The Washington critic., 1888-01-21

the parents. For long time we adj
vertised, but to no purpose. Many
replies came, but TO none Of these peo-
pie did our little Eva belong. At last,
after my fathers death, which oc-
Cured three years ago, certain that
Eva's parents were not to be found in
the West, | sold my property there,
coming to New York in the hope of
obtaining 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 q dilemma. Here
was q beautiful young woman, who
had evidently sacrificed all her
worldly goods to what she believed
divinely appointed mission, and, for
all / knew, had at this moment
neither money nor food, certainly
not fuel for the morrow's bitter
weather, for little Eva had inno-
Gently given that fact away, and yet
she would not make moan which
would give me the cue TO her ne
cessity, or make it possible for me
to offer pecuniary assistance.
What should ! do about it all2
cogitated over and over again. IRE
tire at once, now that the business for
which you came is ended" said the
conventionalities. "But you cannot
leave these two penniless and friend
less in big city," urged the heart
within me, and the latter argument
seemed the stronger of the two, 80 /
broke forth ut last, awkwardly Qor /
am not a man of tact at any time), but
to the point. You accepted the care
of little Eva as q commission from
Heaven when q 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 done?'
The effect of this speech was sim
ply startling. Miss Adele flushed and
turned pale by turns, but she said,
looking straight at me, with womanly
courage flashing from her large vio-
let 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" / re-
piled, feelingly. pardon me, but
your little charge has given me some
idea of how you are situated; would
like to befriend you both while you
need 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 extraordinary one"
mot more so than your own course
in sacrificing yourself and all that
| you possessed to this child's cause"
"But that was the will of Heaven
for me-" Miss Adele said, with deep
seriousness, ~ could not do less.
But" she added after a moment, "we
do indeed need friend"
"Do you suppose that would tres
pass longer upon your privacy were it
not SOP" l asked, earnestly, may,
trust me and you shall have no cause
to regret it ?"
Then Miss Adele spoke out like the
large-souled woman that she was, 81
will trust you, sir, for my little Eva's
| sake"
Matters proved quite as bad as !
feared. They were at the end of their
money, and no immediate prospect
for getting more opened before them.
Miss Adele, whose musical gifts had
been recognized as pre-eminent in hei
native village, had thought it would
be easy enough to secure pupils in q
great city like New York, but alas
from bitter experience she had learned
that this commercial Mecca towards
which so many young aspirants for
success turn their footsteps held but
disappointment for her.
The end of a long discussion of the
pros and cons involved resulted in
Miss Adelle's accepting assistance
from me as loan, and |, in turn,
promised her pupils from among my
friends, taking upon my shoulders
the doubtful task of coercing all the
fathers and mothers of my acquaint.
ance into giving their children over to
her training, beginning with my own
married sister. And it was fortunate
that / made my beginning there, else
it is probable that 1 should have
miserably failed in my undertaking
for my sister, Mrs. Merwin, informed
| me scornfully when laid my plar
before her, "I cannotabe thankful
enough, Tom, that am the first one
to whom you unfold your QuixotiC
scheme, for nothing could be more
ruinous to girls prospects, situated
elor like yourself going around advo
the girl, and if she is not mere adj
ventures you may count upon my
doing what can for her."
That my sister was wholly Satisfied
with Miss Adele will 60 without the
saying when | tell you that she tool
her home within the week as musica,
governess to her own children, and
personally solicited patronage for hel
among the "dear 500 friends"
In less than three months from the
day that l first discovered Eva, Mis-
Adele found herself with more worl
upon her hands than she could easily
attend to, and / found myself-bu
no, will tell you about that later
for now comes the most remarkable
part of this narrative land there il
nothing so very remarkable in thu
story of free man who is Otter
thrown into the society of good ant
beautiful woman falling in love will
herr and that which emphasizes tn,
fact that truth is stranger thar
fiction.
One day there drew up before IN,
sisters door the well-known equipagC
of one of the city's most successful
bankers, and from it alighted gen
tleman who eagerly requested to set
Miss Adele. The result of that visi
was nothing short of the restoration
Of little Eva to her parents and home
for she was proven to be the long-los
and sadly-mourned daughter of tn,
banker, stolen by former servant
the only object that could be dis
covered being to extort money for he
return. In order, probably, to rende
| the sch nna slInnnssful the child ha1