The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1872-08-30

ana herce In their demand.
"You said first you'd take him,
ma ann, and when | went up stairs and
found he wasn't asleep on the sofa as We
said, l thought you'd TUX him. Howly
motherl it's lost he is!'
One awful, fixed, uncomprehending
stare, and then, rs the truth came home
to her, Dot fell forward in II dead faint
in my arms.
Oh, how my heart ached! and yet !
dared not stop to grieve. We carried
Dot up stairs. sent the cook down to
Harry's office, and Mary to the nearest
police station. In halt an hour the par.
Tor was full OF neighbors and friends,
whom the news of our sudden trouble
had Drought to us. In among them all
came Harry, pale and wretched, and
took Dot in his arms.
"God won't be SO cruel to us, my dar-
ling" he said.
Her dry, hot eyes seemed to cling to
and devour him.
81 don't know" she sobbed. "Dread.
full things happen in the world every
day, and He let's them"
What night that was to live through
what night to remember! A dear
friend came to us and consulted with
Harry. They agreed upon measures
for search. Everything was done that
could be done. Harry staid by and
comforted us. Sleep was not thought OF.
We walked the floor, we went listlessly
from room to room.
"Oh, if Dot could only cry" said
Harry, with streaming eyes. looked
at her. Would her heart break?
1t was dreadful risk, but worth the
chance. | went into Dots bedroom,
and, hunting about there, found little
worn velvet cap, with its shred of gold
lace and its dilapidated tassel. We had
fancied that the baby looked particu-
larly lovely in it, and had been 10th to
throw it aside.
"Dot, darling, you know you threw
down his coat and his new cap on the
bed when you decided not to take him.
He must have put them on himself.
See! here is the old cap, dear"
put it into her lap. She had been
rocking back and forth, her face in her
hands. She dropped her hands now,
gazed at the poor little chapeau, and great
sobs began to shake her.
"Oh, my baby, my baby!" she cried,
and rushing torrent OF tears swept
away the icy despair tina, had controlled
her.
1t was better after this. Dot could
talk, and her sorrow was easier to bear
when it could be put into words.
81 think Of him wandering into those
vile streets, and the poor GU cast chill.
dren crowding around him-he must
seem like an angel to them, or little
king-and perhaps one ruder than the
rest tears off his cap, and another seizes
his cloak. and he is cold, and the winter
wind blows his hair about, and he wants
mamma, and he gets hungry, and-oh,
Ruthy, how can bear it?"
Dot cries at the picture, and directly
new com binations arise.
We see him running up and down the
streets, and he grows more and more
heartbroken in his longings and hunger
for his sweet mamma.
Just in the gray of the morning the
bell rang again. 1t had been ringing
at intervals all night, and again and
again our hopes had been kindled only
to die.
Harry went down. Dot and listened
at the head Of the stairs.
ats nothing, darling" l said, with
my arm around her waist.
But Dots quicker ear, or more likely
her mother instinct, OWNED the truth
She broke from my arms with a cry anc
ran down. followed, and there wa.
the blessed baby in the arms OF strang'
young gentleman.
Those arms yielded him instantly.
How he vas kissed and cried over
What congratulations, what tumult o
thanksgiving, what tears, what sobbinI
laughter received this unwilling prodi
gal! Was it not all witnessed by tn,
handsome young stranger? who was NJ
stranger after all, but an old friend o
Harry's, called by him Jack, as familiar
ly as if he had been his brother.
1t was long, pathetic story, but tn
gist of it was that Mr.. Conway had res
cued the baby from the clutches Of
beggar, who undoubtedly meant to us
him as capital in her trade.
81 tried to find out his name," sal
Mr.. Conway. laughing; "but all | coul'
learn was that mamma was Dot an
he was Dots Baby"
} Mr.. Conway retired after being,
hope, properly thanked and refreshed.
1t was breakfast time now, but VIII
cared for breakfast2 We gathere,
around the table, however, happy
not hungry party.
"Harry, who is Jack Conway?" aske
Dot.
He is an old comrade Of mine. W
stood shoulder to shoulder at Antietar
and Gettysburg"
Shoulder to shoulder! and he fiv
feet seven, and you-seven feet five,
itY