Page:Life's little ironies (1894).pdf/187

to!" they whispered. “And everybody elae knowing otherwise |”

"No, I don’t think tis mine !” cried Ned, hoarsely, as he looked up from his hands. “ But she is mine, all the same! Ha’n’t I nussed her? Ha’n’t I fed her and teached her? Ha’n't I played wi’ her? Oh, little Carry—gone with that rogue—gone !”

"You ha’n’t lost your mis’ess, anyhow,” they said to coneole him. ‘She's throwed up the sperrite, and she is feeling better, and she’s more to ’ee than a child that isn’t yours.”

“She isn't! She’s not ao particular mach to me, especially now she’s lost the littie maid! But Carry’s everything !”

"Well, ver’ like you'll find her to-morrow.”

“ Ah—but shall I? Yet he can’t hurt her—surely he can’t! Weill—how’s Car'line now? I am ready. Is the cart here ?”

She was lifted into the vehicle, and they sadly lumbered on towards Stickleford. Next day she was calmer ; but the fits were still upon her ; and her will seemed shattered. For the child she appeared to show singularly little anxiety, though Ned was nearly distracted. It was nevertheless quite expected that the impish Mop would restore the lost one after a freak of a day or two; but time went on, and neither he nor she could be heard of, and Hipcroft murmured that perhaps he was exercising upon her some unholy musical charm, as he had done upon Car'line herself, Weeks passed, and still they could obtain no clew either to the fiddler’s whereabouts or the girl’s; and how he could have induced her to go with him remained a myatery.

Then Ned, who had obtained only temporary employment in the neighborhood, took a sudden hatred towards his native district, and a rumor reaching his