The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-11-12
And Mother turned

round to me, then, too.
Can't you remember Felix? she asked me,
and she seemed to be kind of holding her
breath in, Think! she said, Can't you re-
member when you saw her last2
Yes, / can remember it now, answered,
twas when the gypsy woman was here. Luly
picked rose and ran out to give it to her.
The gypsy woman2 Mother asked very
low, and she was staring at me and then at
Farther, in such strange way it didn't
really look like Mother. The gypsy woman
she said.
She kind of reached out her arm to Far
ther as if she couldn't really say anything
right then, but praps he might tell her some
thing else. But Farther was just staring at
me, too. Perhaps it was the moonlight
that made things look so queer, but for
minute it didn't look like Farther, either.
But he spoke then and could see it was.
What are you saying Felix? he said, very
stearn, Be sure that you are right.
She ran after her with rose, said again.
But didn't she come back? Mothers
voice sounded something like sharp needles.
don't know, said. 1t was when Mr.
Barker came.
That was the thing that confuzed me evry
time thought of it. But Farther began
talking very fast then, and walking up and
down as if he didn't know what to do next.
There's been someone here evry instant
this EVENING" he said. You wouldn't think
it strange I'd forgotten evrything else
Louise, if you
But Farther didn't finish his sentence,
because Mother didn't hear She was
leaning up against a piller of the poarch and
her head was dropping back with her throte
showing very plane. I said Mother looked
white before, but now when she was leaning
on the piller and her head was dropping
back it, almost looked as if her face and her
throte and her dress were all just exackly
the same color So white.
Louisel Father said, and he jumped over
there and caught her. She was really going
to fall. Louisel he said again, Be a brave
grill We're going to find her right away
Mother opened her eyes and looked at
him, and then she seemed to stand up alone
and look at him again
They've been gipsies-camping around
here on the outskirts for the last three weeks
she said very slow, in something like a
whisper. There was child kidnapped on
the west side of the city yesterday.
Farther didn't say anything for minute,
but his face seemed kind of gray and tight
looking. - ~ saf"ss
Waitl he kind of whispered back. Wait!
They've probably got her at the poleece
station nowl Just waitl
And Farther went running off the steps
right while he was talking.
All T fa1f c<. fri0h+erad d;J,,,f COW INV
thing at first, till Mother turned round and
held out her arms, and then we both sat
down together on the steps.
You ought to be in bed, Felix, she said,
with her voice just ittel trembly. Why
don't Sarah and Lizzie come home?
And then she went right on talking as if
to herself.
I can't go upstairs with you, there might
someone come, or / can't send you up there
all alone, or I can't go away and leave you,
or can't stay herel
Mother got UP then with her eyes all
frightened again, and then she went up on
the poarch and walked up and down till
pretty soon she stopped near the opening at
the end and stood there very still for a
minute looking out.
voice very small, and then she turned round
again. Oh I can't stand this! / could
hear her whisper, Come Felix, she said,
Wellwalk littel. Your Farther ought to be
back, she said as we went down the steps and
onto the grass, Which rosebush did you say
itwas2 Where was it Luly picked the rose?
1t seemed strange to be walking with
Mother like that in the night, out there on
the grass, aud guess she thought so too.
It's dreadful for you to be up, she said,
Which rosebush did you say it WASP Where
was it Luly picked the rose7
showed her then the very one. 1t was
high, and Mother stood very still beside it
for a minute and then she reached up her
hand and picked a rose. 1t was red rose.
. What's that Felix9 she said, and ]
stopped down and picked up something on
the grass. 1t was Luly's littel new washer
bic doll, only it didn't have but one shoe on
|, Mother kind of snatched it up to her, and
then she just broke right out crying.
Oh my ittel girl! / could hear hel
/ whisper, My littel, ittel girl!
But we both stopped and listened, be
i cause the gait was swinging open. And
! Mother turned round and ran across thu
, grass.
It was Farther coming back alone.
, He didn't say anything at first, but shs
looked at him and saw his face, and ther
E Lu1ys littel washerable doll Just dropped
!. out of her hands and fell down in the dirt