Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1922-10-26
Continued from last week)
CHAPTER XIII
A Happy Meeting

e$IST HAPPENED one day, some
SVS months after Marie had become
(gkS an inmate of Brokers house.
''Vo' hold. She was just starting to
go on an errand, and had closed the
street door when she saw two persons,
well-dressed man and woman, ap-
preaching the house. She stood still,
and gazed for a moment as though
struck by something in their appear
ance. Could 1t be?-Is it really?-
the thought in her mind. One moment
and the next she was rushing to
them with arms extended and face
shining with joy as she cried, Father!
Mother!"
One moment they looked at her as
though in doubt-but the next she
was clasped tight in her mothers
arms.
"Oh Marie! Marie dear! is it's it
you, my child?" she cried as she
rained tears and kisses on the pale,
up-turned face.
eyes, mother dear, I'm your little
Marie; don't you know me?"
THANK God, mother!" exclaimed her
father, taking her in his arms, "this
is our own lost Marie, given to us a
gain! Thank God Thank God!"
Oh, the joy of that meeting, after
such long separation! Only those
know what it is who have passed thru
the darkness of night of misery into
the cheering sunlight of day of joy.
"But how came you here, my dar-
ling?" asked her mother, fondly en-
bracing her again. "You do not look
well, so pale and thin, my child. Have
you been sick?"
Then Marie told them that the man
who kept that tavern had come to
Philadelphia, where she had good
home with a Friend, after the Indians
had given her up, and had claimed her
as his daughter, who, he said, had
been carried off by the Indians in
Maryland, and had brought her here
and made servant of her. "And oh,
am so afraid of him" she said,
shuddering "He is so rough and cruel
tried to run away but he caught me
and said he would whip me if l did it
again. But you won't let him keep
me, will you?" she pleaded. "Oh,
take me home with you dear father;
take me home with you, mother, will
you not ?" she begged with tears.
Certainly you shall go home with
US, DEAR" said her mother, kissing
away her tears as she folded her a
gain in her arms. Nobody shall
keep you from US now, my poor little
one."
~"Where is that man," asked her
father. eve must see him. We
heard he had, found his lost child, and
that is why we came here"
"He is in the house," replied Marie,
"but he will be awfully cross. I'm
afraid to think of it."
"Never mind, my child" said her
father; she shall not touch you."
Taking her between them, each hold
ing her by the hand, they walked to
the house and knocked at the door.
Mrs. Brocker opened it, and started as
she saw the pair, with Marie between
them. Realizing the situation and an
ticipating their question, she called,
"Brocker, some one to see you"
Her husband came to the door,
scowling when he saw Marie with the
strangers.
"What yuh doin' here, Moll," he
| yelled at her. "Come in the house an
go to yer work."
"No sir" said her father; "she1l not
enter your house again. I've just
come to tell you that she is our daugh-
ter and we. shall take her with us at
once"
eyer darter! Yer darter" yelled
the fellow. "She's my darter, Moll,
and I'd like to see any man take her
away, that's all.'
"You will see it though" said Ma
rie's father, who saw that Brocker had
been drinking and was going to be
quarrelsome. Brocker swore terri
BILE oath and shouted, "Jess lemme see
yuh try it, that's ALL"
"Brocker, tell 'em all about it," said
his wife, trying to pacify him, "an'
they'll see yer right"
"Tell 'em yerself," he said angrily.
"You see," continued Mrs. Brocker,
who saw that they were going to play
losing game, "She was carried off by
them mean Injuns, down to Marylan',
whar we lived them times, an he jess
found her, short time back, in Phildel-