Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1918-09-18
CHAPTER /.
The Ray of SunIiaht.

Just as the rays OF the afternoon
sun hesitated to enter the open door
of Joseph Stages hardware store in
Sunrise Cove and fingered on the sill,
so the little girl in the black frock
and hat, with twin braidS of sunshiny
hair on her shoulders, lowered at the
entrance of the dim and dusty place.
She carried a satchel in one hand,
while the fingers of the other We're
hooked into the rivet-studded collar of
a notified hOmely mongrel dog.
"Oh, dear me, Princer' sighed the
lttle girl. this must be the place.
Wen just have to go in. OF course l
know he must be nice man but he's
such a stranger"
Her feet faltered over the door sill
and paced slowly down the shop be-
tween long counters She saw no clerk.
At the back of the shop was a small
office closed in with grimy windows.
The uncertain visitor and her canine
companion saw the shadowy figure of
a man inside the office, sitting on a
high stool and bent above a big ledger.
The dog. however, scented something
else.
In the half darkness of the shop he
and his little mistress came unexpect-
eddy upon what Prince considered his
arch-enemy. There rose up on the end
of the counter nearest the open office
door a big, black tomcat whose arched
back, swollen tail and yellow eyes
blaZed defiance.
"Ps-s-st-ye-ow !"
The rising yowl broke the silence of
the shop like trumpet call The little
girl dropped her bag and seized the
dogs collar with both hands.
Prince" she crieG, don't you speak
to that cat-don't you dare speak
to It'll"
BLESS me-" croaked a voice from
the office.
The tomcat uttered a second 'ps-s-st
--ye-Ow!' and shot up a ladder to the
top shelf.
BLESS me-" repeated Joseph Stagg,
taking off his eyeglasses and leaving
them in the ledger to mark his place.
what have you brought that dog in
here for?"
He came to the office door.
II didn't have any place to leave
him." was the hesitating reply.
"Hum Did your mother send you
for something's"
Moo. sir" sighed the little visitor.
At that moment more daring ray
of sunlight found it's way through the
transOm over the store door and lit up
the dusky place. 1t fell upon the
slight, black-frocked figure and for an
instant touched the pretty head as
with an aureole.
Bless me, child! :" exclaimed Mr..
Stagg. "Who are your"
The flOwerlike face of the little girl
quivered, the blue eyes spilled big
drops over her cheeks. She approached
Mr.. Stagg, STOPPING and squirting in
the office doorway, and placed timid
hand upon the broad band of black
crepe he wore on his coatsleeve.
You're not Hannah's Car'lyn?"
questioned the hardware dealer huskily.
I'm Car'lyn May Cameron" she
confessed. You're my Uncle Joe. I'm
very glad to see you, Uncle Joe. and
and ! hOpe-y0u're glad to see me-
and Prince" she finished rather fall
teringly.
"Bless met" murmured the man
again.
Nothing so startling as this had en-
tered Sunrise Cove's chief hardware
emporium" for many and many a year.
Hannah hn ha
chants only sister, had gone away
from home quite fifteen years previ-
ously. Mr.. Stage had never seen Han
nah again; but this slight. blue-eveG.
sunny-haired girl was a replica of his
sister. and in some dusty corner of Mr..
Stages heart there dwelt very faith
full memory of Hannah
Nothing had served to estrange the
brother save time and distance.
"Hannah's Car'Iyn," muttered Mr..
Stagg again. BLESS me. child how
did you get here from New York;
ION the cars. uncle. You see, Mr..
Price thought I'd better come. He saws
you are my guardian-it's in Dapa's
will and would have been so in rran,-
MA VIII II sir u HltllE one. MIR
Price put me on the train and the con-
ductor took care of me.
Who is Mr.. Price?" the storekeeper
asked.
He's a lawyer. He's written YOU
long letter about it. It's in my bag.
Didn't you get the tel agram he sent
you last evening, Uncle Joe? A night
letter. he called t."
Never got it," replied Mr.. Stage
shortly.
We'll. you see, when papa and man.
ma had TO 90 away so suddenly they
left me with the Prices. / 90 to school
with Edna Price and she slept with me
at night in our fiai--after the Dunra-
ven s;dlet"