Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1884-02-22
MY BIRTHDAY.
5A Love Story That is d Little Cut Of the
..5s, Usual Channel. N q.

VsRal 0Ntslils Al
.sS re, Mother Raynor, Jack, and 4.
were sitting Id our little .sistitIg room,
our BEST room, bna not isariog, fes moth
ter would never call the little box OF a,
room bY 50. digRshed 4 title, and for the
hundsesitil / lime they We're telling nue.
Nv hat they knew of my life. &z.@zs
Oh see, Hiraie, said mother, as 3
had always called her, n It was 4 stormy
hight and Jack had been detained ut
tide store he was cash-boy at Cotton
Il Co $ nhen----b1t just as lie was rim
3saia1s up the steps about I ocaeck he
anet a wosaan marrying dowa them.
She brushed By without speaking, and
he, when he reached the door, almost
STUN led over q basket where you lay
I'LL snuggeti up in.warm hanncls. All, but
ron were a nice baby, my dear:'
a a. PITY my mother hada' Thought sop,
/ sarcasEically observed. =&% r II
Undoubtedly youwould have Jared
better than in our humble home, - said
.jac!, grimly. 5
Why Jack you don't think I meant
saat, do you dearP'' 1 hastily asked.
ST made me feel badly to think my
own flesh and blood would abandon
rae to the trust of strangers, that's all -
] sN..That WAS seventeen years ago TO-
Il hi, sTow night meditated mother, I'M
2s4ea slsp. our cony ersation
fs55g}j Il s,k, = chimed in /, anxious to clear
she cloud from Jacks forehead; land
yoa have always calledit my birthday,
ard have always made the day so pleas
ant for me. too. Let me see"f / ratified
5on. ..you; thought I must = naye been
about a year old, and 50 I am Is to-
morrow! HAYS you made my birthday
~caae yet nlotherf'' = s.E: -
t'9es, indeed. And that reminds me
I must 60 out and see to the frosting of
it too tonight. No, you stay right
here. Watch her Jack, for she's not to
see the cake until tomorrow.
retreated before her laughing com.
rnand, and seeing how sour Jack still
looked | determined to do my very best
to make mrbehave like his own old
self again. Perching myself on the
arm Of his chair leaned over, trying
TO: catch his eye. sr T. :
''Cross, dearp'' I asked, very sweetly.
ts3 "No," he replied in q tone that said,
Eyes, decidedly so; let me alone
But was MOTTO be rehutfed.
L Slipping my arms around his neck
drew his face around towards mine.
YOU'RE sorry you didn't send me tc
the Founding Home, arn't your It's
enough to make any one cross to think
how he has been troubled for seventeen
years just because he wasso soft-heart,
ed over. a miserable little baby whose
own people didn't care about keeping
1t. Are you sorry, Jack?" .s3ETz5S4.
-, care you, Bird?''
He suddenly Strengthened up, a look
in his dark eyes I had never noticed
there before. II
''What have I to be sorry forp'' !
asked. SWasn't I thrown into the
hands Of the dearest, kindest mother
and brother a girl ever had?''
Z s'tYes dear--that is we've always
meant kindness; but still l am not your
:. brother, Bird j..
II know it, but love you just as
well, - I began, but some way under
the steady look of Jacks beautiful eyes
I could not 60 on with my usual pro-
testations Of affection, as I had always
been in the habit OF doing, and / drew
+ my arms away from about his neck.
:. :EutI don't want you to, Bird he
said slowly, and then he went on eager
g. ~: my darling,I want you to love
me just as, we'll as do you, dear.
want VOW for my very own, Tor my
wife, Bird -t
,frs Clasping me close in his strong arms
he told. me how happy I could make
him BY saying thai t loved him.
And SO strongly did he argue his
sesthat some way was completely
won overst to his way of thinking, and
before the great, birthday cake was
frosted Jack and / were engaged.
i L re accepted Jack as birthday
gift / whispered to mother as I ran
out. S$ q. Ill.,. % d! ~ h
i A radient look OF surprised Joy fairly
illumined her dear old face as she com.
pretended /. the meaning of my remark
1T has been the wish of my life, .
she whispered, kissing me softly. "Be
ready for other birthday gifts tomor
row." she:caled after me. 3. s
IA 30, happy birthdayr' I whispered
when tomorrow daWned, and /, awak
ening, remembered my promise t.
Jack. What better gift could / have
asked than the gift Of dear jacks
loveP'' @t''.s 2 t,aott%-s1 = =. ..ss ,vs.fS
Several little tokens were at my
! breakfast plate, some very expensive
too, for since Jacks pictures had be
gym to sell so well and orders poured
in faster than he could execute them hs
had begHn to be quite extravagant.
He had gratihed an ott-expressee
n wish of$mine by havinga little cameo
earring, found in the basket in which
they first found ME, set in "a ring fol
me for one Of my birthday presents
q 1t was an exquisite, clearly cut, cameo
4 and It had q decidedly antique setting
so I had always INDUCED in the hope
that3 some time, perhaps, might learr
through it who my parents were. 4,
IT had evidently dropped into th'
& basket by mistake for there was moth
S ing else about me to identity me, There
was none OF the proyerbial strawherrl
marks Or moles so often found on los
6chlldrenin stories So I had only TIL
cameo t.. connect me with the unknown
past. .s.,7s \. " SRI
So I slipped it on my finger, an,
when Jack told me to keep it for. a
engagement ring until he could pro
cure Another it became doubly dear +
me. III ss 81 /. s=+ NJ
/ Ry-and- by as soon as breakfast wa
finished, much to my surprise and dis
pointment, my lover went up TO hi
studio and remained invisible for tW,
hours Us II. 83s
He mig lit have spent my birthda,
& with mo, anyway pouted As ii plod
ded upstairs feeling ssblue' ! enough
knocked at the door of his studio
Tot inst now, dear, 4 10 bnsy. cam
m Jack 8 voice from yond the door