The Washington times., 1915-05-17

back Of the house. in which she has q
playhouse, a see-saw. etc II you
wished to see her 1t would be a simple
matter. but l am ready to stake my
reputation on her. She Is absolutely
Which, said Semmes. rs so far
myself"
In spite Of Professor sulliter's guar
antee, the triumvirate, as they were
both popularity and unpopularly called.
determined to have a look at the little
Amesbury girl for themselves. In a
car driven so swiftly that the traffic
cops had to look the other way SO as
not to get dust in their eyes, It did not
take them long to reach the Amesbury
mousse They did not. however, draw up
before the house itself. but In the wood
back of it. Here logged out In Indian
dress SO that she resembled the orna-
mental side Of a cent, they found the
cult task for three such men to Iull
any suspicion that the child's nurse
may have had They complimsnted her
upon the health and good manners Of
her little charge. inquired after her
mistress and learned with every sem
blance Of regret that the latter was
sinking hourly. They joked Prof.
Stilliter little on the fear with which
ne seemed to inspire the child. But to
Stilliter, looking far ahead. perhaps
WELL" he said brusquely, Am
right? Is she the finest child you ever
saw. or isn't she2 Just see the breadth
or her skull above the cars"
He would have touched her. but she
shrank from him. When Barclay
however, spoke to her she showed
neither fear nor aversion. only a pleas
ant shyness.
I have never seen you before" h.
sana' S' s Dut | am very fond Of little girls.
anu since nave none OF my own do
hurry Ni
leaving the others, he took the
child and the nurse for a little drive
In the car. and when they had coma
pack he slipped something that lin
LED into the nurses hand, so that
the tlghty woman felt prepared to
go through fire with him.
The little Amesbury girl was Of an
age when most Impressions do not
long survive. She would neither re-
member her father nor her mother
nor her nurse, nor her Indian dress.
nor the playhouse. nor the see-saw
In the woods; but always she had a
vague recollection OF three great and
important personages. who treated
her as II she were more important
than they We're, and who on parting
from her bowed over her chubby.
dimpled hand and kissed 1t for ali
tne "Orlu 8 IT Sne mad been q prtNs
cess. 1t wasn't exactly a recollel~
tion either, for she did not remem /.
Der their faces nor how they came
into her life, nor how they depart.
ed. 1t was more like a dream, only
fragments of which here and there
survive in the walkers mind. 1t
wasn't altogether a pleasant dream.
There mingled with IT certain
something of the essence of night
mare. Whether It was another man
In the background or some monstrous
beast with extraordinarily large,
black trimmed eyes she did not know.
1t is curious that she should re-
member a little of all this and moth
ing of that message which came
presently from the house-a mes
sage brought by one servant to an
other and crudely blurted forth in
the hearing of a child.
Come quick, Mary, and bring the
baby; the missus is dead" She does
not remember running to the house
between two women, dragged by the
hand, and If she did 1t is most like
ly that she should remember only
the novelty of the swift locomotion
and not the reason that called for 1t
The little Amesbury girl continu ed
to live on in her fathers house. The
law said she might until things were
Strengthened out. There ware nc
relatives to interfere.
But II was q strange life, There
was no longer any discipline In the