THE HESPERIAN
OM MaoDefessa's Dsngfcter.
I.
"Hey, tha. Bub! bev ye seen anything of
me Unfile girl J" hoarsely shoated an old man
t a young mulatto standing under the drip
ping eaves of the little station house.
The hoy turned ffrona the grimy widow,
through which he had been gazing into the
smoky waiting room. An old man was
climbing oat over the wheel off a lumber
wagon backed np against the platform. fctNo
sah, don reckon I has. Aint seen nuffiin
bat a mighty splendifferons yonng ledy,
what am a waitinT in dar,'" and he rn;d a
little backward movement with his thumb in
the direction off the waiting room.
"Wall, 111 Jest look in. Itt'd seem
rnighty queer iff she didn't come; far I sent
word her ma wnz a affin and told her Fd
be store to come fftnr her t'night,'" he mutter
ed, half t himself and half to the hoy x
he Jerked aloraig toward the door, one hand
on his stiff knee and the other on hi:- hip.
As Ms furrowed face, with its halff-moon
off ragged whiskers encircling the projecting
chin, appeared in the door off the waiting
nootm a penetrating voice exclaimed, fcttWelI!
Psf with a bffoad aoand off A 66i had Just
condladed tto order a carriage and find a
hotel iff there is swch a thing En this forsaken
place. MyU bst Fts tired, I hope yo-rfve
got a float houae for I donrt want to foe over
a year getting home. Well, don't vow
know mei"" ahe continued, !& have known
yora in China with that old ctoat. But it Eara't
raodttu winder yoi didn't know rae for I hope
I don't lkook anything Bite I dwS when I
went away,"'
'Srardly this ain't JDbowfe18 the old man
atiararaeijed, gawng wHth Encsedulou eye at
the eEegaat figwre inn the atylialb blue macs
Enttoa ht A little cap ctrawg to one $Me otf the
g&Fss thick hair xa$ she awrcng a tvgKtlj
rolled trosbtrellllA Era her gJWed haavdf earning
two or three-bell! attached to a aEJk coed on
the haiudle t& make a dunking novae as ahe
walked,
IP, ainrafly this was; nou ihe Utile gjtrE he
had parted from on this same spot five years
before.
Even her pride in the new green cash
mere dress with red plash trimming of
the home knitted stockings which made her
legs look like plump red posts between the
short dress and squeaky shoes off the
checkered shawl with its gaudy fringe of
the new hat and brown cotton gloves even
these did not keep her from sobbing pitifully
as she kissed him goodby and said "Yes
sirTT to his many injunctions.
And he had expected to see her again Just
the same, with even the atrip of red flannel
saturated with kerosene,, which had been
wrapped around her neck for her sore
throat. Of course he had lold himself hun
dreds off times- that his little "Deborie"
was a young I'ady know with long dresses
and "fellers" jet he had always thought off
her as a little girl En the green, red trimmed
dress.
He felt himselff a strancr to this beautiful
self-confident girl, fftlt as iff he had been
cheated out off something which belonged to
him.
DM yon intend to take my trunk l Iff
yooi did, here's my check,'" and as she
handed it to him ahe Just touched ber lips
tto hEs cheek.
1 can't hardly recognize you, Dehorfe,"
he aaid En a dazed way, accenting the second
syllable off recognize, ttvbnt I reckon it muat
he ray little girl,"
"OH pai, donrt aay recognize, I ahould
think you'd know better from hearing others
uononce Et, If mrognize.'"
"To be sure, to be sore .DehorEe he
replied Era the same dazed way, "JEat atay
here a bit and 111 git yotnr trunk, "
She atood Era the door and watched the
atationi agent and her father a they tugged
and lifted the heavy track into the wagon,
then a the old man came towards; her ahe
aaiid, My goodness, pa, can't yott wslfc like
thial' raiaErog her frail round cheat, "Tots
make me think acme of yoar bonea; will
crack or that yota may come rnitjoEnted any
minute hobblsn'g along; like that"
