The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1883-01-20
And a well-lookns woman. so one look.

THIS tuluute-UOWE mouse. I0is lOrSakel
street, and all this misery you seem part
and parcel OFF Take your baby. annie,
and come with me. You shall be lady,
child, as your mother was before you,
even if she did die in the poor-h house,
and l, hand-tied. 5000 miles away"
"But John?" gasped Annie, when
surprise would let her speak.
"And what of Johnp" cried the gold
witch. sharply. al offer you home
such as you never even dreamed of. rich
dresses, food and Jewels; has your John
given you such thingsp" Win he ever
give Il EN- to your
John is my husband. the father Of
my baby, father of the two God gave US
and took again; cannot leave him, you
know"
Il know nothing of the kind cried
the gold-witch. you are my niece, my
own sisters child; your John, whoever
he may be, is no kinsman OF mine;
want nothing of him; you say two OF
your children are dead; so will the third
one be in this reeking atmosphere; ii is
sutfocating rue already. You have no
right to kill your child, no right TO re-
fuse him chance such as he will Fever
have again. As for your John you
may send him a thousand dollars to-
night. He is a man; they are all alike;
he had rather have the money than you"
The last two arguments were strong
ones, and illness and poverty had made
Annie weak. There was more feeble
resistance. more golden promises, and at
last she yielded.
Strange and bewildered enough she
felt when the praneing horses stood be.
fore the great uptown hotel where OBJ
sequious walters stood on every hand.
Nov rest" cried the gold-witch
whose will and word seemed a law unto
others.
So she rested. The bed was white
and downy; there were laees and ribbons
huttering around it: but in spite of the
softness and whiteness, the child that
lay on her bosom wept and walled with
q low, heart-breaking cry, and at last
the baby, who up to that day had never
spoken any word or tried to speak.
opened its little quiyering lips and called
out loud and clear;
Papa papa
1t was as though the voice of God
spoke 10 the mother. She sprang from
the bed and folded her worn old shawl
around about herself and boy Close
beside the door sat the gold-wteh,
soundly sleeping. With bated breath
and noiseless steps she stole past the old
woman Down the grand stairway and
through the lofty halls she sped, looking
neither to the right hand nor to the left
She reached her home at last, dark
and dismal rs to outward surroundings,
bright with the memory of former joys,
sacred to the memory of former sorrows.
The fire was out, the hearth was dark.
moment later and glad flame leaped
and sparkled, the sleeping baby was left
to its fate while his mother converted
few boarded silver pieces that were to
have bought her dress into tea, sugar,
crackers, hot rolls. and while the fit of
recklessness was strong upon her apnt
of cranberries for old times sake.
Her shopping completed, how Annie,
as it were, flew home! How that despised
turkey was forgiven for having passed
through old Huxley's hands. and tucked
into an oven as warm and comfortable
az any heightened turkey could desire!
How the potatoes danced and tumbled
and al last absolutely burst themselves
with pride at being allowed to participates
IT. this most luxuriant repast! How the
cranberries cracked and spurted in their
loud demand for sugar! How light the
rolls were and how strong the tea!
After the dinner was well under way,
Annie had time for vigorous putting 70
rights Of the disordered room, time even
to make the baby sweet and clean, as
4,
the pretty, old -fashioned Empress cloth
that had borne with some degree OF
gentility the wear and tear of the last
four years.
So John come home to tidier wife,
sweeter baby, heater room and grander
dinner than he had dreamed of in all the
years in which he had been sliding down
hill with such discouraging rapidity.
Then Annie asked pardon for her I'M
kind reception of the brown and luscious
turkey, and received it with her pretty
head hidden on his willing shoulder,
and while in such safe retirement, man
aged to confess and receive pardon for
the mornings sins, also.
If you will believe it, those poor young
married people were SO taken up in for
giving and making love to each other
that they never heard their baby cry,
and it was great surprise when at last
they came to themselves to see their
small child in the arms of nice old
lady in a nice black dress, who was
kissing and crying over it, much as it's
grandmother or aunt might be supposed
to do.
You blessed child" said the old
lady, looking at Annie, "you are all
mother. SO you are, dear! | have been
hunting for you ever since your Uncle
Samuel died; he never would forgive
your poor mother for running away
with that scamp that abused and desert
ed her, and left her at last to die in the
poor house. Your mother was an angel,
dear, and chung to him always would
never leave him, although we offered
her home, and you, also, if she only
would All! she was blessed woman,
and you are like her, DEAR" with an
other beamiEg smile. '.You will for
give the old woman" she went on,
'for this mornings trick. / wanted to
know if you were like your father or
your mother; you cannot tell how glad
was when | heard OF you running off;
l almost strangled myself holding my
breath for you to get by me. so soft and
still. Ii you had staid I would have
given you money, Annie, and all I
promised, for you are my sisters child;
but could never have given you the
whole heart of love that is aching for
you, dear. Just then Annie threw
L. Al, 49,