A Waif of the Mountains Part 3

The miner felt the truth of this, and without a word relinquished the treasure. Drawing his handkerchief, he wiped his eyes clear of their mist and jealously followed the surrendered one as she was fondled in turn by the others. First one and then another, until she had completed the round. All had something pleasant to say to her and she replied in her sweet innocent way, causing laughter and winning her path straight to the hearts of the hardy fellows, to whom such endearments had been unknown for years, but whose better natures were stirred by the presence of the child, as if she were in reality an angel sent from heaven.

Felix Brush had purposely left his turn for the last, hoping thereby to retain her longer than his friends. After chatting with her for a moment and repeating some rigmarole that set her laughing, followed by the request for him to say it again, he stood her on the bar. Then he danced in front of her, swung his arms like a jumping-jack, and told some outlandish fairy story from the stock that no one had ever suspected he possessed.

"Can you stand on your head?" asked Nellie, rippling over with fun.

"Certainly," he replied, as without a moment's hesitation, he inverted himself and cracked his heels together, though the att.i.tude was such an unfamiliar one that he careened and went over on his back with a thump that made the room tremble. Nellie clapped her chubby hands with delight and before Brush could repeat the performance, she called:

"Catch me; I'm going to jump."

"All right; I'm ready for you."

She recoiled a step to gather momentum and Landlord Ortigies, terrified at the fear that she might step off backward, made a dive round the end of the bar, catching his foot in an obstruction and falling with a crash that drew all attention to him.

"I'm so sorry; be you hurt?" asked Nellie, turning her head and surveying him, as his face came up to view like the full moon rising above the horizon.

"Not a bit; I done that on purpose to make you laugh; I always do that to please good little girls like you."

"Bime by I'll let you fall all the time, but just see me jump."

Felix Brush was still standing, with arms outstretched, and, without a second's hesitation the child leaped off into s.p.a.ce. She showed no fright, for there was no cause for it, since she was caught fairly and securely. Inasmuch as she had been fondled by every one, and the parson had had her longer than anyone else, he set her down on the floor and she began running here and there, displaying a childish curiosity to understand everything in sight. Going to the half-opened door, communicating with the darkened apartment at the rear, she peeped timidly in.

"Who lives in dere?" she asked, turning around and addressing the whole group who were laughingly watching her.

"That's where I live," replied Ortigies.

"Do you live all alone?"

"Yes, my child."

"Haven't you got any little girl like me?"

"No; I'd give all I have in the world if I had."

"Wouldn't you like to have me for your little girl?"

"Indeed I would; will you be my little girl?"

The baby face became thoughtful. She thrust one finger in the corner of her mouth and looked down at the floor.

"What would papa do and those other folks? I will be the little girl for all of you."

This struck the party as the brightest and wittiest expression ever made by a mortal. They laughed, clapped their hands and striking each other on the shoulder wanted to know whether anything of the like had ever before been heard. Certainly not. Without paying any heed to them, Nellie was peering into the room again.

"It's dark and cold," she said in an awed voice, turning her face around, the better to communicate the information; "but I ain't afraid."

Before she could fairly enter the place, her father, who was affectionately watching her, said:

"I guess you would better not go in there, Nellie; it's growing late and is time you prepared for bed."

"I'll fix a place for her," said Ortigies; "we ain't much on style here, but I can manage to make her comfortable."

"But will it not discommode you?"

"That little gal can't discommode any one in New Constantinople; if she would prefer to have me go out and sleep in the snow, I'll be glad to do it."

"I've just the place for her," interposed Wade Ruggles; "couldn't be better if I had taken a week to get it ready."

"Can't begin with my quarters," Felix Brush hastened to say, and there would have been a general wrangle for the privilege of accommodating the little one, had not her father, seeing how matters were going, smilingly raised his hand in protest.

"I cannot tell you, my friends, how much I thank you all for your kindness. Ah, if my poor wife could have held out until she reached here, but that was not to be. I shall be glad to stay with Mr.

Ortigies to-night, and with your permission shall remain for a few days in your settlement. I have lost everything I owned in the world, and will need some time to decide what is best to do. Our stay in New Constantinople will give all a better chance to get acquainted with Nellie. I'll surrender her to you until you get tired of her."

"Get tired of her!" repeated Vose Adams, voicing the sentiments of all; "we're not the kind of galoots to git tired of an angel."

The father expressed his thanks with such winsome grace, that every man instinctively felt that he was a born gentleman. There was not a miner in the room who did not sympathize with him in his affliction, and yet they envied him the possession of the child, whose innocence and beauty impressed them as more wonderful than they had ever looked upon before. When Felix Brush whispered to Budge Isham that arrangements must be made in some way to keep the father with them, for the sake of having the child, his friend nodded his head, and said he had made up his mind to the same effect from the moment the parent referred to the matter. And the sentiments of these two were those of the rest.

"Come, Nellie, let me prepare you for bed; it's a long time since you have had that privilege."

The little one obediently walked to her father and turned her back to him that he might better remove her clothing.

"I suppose you have plenty of covering for her?" remarked the parent inquiringly to the landlord.

"There's all she can need."

Lifting her on his knee, the father began removing the shoes and stockings, the little one giving what aid she could, when it came to the garments. One of the last acts of the affectionate mother had been to place upon her child the gown she was accustomed to wear while asleep. When at last she was ready, she looked up to her father and asked in a half whisper:

"Where's mamma?"

"She will not be with us to-night."

"Then she will come in the morning?"

"Wait until then, my child; don't say anything more about mamma now."

She was satisfied, and signified that she was ready to have her father carry her to her bed. Then she exclaimed with a laugh:

"Ain't that funny?"

"What's that?"

"I like to fordot to say my prayers."

And slipping from her father's knee, she knelt on the floor, with her hands covering her face which, as it pressed his knee, was hidden by the ma.s.s of golden ringlets cl.u.s.tering and falling about it. Not a man stirred or spoke. All were so silent that the sifting of the snow against the logs, the moaning of the gale and the soft rustle of the embers that broke apart on the hearth were audible. But all these were as the "voice of silence" itself, so that when the child began her prayer in a low voice, every syllable was heard.

"Now I lay me down to sleep.

I pray the Lord my soul to keep; If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.

G.o.d bless papa, mamma and make Nellie a good girl; bless--"

Wheeling short round at the silent, awed group, she looked at the landlord and asked: