Demas Dodd's Daughter

Mal. JNignt. 'Tm sure 1 don I kiiow whal lo do about il," said Mr. Griggs, hopolessly scratching bis car wit h the feather ond of hia quill. It was a glorious August ilay at Bilberry Four Corners. The niullcin studded pastures wero bakcd with hoat, tho closed cupa of tho niorning: glories hung disconsolatcly among the wilting Icaves, whilo cattlo stood kneo deep i a the Bilborry Riyer, wherc pollnrd willows raade a friendly shade. At tho Town House, liowovor. thero was no such luxury as trecs. Troca shaded tho cabbago flold; thcir roots drow all tho strongtli out of tho pardon soil, whero oaioas, potatoes and silgar boets wero to be ajrown, aud their leafage made a green mould on tho roofs. 'rho Tovrn Houso was meant íor use, not show, and tho selectinoii had no scruples on the subject of beauty; and so the sun cumo in like the breath of a liery dragon, through tho uncurtainod casemónt, atd smoto Mr. Griggs, the superlntondent, on tlio very crest of bis ba ld hoad. "Pull down llio window ahado, soinebody," said Mr. Grigg, writhing uneasly in his chair. "Oh, doar! oh, dear! I wish Mrs. Bibb was hero. Sho knows. "What is tho man calling abont?" .aid Mrs. Griggs, bustling ín from an adjoining room. "Don t you know Ihat Mr. Demas Dodd is waiting?" "Tako tho books tor yoursolf," said the suporintendent. pushing a hugo pilo of of folios toward his botter half. "What isone to do? Thoro was two of 'om left ou tho door-stops the samo oight. We called ono Ruth and tho other Naomi; and we surnamed her Snow, beoause it was an awful stormy uight. The oquinoctial, dou't you remember? And hero's Desiaa Dodd says one of 'em is his dartor, aod wants her; and Mrs. Bibb is gono Lo bury her socnnrl nnn. And bow in the name of all sreation be I tp teil which was wmch : "Let him piek and choose for himself," saya Mrs. Griggs impatieutly. "Tell Mra jest how it was." "No," said Mr. Gi-iggs, authoritatively. "That woulcl derógate f rom tho dignity of the Town Superiutendcnt. I ain't to be took unawares like that. It ain't to bo supposed as the Town House authorities can bo mistook," 'StufT and uoDsonsc!" said Mrs. Griggs. fWo'ro all human, ain't wc? But if you feel liko that, why flip tro a penny. If it comes up hoads let him havo Naomijif it's tails, say Ruth." And sho produced a eoppor cont on the spot, twirling it nimbly on tho table. For a second r two it spun a round - then fcll heavily 011 its side, rorealing the oxpressive lincaments of tho (íoddess of Liberty. "Heads!" said Mrs. Griggs. "Sond Naomi down to him. And 1 ain't sorry, for Naomi always was acarcless, flighty thing, and Ruth is dreadful handy with tho house linen and men's wash " "But a man ought to havo his own daughter," feebly romonstrated Mr. Griggs. "Wo can't do no better by him," naid Mrs. Griggs. "And if he hadn't no moro nateral aflection than to lcavo his own daughter in a baskot on tho doorsteps such an awful stormy night as that was - ' ' "It wasn't him, it was oíd Mra. Dudgiok, his wife's aunt," explained the Superintendent of the Town Poor. "You seo he was awful down iu the world, and ho'd gone down to tho Azores to gather yarbs to mako a cough cure as should kñock overybody's noíds into middle of next year. An' whon he heard that the child was deadlio hadn't no heart to come back. And he never knowed sie waa l'ving untO old Miss Dudffiok ruado an afferdavv on her deathbed, and it was sent to hip by tho lawyers. And here he is now' "And hcre's a grown up darter for him," said Mis. Griggs, curtly, "and he'll be suited, and wee suitod, aud I daro say Naml'll bo suited into tho bargain, and noboby necd never bo no ¦,viser." With whteh aatoundiug succession of doublé nega the matter terminated. Naomi va a protty, blue-oyed giii ol .scventeen, who was to havo ben 'bound oui ' th vcry nest week to the elergyman's amily. Ruth was a dimplcd, ;miling_brunoUe whom all the littlc children instinotively sought In timos of troublo, and who wa3 Mrs. Griggs' right hand woman. And the two solitaiy youag things had always lovod cach othov likoj twiu sisters. " "I wish papa oould tako us bolh!" sobbod Naomi. with her arm:) arounc Ruth's neck. "Don't hint at suoh a thing,1' .said Mrs. Griggs, indiimantly. "And after alO' saiel Ruth, who always saw the cousoling aidc of things "wo can seo each othcr of ten. Anc isn't it exactly like a novel, that your f ather 'should como to claim you aftei all these yearsP" So Naomi weut to tho pretty, ole brick houRO which Domas Dodd, who liad contrived to make a fortune out of liis "Oriental Cough Curo," had purchased- a picturesque oíd placo, al mantled with ivy, whoro thero was an ancient gardon, full of sweet williams and lilac bushes, and wandering tendrils of clematis; whero monster peal trees flung their peunons of shade across the box bordered paths. What a chango it was after tho toil and drudgery of the Towu Poor House, this lifo of easy comfort, with the softly carpeted lloors, the curtains of snowy muslin looped with ribbon, tho books, the flowors, tho atmosphere of repose. Naomi's young lifo seemed to expaud within it, liko a daffodil in the sunshino. And Demás Dodd. himself scarcely forty, was so gentío, so rofíned, so compsnionablo. ¦Papa,'' cried Naotni, who vas an impetuous littlc creature, and always spoke out her thoughts and feelings. "you are so nice ! I don't think I ever lovod any one as much as 1 lovo yon." And yet there was a certain shadow of awe in the girl's manner toward him. "Whatisit?" Naomi asked hcrsolf. "I am not afraid oL him. Do all girls feel so tovrard thcir father? But then I haven1 1 known papa all niy life Of course that accounti for it. It's simple enough wlion one comes to 1hink of it." Demas Dodd'.s daughter had scarcelj d icelt in her new home a month when a greasy, ill-spelt note arrived from Mr. GrigR. the Superintendent of the Poor House. 'He wants w lo come uown uiuru, liil Mr. Dodd. "I wonder whttt for?" "Papa, can'l I go too?" flaid Naomi. "Not this tinc,"Mr. Dodd responded, fontly. "But perhaps I will bring Ruth ack with inc to spend the dny- -if Mrs. Grigírs eau spare her " Tho superintendent was ailling op in stalc beforc bis lcdgcrs and account booka, wheu Mr. Dodd was sliowii info tho reception room. "Mrs. Bibbs bas come honie," said tho superintendent. "Mrs, Bibbaisour matron." "Has she?" said Mr. Dodd. -Uut I ani at a loss to know how tbat tact eau possiblv affect us." "She has oponed uur oyes," said Mr Griega, with a ilourish of liis loft hand "Oh," saúl Mr. Dodd. "Preñare yourself, said tlie superintendent. " "AVo've been uiistook. Naomi's the wrong one. Kuth was yqur dartcr all alou. Mrs. Bibb knQWS. She brung 'cm both up, by hand. Saoini Ijolongs to the old brickmakcr, who feil into tho kiln and bi-oko bis neck, sixtcen ycars ago. Truth ia truth! And I aiu't thu man willingly to deceic uiy follow creeters, nol if il was law to. Naomi's tho wrong onc, and Ruth ia your darter, Mr. Dodd." Mrs. Bibb, an cldorly female, with a bottle nose, and a suoeCHsiou of doublé chins, was called to give her testiinony and it was incontrovertible. "I aui sorry for this," said Mr. Dodd, gravely; "I hare grown very fond ot Naomi." "Ruth-3 n deal halldier the houso," interposed Mrs. Grurgs "Nouii always was a feather hëadud creetur. She s gel a protty face, and iliat's all." Little Ruth cauio iu, Ucnibliug and pale. Was the fairy story aboul to bc rovived? was she the disguised princess af ter all? And Naomi only an incbriated brickmaker's daughter? She would rathcr havo druged on at tho poor houso all her days, than to haya Mrs. Bibb divulgo hor identity Ihus. Bul, as Mr. Griggs deolared, "truth was truth." iNaomi returncd to the poor houso, and Rutli took possession of the prelty, old red briok house, whcro tlio China roses smelled so swoetly, and the owiftriefl sang i" the' bay triTiHnw. 'My cloar," said Mr. Dodd, strokiog tho protty lioad, 'I hope you wDl bo vcty happy hoi"o." "Papa," said Ruth, pluekins up courage "I can't be happy without Naomi." "Mr. Dodd suiileil. A tender soft uess caino into his oyes. "That's what I vras thinking naysulf, Ruth," said he. "Shall I ?o ;lfl:cr her?" "Ob, papa'" cried tho girl, ecstetically, "if yououly would!" Toward evening Domas Dodd caaio back to tho old red brick houso with Naomi sitting beside him in the pony ihaotou. Ruth ran Lo meet her, and in half a minuto the giris wete clasped in cneh other's arms. "Oh, -my Niionii!" eriod Suth. "I have been building pui.-U a castle in tho air." "llave ypu?" said Naomi. Wh;it Í6 itP" "You are to atay hcro torevor," said Ruth. "Becauae you know, dear, we can't bc soparatcd irom each other. Papa vvill fall in lovo with you. Ho can't help it. And he will aak you to be liis wiïo, and - "Oh, Ruth! Ruth!" cried Naomi, clasping her hand onthoother's mouth. "You are a veritable fortuno teller. We wei e marricd this morniug." Ruth uttered a little cry of joy, and showerod kisses on Naoml's Jtorchead lips and throat. "Oh, I am soplad!" she exclaimed - "I am so glad!" Aud it is not probable that a stepmotbor ever received a warmer wolcomo than Rnth Dodd accorded to her that day. Tho troublous fiio.süon was .settlod satisfactorily at las. Ruth and Naomi wero happy, and so was Mr. Demas Dodd. And the wholo thiny went to provo that romances tuay bo evolved, ovon froru tho stone waíls of a town ioor house.