Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1888-02-24

'When Adele had gone out put the
crescent on, and came to find papa, for l
knew that if he saw that he would buy Us
some more wood and coal, the child
contided to me earnestly.
l hailed a cab at the conclusion of the
tale and took the child to the street and
number given me. A tall, graceful
woman of twenty-five or thereabout wei
coined us with emotion
"Why, my dear Eva" she cried, clasp
ing the child to her, where have you
Deenl / have been almost crazy with
anxiety about you"
But lust at this moment Miss Adele
caught sight of me, and drawing herself
up with dignity she waited for an ex-
PLANTATION of my presence there. Stating
the case briefly l asked her to tell me
something about the child.
81 will, sir" she said, motioning me
to be seated with grace have rarely seen
equalcd. "The sole guardianship of little
Eva fell to me strangely" she began.
81 am the daughter of clergyman, and
while teaching music in my native viii
lage in the West it happened that one
winters nj ght some years since-a night
not unlike what this promises to be-my
father and 1 were startled by means at
our windows. Investigation showed
woman and child. Both were nearly
frozen, and the woman, once In the
heated room, swooned. We summoned
physician, but she recovered conscious
ness only to lose it again until we found
that she was dying. Toward the
last the poor creature muttered wildly
and incoherently, and seemed to be
in mortal terror of punishment for
some great crime. Just at the last, how
81 n
made frantic efforts with her dying
breath to tell us all about the child; but
the most we could understand was that
Eva belonged to wealthy parents, and
that something would prove her identity.
Sewed up in the rags wrapped about the
baby girl we discovered the diamond
crescent, which is strangely engraved IN
ciphers, unintelligible to a stranger, but
no doubt significant enough to the
owners, whom we naturally suppose to
be little Evas parents, for this was evil
IDENTIFY what the poor woman meant to
convey.
''My father and I accepted the trust
thrown upon us by that mysterious death
as a commission from heaven" said Eva's
guardian angel, with a soulful smile
which disclosed rich, beautiful nature,
land we set about to find the parents.
For long time we advertised, but to no
purpose. Many replies came, but to none
of these people did our little Eva belong.
At last, after my fathers death, which
occurred three years ago, certain that
Eva's parents were not to be found in
the West, sold my property there, com
ing to New York in the hope of obtain
ing pupils here, and at the same time
good legal talent to push the work of
establishing my darling's identity. We
have not been very successful so far.
/ felt myself in a dilemma. Here was
a beautiful young woman who had evil
IDENTIFY sacrificed all her worldly goods to
what she believed a divinely appointed
mission, and for all knew had at this
moment neither money nor food, GER
tainly not fuel for the morrow's bitter
weather, for little Eva had innocently
given that fact away, and yet she would
not make moan which would give me
the cue tc her necessity, or make it pos
sible for me to offer pecuniary assistance.
What should 1 do about 1t all7
cogitated over and over again. "Retire
at once, now that the business for which
you came is ended" said the conven-
tionalities. "But you cannot leave these
two penniless and friendless in a big
city," urged the heart within me, and
the latter argument seemed the stronger
of the two, so l broke forth at last, awk-
wardly for 1 am not a man of tact any
time), but to the point. "You accepted
the care of little Eva as a commission
from Heaven when strange fate
brought her to your door, and why may
not accept the care of both of you as
my commission until something better
can be donew
The effect of this speech was simply
startling. Miss Adele flushed and turned
pale by turns, but she said, looking
straight at me, with womanly courage
flashing from her large violet eyes: "Sir,
you have been so kind to my dear little
Eva that will not believe you intend
less to me-"
God knows that do not, " I replied,
feelingly. "Pardon me, but your little
charge has give me some idea of how you
are situated; would like to befriend
you both while you need a friend"
Miss Adele searched my face long and |
earnestly to discover if perchance there
lurked some sinister motive there before !
she said: Sir, your offer is very ex-
one"
mot more so than your own course in |
yourself and all that you pos |
sessed to this child's cause"
'But that was the will of Heaven for
me, " Miss Adele said with deep serious
ness, 81 could not do less. But" she
oH6oH 40 nd