Show STUDENT LIFE 10 fluence over the little girl and took no pains to conceal her feelings One night that I shall long remember Jennie did not appear at dark She was four years old at the time and often went by herself to Jimmy’s She was always repeating scraps of his babblings about the big woods and the creatures that dwelt there and when the autumn day drew to a threatening twilight without bringing the child the mother was naturally worried Darkness came with a cold driving rain and a shrieking wind and the woman could wait no longer Her husband was out of town and her first thought was of Jimmy She dashed through the storm to the cottage All was dark She pounded and called until at last with its usual groan the door opened and and Jimmy stood there gasping with surprise and terror “Where is my baby?” shouted the excited woman “She come here right after dinner an’ she ain’t come home What’d you do with her? Quick !” The old man only stared “Ain’t she here? Ain’t Jenny here?” “Jenny? Ain’t seen Jenny? — Here today — long time —Talked ’bout the big woods — where the red leaves is —Jenny wanted to go— Deen gone long time” The woman was sobbing now hysterically “Did you let my baby go to the woods? With this awful storm cornin’? She will be killed out there all alone— oh Jenny Jenny! I knowed you’d get her into half-dress- ed some trouble with this crazy fool talk of yourn and now you’ve killed her you’ve killed my baby! Oh what’ll I do now ?” The neighbors who had gathered to the scene with lanterns saw by the flickering light that Jimmy suddenly ceased to tremble The tottering old frame seemed to straighten and there came a firmness to his features and a new light in his eyes that they had not seen in years His voice even had a new strength as lie declared : “I’ll find Jenny wherever she is The wild things in the woods’ll take care of her an’ I won’t come home without her” Before any one could prevent he had vanished in the darkness the white old head bared to the rain and the body only half protected But he must have moved with great rapidity for the villagers who led the mother home and organized a at once saw him searching-part- y no more that night The church bell was rung and frightened families rushed into the streets to find the cause of alarm Suddenly into the midst of the group they made skipped baby Jenny radiantly happy in the presence of so much excitement she could not understand “Where’s mamma?” she chirped “Said I couldn’t go visitin’ to Lucy Brown’s and I jest went by my nown self” “I’ll swan if she didn’t tell me a dozen times that her mother said she could stay” declared ponderous Mrs Brown when explanations were all made and the procession started homeward with the child -- |