The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-08-17

,Y7HERE- is-MaTy-Al
-" neutrality-suspicious." 1t
" WAS the thin. mysterious voice
,u-tle Mary Alice Smith herself that
r,.p uueried and responded as
s.ery word accented with a
and eerie intouation, and very
.+,. Of solemn earuestness that baf-
.5a cunning skill of all childish imi-
4 slender wisp OF a girl she
NO. more than 10 years of age in
..~srce though it had been given
IA H. The spindle ankles that
strifv fourished from the sparse
'' .sruauf of a worn and sbadOwy
~, zLitf seemed scarce a fraction
in cirth than the slim. blue
"f ryrfets she tossed among the
.-.. and jagged tresses Of her yellow
- A. she danced around the room.
IN. rae from Inc first, an object of
.-,,,is and most refreshing interest 10
10y egmiIy-to US children in particular
,- interest. though years and years
~. frfarpaSed To- shrOud il IN the dull
s,.t of forCptfulpesS. that still remains
...3 aud bright and beautiful.
,,.satbar an orphan child only, or with
ether that could thus lightly send her
4-sft do not know now. nor do l
IN ask hut do recall distinctly
.,,t on \ raw. bleak day in early win
..- sbe WAS brought 10 ~. from wild
.,,-trv settlement. by 4 reputed uncle
gauut round shouldered man. with
f,sp eyes and Sdiiuw cheeks and
.,sdr looking beard as We curiously
t-bed him from the front window
s,oridr swinging this little, blue-lipped.
,s8roseG N4If over the muddy wagon
,.tssi 40 fathers arms. like so much
.orntrv produce. And even as the man
-..rued his seat upon the thick board
,,if across the wagon. and sat chewing
q Straw. with SpaSmOdiC holdings Of
,bs head. As some brief conference de-
t,,nsd him. ] remember mother quickly
rrmg ny sister M from where we
stood. folding and holding the little
f,rm i'm unconscious counterpart of
h,hcr and The little girl without. And
how Ne gathered round her when
f4ther brought her in. and mother fixed
4 .osv chair for her close TO the blaz-
He FIRE. and united the little summer
sst with it's hectic trimmings. together
with the dismal green veil that had
been bound beneath it round the little.
rugling ears. The hollow. pale blue
ewes NJ the child followed every mo-
-iun with an alertness that suggested
somewhat suspicious mind.
Dave gimme that" she said. her
s,cs proudly following tho hat as
mother laid il on the pillow Of the bed.
.NrB-n't git it musSed up. siri er your
have Dave In yer woOl,'' she continued.
wsrningly. as our childish interest
drew Us 10 \ nearer view of the gaudy
article in question.
Haif awcd. we shrank back to our
first wonderment. one of us. however.
with the bravery to ask; Who's
plyc?'
Who's Dave?" reiterated the little
voice. half scornfully. why. Dawes
great big boy, Dave works on
Barnes place. And he kin purt' nigh
make a full hand. too. Dawes purJ-
nigh as tall rs your papi He's purt-
nigh groWed up-Dave is! And-David
-MaSon-Jeffries.' she continued
@untily lettering her head from left
20 right and for the first time introduc-
iHg that peculiar elaboration Of ac-
cent and undulating utterance that we
aftCrward found to be her quaintest
and most charming characteristic
-Mason-JeffrieS ~ he -
hkes-Mary- Alice-Smith," And then
she broke abruptly into the merrfest
laughter. and clapped her little palms
together till they fairly glowed.
And who's Mary Alice Smith,"
cldmored a chorus of merry voices.
The eIfsh figure Strengthened haught-
ly In the chair. Folding the slender
arms tightly across her breast. and
tiling her wan face back with an i'm
Terious air. she exclaimed sententiously
wy Mary Alice Smith is me-thats
who Mary Alice Smith isl
Il was not long. however. before her
usual bright and infectious humOr was
restored and we were soon plotting
the little stranger here and there about
the house. and laughing at the thou
sand funny things she said and did.
The winding stairway in the hall quite