The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1906-05-18

something that maybe you'll find out
wasn't SO some time or other.
"Mother, dom you think it is-don' t
you?'
Il don't know what to think Flora, .
just then door shut somewhere in the
back part of the house ''There's father, "
said Mrs. Dunn, getting up; can the fire
ain made
Flora rose also, and went about helping
her mother to get supper. Both suddenly
settled into rigidity of composure; their
eyes were red, but their lips were steady
There was a resolute vein in their charac-
ters; they managed themselves with
wrenches, and could be hard even with
their grief. They got tea ready for Mr..
Dunn and his two hired men, then cleared
it away, and sat down in the front room
with their needlework. Mr.. Dunn, a
kindly, dull old man, was there, too, over
his newspaper.
Suddenly a low moaning cry sounded
through the house seemingly from the room
overhead. ''There it isr' shrieked Flora
She caught up lamp and ran. Mrs.
Dunn was following, when her husband,
sitting near the door, caught hold of her
dress with a bewildered air; he had been
doing whats matter? ?" said he
vaguely.
Didn't you hear it Didn't you hear
it, father?''
The old man let go of her dress suddenly
II didn hear nothin," said he.
''Harkr'
But the cry had in fact ceased Flora
could be heard moving about in the room
overhead, and that was all. In a moment
Mrs. Dunn ran up stairs after her. The
old man sat staring. ''It's all dunn fool
ishness,'' - he muttered, under his breath.
Presently he fell to doing again, and his
vacantly smiling face Topped forward. Mr..
Dunn, slow Drained, patient and unimagi-
native had had his evening maps interrupt
ed after this manner for the last two OF
three months. and there was as yet no ces-
sation of his bewilderment He dealt with
the simple, broad lights of life; the shad-
ows were beyond his speculation. For his
consciousness his daughter Jenny had died
and gone to heaven; he was not capable Of
listening for her ghostly means in her little
chamber overhead, much less of hearing
them with any credulity.
When his wife came down stairs finally
she looked at him sleeping there, with /;
bitter feeling. She felt as if set about by
an icy wind of loneliness. Her daughter,
who was after her own kind, was all the
one to whom she could look for sympathy
and understanding in this subtle perplexity
which had come upon her. And she woulc
rather have dispensed with that sympathy,
and heard alone these piteous, uucanny
cries, for she was wild with anxiety abou
Flora. The girl had never been very
strong. She looked at her distressfully
when she came down the next morning.
"Did you sleep any last night p asked
her mother.
"Some," answered Flora.
Soon after breakfast they noticed thu
little Wren girl stealing across the road tC
the cemetery again. "She goes over there
all the time," remarked Mrs. Dunn. 81
b lieve she runs away. See her look be
hind her.
eyes" said Flora, alphabetically.
1t was nearly noon when they heard ;
voice from the next house calling, "Nancy
Nancy! Nancy Wren!' The voice wal
loud and imperious, but slow and evenly
modulated. 1t indicated we'll its owner
A woman who could regulate her own an
gry voice could regulate other people
Mrs. Dunn and Flora heard it understand
ingly.
s'That poor little thing will catch it wher
she gets home,'' said Mrs. Dunn.
"Nancy! Nancy! Nancy Wrenr
called the voice again. 81 pity the chile
if Mrs. Gregg has to go after her. Mebb'
she's fell asleep over there. Flora, VIII.
don't you run over there an get her p
The voice rang out again. Flora go
her hat and stole across the street littl
below the house, 50 the calling woman
could not see her. When she got into tn
cemetery she called in her turn, letting ou
her thin sweet voice cautiously. FINAL,
she came directly upon the child. Sh
was in the Blake lot, her little slende
body, in its dingy cotton dress, curled u
on the ground close to one OF the graves
No one but Nature tended those old grave
now. and she seemed to be lapsing then
gently back to her own lines, at her owl
will. Of the garden shrubs which ha'
been planted about them not one was LET
but an old low spraying white rose bush
which had just gotten its new leaves. TIL
Blake lot was at the very rear of the yard
where it verged upon light wood, which
was silently stealing its way over its owl
proper boundaries. At the back of the 10
stood a thicket of little thin trees, with sill
very twinkling leaves. The ground wa
quite blue with houstonias.
The child raised her little fair head AM
stared at Flora, as if just awakened fron
sleep. She held her little pink mouti
open. her innocent blue eyes had sur
prised look, as if she were suddenly gazing
upon a new scene.
"Where's she gone p asked she, in he
sweet, feeble pipe.
"Where's who gone 2
"Jane
81 don't know what you mean. Come
Nancy, you must go home now
s'Didn't you see her p
'I didn' see anybody, answered Flora
impatiently. Come"
"She was right here. =
''What do you mean ?
ssJane was standin' right here. An
she had her white dress on, an he
wreath -
Flora shivered and looked around he
fearfully. The fancy of the child wa
overlapping her own nature. 'sTher
wasn' soul here. You We been dream
ing, child. Comer'
sNo, I wasn't; I've seen them blu
flowers an the leaves winkin' all the time
Jane stood right there. The child point
ed with her tiny finger to spot at ne
side. ssShe hadn't come for long tim
before she added. "She's staid dow
there She pointed at the grave neares
| her