Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1907-02-26
BY FRANK BARRETT

uht he says young III Ne cdlleu He
though / was over sixty-'speak when
you're spoke to. I'm goin' to see what's
in this here chest. 1t amt the first
time I've known half-hearted 'uns chnck
away stolen property when they thought
it might lead 10 information And with
that he shoves a cold chisel under the lid
and, with a sharp wrench, busts it open.
'Why!' says he, shown the lamp inside,
it amt nothing but a gall And as l
leant forard l see there child, looking
Ike as If it was comfortably asleep,
with little twist of hair BLOWN about
il the breeze. Is it dead?' l says. of
course it is says he, do you think it
would lay still and not SWIVEL if it
warn't? And be was taking his lantern
out, and goin' to fling the lot out, in
disgust, when | stops him, for / see the
child's eyes open under the light. The
wind and rain had kind of revived it,
reckon. Father / says, it's alive
We'll, we won't give it time to get frac-
tious,' says he, banging down the lid.
Now, sonny, hadn't never done any job
of this sort before, and / turned sick at
the thought of heaving that living child
into the sea, ike NANCY dog for she
looked to me the very image of my Sukey
when she was a little 'un. Then, as
father laid hold af the chest for to heave
it out, the sickness inside of me seemed
to turn to fire, and l what had never
dared tell father my soul was my own,
l upped and told him with a voice as
didn't seem to belong to me as I'd peach
On i'm ha g. -
was going to knock my head off my shout
ders then and there, but on second
thoughts he didn't. After tarnin' of it
over in his mind bit he says, says he !:
If we don't drown the young one what
are we to do with it? 1t don't stand to
reason that we're going to lose the price
of this here job! WELL says l. you
pull me into Prin yles hole, and III run
up with it home, which l may well do
without being seen in such a love of
night as this here. Then I'll come back
and Wen out abit, and then into Dead
mans Point and take the money off the
gent That's all right for the night he
says, but what are you going to do with
the varmint tomorrow and hever after?
Dc with it, says l. III rare it up like
as III IL was my own child,
I'VE disputed of it a long while, but
at last father give in, and we carried
out my plan accord;an-the gent look
ing in the boat when we run into Dead
mant Point, and goin' off quite con-
tent"
Ny grandfather shifted his position.
passed his tongue round his cheek once
o. twice, and resumed with fresh fixity
ir his eyes:
I'm tryin' to recollect the succum-
stances exact, so as l may not acct
dentally tell huntruth," he explained.
Next day father called on me and seen
the youngster Iayin' in bed, covered ND.
He says, Is she dead? No. saws /.
but she seems very queer, and L don't
think she's going to live, for she hasn't
spoke a word and only took drop of
milk since here she's been.' WELL
says he, in his masterful way, if she
don't die, you've got to keep her down
in the caves; and, if you don't keep
her down there, by the laws I'll find
a way to do for her, I've been thinking
this thing over, and I'm ashamed of
myself for givin' in like / did. I've
and boy over seventy years. and |
amt goin' to be found out actin shabby
now. We was paid to put the varmint
away, and you've got to put her away,
or l will.' says he.
Il knew he meant it. for l never knew
father to tell lie in business. III drop
in tomorrow and see how things is goin','
he says when lie left. The child got bet
ter that afternoon, though she was not
clear in her head, being always kind O.
half silly. So seeing she were not goin'
t" die l had a go with ray conscience as
to what was best for to be DONE Now if
defies father, what's goin' to happen?
asks myself. Answer Why, one fine
mornin' the Young 'unll disappear as
sure as ever is. What then? Answer:
shall be the cause of father commit
tin a wicked crime, and have to answer
for the young 'un's comm to a huntime-
Is end. Putin of it the other way about,
what then? Answer: | shall save the
young 'un's life, ana keep fathers hands
clean-leastways as clean as they are at
present. Moreover. thinks l, | shall be
keepin' that child out of harms way, and
bringin' of her up in the ways of inno-
cence. For what is the root of all sin
in this world? Why. temptation. Well.
there won't be no temptations down in
them caves, and n, goin' astray anyhow.
Sc havin' argued it out this way. sonny.
1t looked to me as if was don' the most
righteous thing. for to take her down be-
low and keep her there, which | did.
took her down there and made her com
Portable. l learnt her to wash herself.
and all manner. Day after day / went
down there to see how she was gettin' on
for nigh three months, and then SEEM
she was just as happy without me as
what she was with me, bein' always kind
o. a natural and not in possession of her
mind, as you may say, and seem like
wise, as | got bad attack of rheumatism.
so l warn't equal to gettin' up and down
easy. | dropped it and didn't go down
no more. But every day reg'iar | let
down her food and now and then such
little treats as new clothes and blankets
and beddin', which she had learnt for To
take when | called, as before leavin'
had showed her. Well, sonny, heaven
has smiled on my efforts. The child has
growed up in innocence and content, and
been blessed with remarkable health: not
a day she missed singin' of her little
song to me TO show how grateful she was
for my kindness. till you went down there
and upset the happlecart of contentment.
She's lived a reg'lar life. which is what
we all should pray for; and l ask you
il it is likely she could have done the
same if exposed to temptations, rough
weather. and things what plays the deuce
with our constitutions. Hear me out,
sonny; You shall have your say directly.
You think I'm a gallus. bad lot. / know:
but You can't accuse me of bein' careless
o. the young 'un's welfare. You see what
a takin' l was in when | broke my leg.
and couldn't let down the food reg'lar,
and how / betrayed myself and father to
you rather than let her want for a days
food. But I'll give you a proof more
stronger than that of my ahidin' thought
and Kindness. I'm goin' 10 show you
What it would cost me my life for father
to know. I'm goin' to show you what's
in that little Tag l wears round my neck.
and was so fearful about bein' discovered
when l went off at the Three Pots. You
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