Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-10-17

q cloth over my mouth and took me off int
the woods, why, forgot the rest.''
ssTook you OFF," exclaimed the woman
s'why, thought Mr.. Balfour kept youg' -.
''Yes'm; when got sick they left me al
Mr.. Balfour's gate, and I've lived there two
years about"
A strange, perplexed look came into the
motherly face looking down on the tired
child who went to sleep with the last word
on his lips.
Then she tiptoed out Of the room into the
next, and taking a key from the wall un'
locked drawer, all the while saying to
herself: 81 wonder if it's possible; won
der if it is?"
After few moments search she took up
carefully a well-worn paper and went back
to the bedside of the little stranger.
Turning to a paragraph she read: "Lost;
little boy four years old, with brown,
curly hair and large black eyes, and bears
on his left arm just above the elbow birth
mark-a little purple anchor. His name is
Willie Vanferson, and, the only child of his
widowed mother, his absence is doubly
terrible"
81 forgot about the birth-mark," she
gasped, breathlessiy, kneelng by the couch,
and, unbuttoning the faded sleeve, rolled it
carefully above the dimpled elbow.
There, sure enough, just as described,
was a little purple anchor. s'God be
praised!" she said, while the tears rolled
down her face. ''It's Winifred's child, -
and she kissed him hungrily.
He stirred in his sleep and whispered :
Mamma" eyes, darling, you shall go to
mamma tomorrow" And she went down
stairs with great joy shining in her face.
Leonard! Leonard p she cried, joyously,
shaking the arm of the man doing in the
armchair.
''What do you say, Elsie?" he asked, rub
bling his eyes.
'sI've found Winifred's boy,' she said.
joyously, and then in an incoherent way
she told him all about the child.
Together they sought the unconscious
Willie and rejoiced over him. Far into the
night they sat by the sleeper and planned a
joyful surprise for the widowed sister.
Two days later, in the eventide, Elsie and
her husband reached little New England
village, and with Willie between them they
turned into side street and walked toward
tiny cottage nearly uncovered in vines.
There was light burning low in the little
bedroom, and peeping through the blinds
they beheld the mother kneeling by the
evidently in prayer.
SEQ to mamma" whispered Elsie Free
land between her sobs of joyful excitement,
and she pushed Willie inside the humble
door. Approaching the kneeling figure the
little child stole his arms around the bowed
neck and whispered: Mammal
A pale, weary face looked up in fearful
surprise for moment; then a CLEAN of
joy, heavenly in expression, came over the
thin face. like the light of the Throne, and,
clasping the child to her heart, she kissed
him rapturously in silent happiness, the
deepest and sweetest of all. Then raising
her streaming eyes to Heaven she said
lord, thank Thee; knew Thou wouldst
in Thine own good time send my darling
back to me.''
eyes, mamma" said the child, 81 am
your own Willie. Aunt Elsie and Uncle
Leonard brought me cause the Saviour
wanted them to; there they are"
And clasping her child to her heart she
turned to meet the happy countenances of
her brother and his wife.
MANDA L. CROKER.