Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1871-11-18
FOUND A WIFE.

FOUND A WIFE
When the theaters were letting out
in days when theater hours were longer
than they are nowhere stepped forth
into the frosty winter night, amid
crowd Of play goers, n man of about four
and twenty and about the middle height.
road.shouldered, dark haired and with
black eyes-a very handsome man,
and dressed in style which, costly and
elegant, became him wonderfully well.
Yet, handsome, wealthy and pleasure
seeker, as he plainly was, there was a
look upon his face which bespoke dis
content and weariness-the look, too,
of one who has plunged into dissipation
for the sake of driving away thought.
And this, indeed. was the case. Tilted
by one whom he had given his hearts
best love, Harry Bolton, young mil
lionaire, with naturally fine endow-
ments of mind and heart, had for some
time pursued life which threatened to
rob him of health and of fortune.
He gambled, drank; he acted the
prohigate in a thousand ways, and all
without even that false gayety that slim
ulates many men to such courses. In
fact, from promising and excellent
young man he had become almost
prohigate. Still, much good remained
in him-so much that it was pity to
see him turn his steps toward gam
bling den, where, in all probability, he
would not only squander his money
away, but drink away his senses before
daylight
He was within some hundred feet of
the door of the saloon toward which he
was fastening when there came little
wall upon his cara cry almost like
that of an infant-and, looking down,
Harry Bolton saw upon the pavement,
close beside him, little girl not more
than five years old. She wore what
appeared to be handful of rags, and
her tiny feet and curly head were bare.
A more miserable object the moon
never looked upon, and the moan she
made touched the young mans heart
He knelt down and caught her as she
passed by.
"Stop, little one," he said. "What
brings you out this night? where do
you live and where is your mother?"
The child struggled to escape; but
when the last question came stood still
and answered with sob:
LII uSdNtD. Wdllt ~ So lIltTt.
You are on the right road, then,
this winter night; half naked and
starving, too, | fancy" said Harry to
himself. He began to question her
again.
"Where do you ive?"
~ don't know"
"Who takes care of you?'
"Nobody."
at looks like it, Have you had any
supper?"
81 don'twantsupper, want mamma"
and the child began to cry.
Harry Bolton endeavored to remem-
ber some portion of his childish educa-
ton.
"You want to go to heaven, do you?"
he asked. sit appears to me | remem-
Der being told that children who cried
never went to heaven, and am very
sure that children who not mind never
do. Remember that"
The child understood, and the effect
of this doubtful moral teaching was at
least to silence her. Then the moon
witnessed phenomenon. Harry Boil
ton, the dandy, the dashing gambler,
the man of betting books, shouldering a
ragged child and walking away with
her in the most selfpossessed fashion.
we must have some supper" he
SAID. we must not be too fashionable
under the circumstances, however,
And so saying he descended into cellar
eatlnghouse where, at the late hour,
the few guests were too much intoxica
ted to notice the singular pair, and only
the proprietor and a few of his employees
remained to he astonished
Marching down the room with perfect
sang froid, Harry Bolton perched the
child upon one of the chairs, and seated
himself at table, ordered beefsteak
and brandy and water for two. and the
order being filled, ordered his compan
ion to "go ahead" and watched to see
the mandate oheyed in vein the child
stared at the viands in astonishment,
but made no attempt to eat.
Harry RENAME ! in a puzzled conai
ton for some time, then beckoning to a
grinning waiter, made him his conf
dent in this wise
You look like family man, waiter.
10 you know any way of making
child take to its feed p
mot such feed as that, sir" replied
the waiter. "Milk and water is what
they likes, and bread and butter, or if
meat, chopped up into bits like. Bless
ye, look at her tiny teeth, SIR"
TO be sure" said Harry. "Well
cut the meat up, then bring her some
bread and butter; but milk and water
you'll make the poor thing sick,
won't you? 1t would me-"
You and her is constructed different
SIR" said the waiter.
Harry nodded.
Food being prepared to suit her appe-
tite the child ate greedily, to Harry's
satisfaction, and after surfeitins her to
her hearts content and stripping him.
self of his overcoat, wrapped the wait
in it, and started for home.
He had splendid set of bachelor