The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1901-12-20
CHAPTER XIV.

| paused for a moment. Dared teli
her my address? Yet my money was
paid, and if did not, | should lose both
It and the refuge | had bought with IL,
Besides | should awaken suspicion ana
inquiry by silence. 1t was fearful FISK
to run; vet it seemed safer than pre-
cipitous retreat. | gave her my address,
and saw her write it down on a shp OF
paper.
In the afternoon the little girl arrived
quite alone, except that man had been
hired to carry small box for her, ana 10
deliver her into my charge This was a
great relief to me, aud gladly PAID the
shilling he demanded. The child was
thinly and shabbily dressed for our long
journey, and there was forlorn loneh'
ness about her position, left thus with
stranger, which touched me to the heart'
We were alike poor, helpless, frlendless'
I'm so gad!" she said with deep
drawn sigh of relief; Il was afraid
should never go, and school is such
heavenly placer
The words amused yet troubled me;
they were so different from chlld's or
binary opinion.
Its such hateful place at Mrs. WI
kinson's," she went on, everybody call
ing me at once, and scolding me; and
there are such a many people to run
errands for"
"What is your name, my dearT | ask
ed, sitting down on my box and taking
her on my lap. Such a thin, stunted lit
tie woman, precociously learned in trou-
BILE! Yet she nestled in my arms like
a true child, and a tear or two rolled
down her cheeks, as if from very con-
tentment.
''Nobody has nursed me like this since
mother died" she said. "Pm Mary; but
father always called me Minima, because
| was the least in the house. He kept
boys school out of London, in Epping
Forest, you know and it was so heaven
ly! All the boys were good to me, and
we used to call father Dominic. Then
he died, and mother died just before him.
and he said, Courage, Minima! God
will take care of my little girl So the
boys fathers and mothers made a sub
scription for me, and they got great
deal of money, a hundred pounds; and
somebody told them about this school,
where l can stay four years for hun
dred pounds, and they all said that was
the best thing they could do with me.
But I've had to stay with Mrs. Wilkin-
son nearly two months, because she
could not find governess to go with me.
| hate her; | detest her; | should like to
spit at her!'
"Hush! hush" said, drawing her head
down upon my shoulder again.
''Then there is Mr.. Foster she con-
tinued, ''he torments me so. He likes
to make fun of me, and tease me, till |
can't bear to go into his room. You'd
hate Mr.. Foster, and Mrs. Foster, If you
only knew them"
"Why?" | asked in a whisper. My
voice sounded husky to me- and my throat
felt parched, The chid's impotent rage
and hatred struck a slumberng chord
within me.
"Oh! they are horrid in every way"
she said; ''they frighten me. He is fond
of tormenting anything, because he's
cruel But they are very poor-poor as
Job, Mrs. Wilkinson says, and I'm glad.
Aren't you glad?'
The question Jared in my memory
against a passionate craving after re-
venge, which had died away in the quiet
and tranquility of Sark Ought l to do
anything for him? Was there anything |
could do to help him?
''He is i'll, toe" pursued the child; 81
heard him say once to Mrs. Foster, he
knew he should die like a dog"
Ill! dead! My heart beat faster and
faster as | pondered over these words.
Then | should be free indeed; his death
would release me from bondage, from ter
ror, from poverty-those three evils which
dogged my steps. | had never yentured
to let my thoughts run that way, but
this child's prattling had now forced
them into it. Richard Foster iIl-dying!
what ought | to do?
There was one thing only that | could
do, only one little sacrifice | could make
for him whom | had vowed in childish
ignorance, to love, honor and cherish in
sickness and in health, until death parted
us. A home was secured to me for twelve
months. | had enough money still to
last me until then. My diamond ring,
which had been his own gift to me on
our wedding day, would be valuable TO
him. Sixty pounds would be help to
him. l set the child gently away from
me, and wrote my last letter to my hus-
band. Both the letter and the ring en-
closed in a little box.
A great thump against the door brought
a host of fears upon me. But before |
could STIR the insecure handle gave way,
and no one more formidable appeared
than the landlady of the house, carrying
before her a tray on which was set out
a sumptuous tea, consisting of buttere
crumpets and shrimps, She put it down
ON my dressing table and stood survey
ing ii and us with an expression of be-
nign exutation.
"Those as are going into foring parts, -
she said "ought to get a good English
meal afore they start. And this, my mas
ter says, is testimonial to you"
could hardly control my laughter,
and could not keep back the tears. II
was a long time now since any one had
shown me so much kindness and sympa-
thy as this. The dull face of the good
woman was frightened by her kind-heart'
ed feeling. and instead Of thanking heI
put my lips to her cheek.
The next morning found us in France
From Honfleur to Falaise warm, genia
sunshine filed the air. The slowly NOV
ing train carried us through woods where
the autumn seemed but a few days old
We passed through miles upon miles oI
orchards, beneath which lay huge pyra
ylids of apples, Truck-loads Of then
stood at every station. The air was
scented by them. Children were peltin.
0ne another with them. 1t was almost
like going into a new world. and breath
ed more freely the farther we Travelled
down into the interior. At FalaiSe W,
exchanged the train for a small omnibus
which bore the name "Noireau" conspic
uously on its door. At length We startet
of on the last stage Of our journey
Finally our omnibus was jolting an,
rumbling down some steep AMI narrow
streets, lighted by oil lamps swung acros,
them. Only at the inn where we stop
ped was there anything like life. ! wok'
up Minima from her deep and heav!
sleep.