The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1883-06-27


wrapped in my travelling shawl
The young man glanced from tn
now sleeping child to my face, an,
then | observed that he had beauti
full eyes. I'll say that for him any
how.
He opened magazine and begal
to read by the waning light, 10
night was beginning to herald its ap
proach by the gray streaks of twi
light; while | busted myself count
ing the hours which must elapse be
fore morning would dawn.
A whole night of sleeping car hor
rors before me. Oh, how intensely
did l regret that journey. l was
counting the hours, then the min
utes, before it would be morning
seven hundred and twenty. l shook
my head ruefully at the thought
when, Just then, with a kick and a
dash, the child awoke; and, shade:
of cupid what a yell it set up.
The young man laid his magazine
aside, and as he did so, l observed
that be had been holding it upside
down.
'Is the child sick, madam ?" ht
asked, respectfully.
II don't know" / blurted despair
ingly.
The baby, at that juncture, saw fl
to quit its screaming, and lay in my
lap, its great, grave eyes binding in
to my own.
The young man started suddenly
and an expression which 1 thought
rather odd flashed over his narrow
face.
How old is the child ?" he ques
toned.
81 don't know"
He looked astonished. ! determ-
ined to be imposed upon no longer.
II don't know anything about it, y
| cried, in evaporation. Il don't
know how old it is, or what it's name
is, or anything-it's not mine"
To my intense astonishment the
young man took the child in bis
own arms his sallow face grew sud-
denly pale. and ! could see that he
was tremblipgl he gazed earnestly
into the baby's blue eyes.
'Cecile!" he cried.
The baby looked up with a glad
little laugh; he strained it to his
heart. Then he turned toward me
and turning down the lapel of his
coat, displaying a shining badge, he
laid one hand on my shoulder and
said:
Il arrest you for the abduction of
this child, the only child and heir
ess of Mrs. Dufont, OF Milwaukee,
my sister. l have been on your
track for days"
Wasn't that a predicament for me,
Rosina Fairfax, deseendent of long
line of old +. +. L. s.
For time was so overwhelmed
by indignation, horror and anguish
that | was quite speechless, and sat
trembling and still. The conductor
happened to pass through the car at
that stage of affairs and paused
aghast. OF course | was certain that
everything would be explained now,
but to my horror and disgust, the
conductor seemed dubius in regard
to the matter: feared | might be an
accomplice of the woman, etc, and
advised my detention as a prisoner
until Rochester should be reached.
1t was Just when | was about TO
faint with horror and agony too
deep for words to express, that |
chanced to turn my head and saw
coming toward me down the aisle
(oh, thank Heaven , my brother-in-
law, Mr.. Arundel.
He sprang forward and caught
my hands in his own.
"Rosina," he cried, ioyfully, I'VE
were so fearful that you would dis
appoint us that my wife sent me on
to bring you home with me. Good
Heaven what is the matter?"
And there, half dead with shame
and Indignation, | poured forth my
whole miserable story.
He turned, and his eyes fell upon
the young detective.
Leslie" he cried. Harry Les
lie, how are you, my boy? You're
a pretty shrewd detective, but you've
overshot the mark this time.
And, as it turned out that the two
had been firm friends for years, of
course everything was explained
and set right in a twinkling.
The child had been stolen from its
nurse while on a public street IN
Milwaukee, but the woman who had
abducted it must have become
alarmed and decided to abandon it
at the first opportunity.
Mr.. Leslie took a return train, and
carried little Cecile home to his sis
ter, while | went on with Mr.. Arun-
del to nv destination; and the days
came and went until month had
rolled around.
"Rosina, said my Drother-in-law
one day, Harry Leslie is in town,
and I'm going to bring him home
with me this evening. He is a splen.
did fellow"
He came. and with him his sister,
Mrs. Dufont, and the child Cecile.
A reward of five thousand dollars
had been offered for the restoration
of the lost babe, and this sum Mrs.
Dufont gracefully rendered me, since
through me, Cecile had been found
but of course | refused.
A few months later she insisted on
giving me the money as a wedding
gift, on the day upon which be-
came Mrs. Harry Leslie.
| do not consider Harry ugly at
all, and his nose is not so very big,
either.
Harry declares that he fell in love
with me the first time he saw me,
even in that unprecedentedly awk- !
ward predicament.
Beaten tn Death
T-.a Tnh. Crnran