The Mineral argus., 1884-11-13
REAps LIKE A

in B~abyhood, and Who Are Vow Re
turned to Their Friends.
From the St Louis Republican.
If walls have ears, as the adage as
serts, then pine boundaries of the May
or's Office heard the details of a most ro-
mantle story yesterday morning. A
gentleman occupying a high official po-
sition 1 the city government called at
the Mayors Office In a sad mood and
paid his adopted daughters fare from
st. Louis to some point in Arizona,
where she wa to join her own mother
of whose existence she only recently
became aware. The city official paid
the money with a sigh. and as he
received the ticket which was to be the
instrument of transporting from him
n whom he had learned to love as a
daughter, his eyes became moist and
his voice grew husky.
Commodore, the history Of hat
girls vicissitudes is a strange one"
Come inside" said Commodore
Smith, land make Sergeant McGrew
AID myself your confidantes. We have
hearts softened by constant con-
tact with misery and can at least go out
toward you in the way of sympathy"
The gentleman addressed ran the back
of his hand rapidly over his yes and
followed the pair into the sanctum sane
forum of the Chief Executive of the
city. Then the following tale was told:
In the year 1860 a happy family lived
in Maryville, Cal, a husband, wife, and
two children, both girls, one 4 and the
other 2 years of age. Suddenly it be-
came known that the father was becom-
ing addicted to drink, and it was not
long before he was a hopeless drunkard.
His wife got a divorce from him, and
the Court gave her the custody of the
two children. Shortly afterward, while
the latter we're sick with the measles,
the husband kidnapped them and took
them East, and wrote to the wife sta
ting that both the children had
died. The mother, knowing the children
were sick when torn from her side, be-
lieved the false missive, and mourned
them MS dead. Subsequently the man
came to ST. Louis with the children.
Finding that his health was failing him,
he made strenuous efforts to get his chill
dren adopted by persons in good circum-
stances. The younger child was adopt
ed by a family which moved to Erie,
Pa, and the oldest girl became a men,
Der of the family of an employee of n
of the city institutions. Since then he
has become the head of an important
department of the city government.
The child was adopted ten years ago.
The father afterward led an aimless life,
doing chores for saloons and writing
bills of fare for restaurants, in return
for which he received in the first in
stance occasional drinks and in the sec
ond occasional meals. About a year
ago he obtained free transportation from
the Mayor to Olney, Ill. Before leav-
ing for that place, however, he had an
interview with his oldest daughter, in
the course of which he confded to her
the story of her abduction, and the fact
of her mothers existence.
He obtained from her a solemn prom
Use not to repeat what he had told her
till after his death. He babe his daugh-
ter farewell, and left her forever. He
died in April last, and the daughter
in st. Louis told her adopted parents
what she knew of her antecedents. A
rich bachelor uncle in Maryville, Cal,
was written to, and it was learned in
reply that the mother had married a
wealthy judge in Arizona. A letter
was then dispatched to the mother, and
q few days ago a reply was received
from the judge, her husband, inclosing
$1G0, and asking the adopted parents to
send the girl at one to him in Arizona.
In the course of his letter the stepfath-
er says:
"You are coming, my dear daughter,
to loving hearts who have many years
mourned you as dead. On your journey
hither do not stint yourself. Take a
sleeping car, and buy everything that
will make your journey pleasant and
relieve its tediousness."
The girl has always been treated as a
member of the family by her adopted
parents, and she has received a good
education. The youngest child has
not been as fortunate in the matter of
education, and she will be sent to
school in the East before returning to
her mothers house. The adopted faith
err of the oldest girl has made her a
present of her ticket to Arizona, and
the 800 which her stepfather sent will
be used in the purchase of clothes and
other necessaries for the journey. The
adopted parents, while 10th to part with
the young girl, who had been so long
their charge, say they have too much
affection for her to stand in the way of
her social advancement.