Weekly commercial herald., 1886-02-26

"Tou are very complimentary, Boode5
said, blushing little; ''much more than
deserve, I'm sure. The fellows" laughing
at the remembrance, ''were much less merci-
full Then about the child. Dawson sug-
gests sending it to the police station, the
colonel to tho workhouse; and one means the
other, OF course"
Mrs Gray caught the child to her breast
with cry Of iismay, and Bootles went on;
"Ys, | feel as yol do about it. Icant
do it, and that's all about it. 1t would be
on my conscience all my life Besides, some
day the mother might come back for 1t, and
though, of course, as the colonel saws, there
is no claim upon me, yet if for the sake Of a
few pounds had turned the poor little beg
gar adTift, ruined its ife-why | simply
couldn't face her, and that's all about it.
And besides that, Mrs Gray have lurk.
ing suspicion that the letter is genuine, and
that it was not written to or intended for
me. 1t reads to me like the letter Of a
woman who was desperate"
"Yes, woman must havs been desperate
indeed to willingly part with such child as
that, said Mrs Gray smoothing the gold
baby curls
$50 think, for nlt1re is nature all tho
world over" Bootles answered "And be-
Eides, to tell you the honest truth, there is a
resemblance in the child to some one l
knew once"
''YesP' eagerly
'Oh no, not thai! She is dead She was
engaged to fellow l knew, desperately
fond Of him, and he-jilte1 her,
''Mr. KerrF
Bottles stared. ''Who told your
"He told me himself, l think to ease his
mind" she answered, quietly.
"Ahl Well, it killed her. She died
heart-broken. / saw her" he said, rising
and going to the window, whence he stood
staring out over the square, "a few hours
after she died. That child's mother may
look like that now, and / CAM and won't
turn it adrift, whatever the fellows or any
one else chooses to think or say, and that's
all about it.
Two bright tears gathered in Mrs. Grays
eyes, and falling, fell upon the baby's curls
of gold, two priceless diamonds from the
rnfathomable and exhaustless mines Of pity.
For a moment or two there was silence,
broken at last by the childs laugh as a ray
of sickly winter sunshine fell upon the gilt
tering chain in its little hands. The sount
recovered Bootle5, who turned from tn
window.
'sAnd SO, Mrs. Gray, he said, carefully
avoiding the gaze of her wet eyes, 81 hav
determined to keep the little beggar; bu
Hardness, who's no fool, you know, has con
WINGED me that it wont do to trust to any OF
the barracZ women to look after her There
fore, if you Won'C mind undertaking it for q
few days, will advertise for a respectable
elderly nurse to take entire charge Of ths
creature. dare say can arrange with
Smithers for an extra room, and you'll let
me come to you for advice now and then,
won't your
Mrs. Gray rose and went close to him, lay
ing her hand upon his arm. capt Fer
rers,n she said, earnestly, ''you will have
your reward God will bless you for this. "
"Oh, please don't, Mrs. Gray" Bootles
stammerei. Really, I'd rather you'd chat
me-"
Mrs. Gray laughed outright. "Well, you
know what my sentiments are, so for tn;
future will chaff you numerically. Cone
in,n she added, in louder tone, as tap
tap sounded on the door.
The permission was followed by the en-
trance Of Lacy who came in with q pleasant
"Good-er-morning," and soft laugh a
the sight of the baby on the sofa
'T-er-thought old Bootles would b
here" be explained. And besides-I-er-
wanted to soc the babay Seems to me
Bootles, he added, staring with an absur,
air Of reflective wisdom at the infant, ''as i
the face is somehow familiar to ma Oh,
don't mean you. Il isn't bit like you. Blu
there 5 liknes5, though don't know whert
70 MA ST iLn