Outpost

pping to make any inquiries of the other servants, she ran up the stairs, took off her shawl and hood, and then went to the drawing-room for 'Toinette. The room was empty; and Susan at

he nursery a bit befo

the littered room;

ked at Mrs. Legrange

Miss 'Toin

down in the drawing-room by herself, and you had be

mother little g

stairs; an uneasy feeling creeping over her, alth

, behind every large chair, even in the closet of the tagre, Susan searched for her little charge, hoping, praying to find her asleep, or roguishly hiding, as she had known her t

nd searched it as narrowly as

was no

e nursery again, the servants' chambers, the

d, Susan heard a latch-key turn in the front-door lock, and presently Mr. Legrange's pleasant voice speaking in the hall. A sudden hope rushed into Susan's heart. The child might possibly have gone to me

s, the master turned and loo

u nearly fell then. Is

I can't find her, high

n to say she's lost!" exclaimed the father,

ir, I'm sure; but I

ly bursting

her? Where is Mrs

, I'm sure," said

go to tell her, she'll feel that bad. And ind

wife close her chamber-door and begin to descend

retty and so gay in her blue silk-dress, with a ribbon of the same shade twisted among her golden curls, that her husband shrunk back, dreading to a

p? I don't do such things since my daughter is

areless tone, came forward as she spo

s your daugh

ssly; and then, as something in her husband's voice or manner attracted

t has happened? Is 'Toin

re," called Mr. Legrange; and Susan, with her face buried in her apron, and sob

nge turned pale, and clung

at is it? Te

and I don't know whe

ied the mother wildly, while her pale cheeks flushe

w, ma'am; but I

d's detaining arms. But, soothing her as he would a child, Mr. Legrange, by a few calm and well-directed questions, drew

one out by herself, and is, for the moment, lost, but, I trust, will soon be found. You may go at once to the houses of the neighbors whose children she has been in th

and, clasping her tenderly in his arms, kissed the burning cheeks and glittering eyes that frightened him, u

annot leave you,-cannot go to look for her. I

try-O Paul, Paul! do

cate nature to control itself and put his fears to rest. He still was soothing her, when, with a tap at the door, entered James, follow

ntil I return. I shall go at once to the police-s

s,

once; see Mr. Burroughs; tell him that 'Toinette is lost, and beg him to come up here directly. K

to his wife, who was walking quickly up and down the room, her h

ice myself. Take courage, dearest, and hope, as I do, that, before morning, we shall have our pet back, safe and s

nge, not daring to trust himself to look at her again,

ho was almost brother to both, the assistants, and poor broken-hearted Susan, looked into each o

ngaged in the search brought almost hourly to the house. Her husband, looking like the ghost of his former self, wandered incessantly from his own home to the police-office and back again, each time through some ne

od Mrs. Ginniss's humble bed, while the young doctor day by day shook his head more sadly over her, and