, and Aunt
Glare, with her hair streaming about,
calling out that they must get a doc
tor and send for Henri. went fur
Their down the stairs and asked what
was the. matter, and they shrieked
more. and said: Take the child
away!' But I would not go until nurse
caiied me, and she told me my. Ia
ther was dead. I asked what made
him die. and she said: Want Of
breath, And then heaps OF people
came, and there was . beqnest."
Inquest" corrected Mollie, with .
shiver, the little girls words bringing
the whole scene before her with START
ling vividness; then, as she felt that
Kate was again shuddering In her
arms. she added: 'Bnt we will. not
think Of It any more"
{ can't help t." she moaned,
trembling. Something in black has
glided up and down the passage ever
since. That door Is heard to open ana
shut when every n ID in bed. All
N-A go FLr ~ "