Middletown transcript., 1884-02-29

against and severely injured you.
There was nothing about you to
identify you, so we brought you home. =
"And this was a month ago. Has
no one been here ?' Did you adver'
tise P''
"No,' replied the lady. 1t was
reported in the police news, I believe,
as my husband had to pay large fine
for his carelessness, but never thought
Of advertising for your friends. /
supposed they would go to the station
and then be directed here, if you had
any in the CITY, y
" have none, y [ said bitterly. p" [
was only fondling living upon charity
all my life.
I was reckless. 1 did not think how
unnecessary it was to speak of own my
history to a stranger.
A whole month l had lain there and
no one had called.
And my pale, thin hands showed how
near to deaths door had been. AS l
lay looking at my wasted fingers | no.
ticed my ring was gone.
Hastily I inquired where it was. My
new-found acquaintance blushed and
then said:
VIII you allow my husband to talk
to you few moments ? He has your
cameo"
In few moments a tall handsome
gentleman accompanied her into the
room.
Years ago" he began, after apollo
gizing for being the cause of my illness
and congratulating me upon my
recovery, 81 had a pair of canoes
carved in this city. They were unlike
anything ever seen here. I had them
set in pair of earrings for my wife.
One night our house was robbed by a
trusted servant ; the canoes were taken
along with other valnables.'
Was anything else taken ?" asked,
sitting upright, forgetting for moment
my weak state.
The gentleman strove to control his
emotion, but his wife was silently weep
ing near the window.
+" Yes, our only child,' he replied
brokenly. "Now will you tell me how
you came by this cameo? for it is the
same. I to-day took it to the person
who carved it for me so long ago, and
he recognized it at once, although it
has been reset"
Was it seventeen years ago that
your child was stolen ?" I asked,
eagerly.
Yes; what do you know of it ?"
he questioned, hoarsely.
II know that 1 am your child
then"
After 1 had told the story so often re-
peated to me by my mother Raynor,
they were perfectly satisfied that l be-
longed to them, and their joy beggars
description.
Their story was that my father had
given his wife a necklace of diamonds,
and seeing how pleased her baby was
with it she had shaken the stones be-
fore her eyes, and at last, in a spirit of
fun, had clasped it about the child's
neck. But she did not understand the
fastening, and as her husband was
away from home and she could not get
the short chain over the child S head, she
was obliged to let the nurse put the
infant to sleep with the glittering orna-
ment about its neck. But the tempta-
tion proved too great for the nurses
cupidity, so she had taken the baby
quietly out to neighboring jeweler and
had the necklace unfastened.
The theory we, mynew-found parents
and 1, formed was, that becoming
frightened at her exploit and not daring
to try to replace the baby-I never can
realize that the baby was myself-lest
she be discovered, she concluded to
abandon it entirely.
"Now where do these people live who
have cared so kindly for you ? I must
see them,'' said my mother.
Reluctantly 1 gave the address. Jack
came straight to me after my mother
told her errand and he looked so old and
worn and haggard that for moment 1
was lost in pity for him.
Then I remembered the indelicate
remarks he had made to Miles Griffith,
and in trying to be frigidly cool / only
succeeded in crying weakly.
ooh, Jack Jack ~ sobbed, unable
to be anything but my own, impetuous
self, why did you teach me to love
you only to tire of me so soon ?''
Tirel How What do you mean,
dear 2'' he asked, taking my hands anx-
iously, as if he was afraid I was not
quite rational. And then, as L grew
calmer, had to confess how 1 had des-
cended to the contemplate business
Of caves. dropping, and what 1 had
heard.
1T was my birthday, Jack, Don't
you remember you had Griffith up in
the studio And you told him you had
made a great mistake in engaging
yourself to me, and-and he advised
you to give it up, and you said you'd
follow his advice. y
For three minutes Jack stared at me,
and then with difficulty repressing an
inclination to laugh, said
Darling, how could you believe it ?
Now listen. AS you know, my forte is
landscapes. Well, thought I'd make
one trial of portraits, so while lately I
have been entertaining you and mother
so politely in the studio l was slyly
taking 'sittings.' You know your
birthday, or the day we celebrate as