Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1889-07-24

Tito's little. struggling form had
come up TO the surface again, and
Lloyd grasped the child as the waves
whirled him shoreward. Then reced-
ing, they caught them both, and it was
all that Lloyd conld do to hold the child
out of the water while he kept himself
a1oat.
1t was a terrible struggle. such as
none but they who have narrowly es-
capped drowning can well understand.
But Lloyd was a powerful swimmer,
and he gained slowly but surely the
shallow water along the shore.
1t was breathless moment when he
sank exhausted at Elaine's feet, with
Tito in his arms.
4 saved him for you'll he gasped; and
then the scene faded away in the mist
of Inconsistencies.
When he opened his eyes again, with
sense of awful weakness, he saw be-
side him the still, death-like form of
little Tito.
What are you doIng?' he asked, with
an effort, as he saw the welI-meant but
Intellectual efforts of the bystanders to
resuscitate the child. That is not the
wayl Take off his dress; lift his arms
up and draw them down again. Be
Quickl'
He was too much exhausted TO aid
them himself, but his orders were exc
cuted, and the little, bare arms were
promptly raised and lowered till artifi-
cial respiration was replaced by a faint,
fluttering sigh, and they knew the
child was safe.
Lloyd had not looked once at Elaine,
but his eyes were fastened on the child's
bare arm, on which there were a num-
ber of queer little spots, and one long,
red streak just above the elbow.
This seemed to fascinate him. lie
stared at it steadfastily till Elaine'S
face came between him and the child,
and she said in a low, uneven voice:
81 cannot tell how much thank you,
Lloyd. You always were a brave fel-
low.'
His eyes filed with tears when she
called him by his first name. That was
good of her. 1t was kind, too, that she
acknowledged. by her praise, their pre-
vious acquaintance.
81 did 1t for you, he said, husklly.
1T was nothing. 1 am very glad.
Il think you would have done it for
any one-for the child's own sake she
said, gently.
And she took Tito up in her arms,
for the child was all right now, and
feeling wet and uncomfortable, he had
begun to cry.
L will see you again. she said; and
Lioyd's heart bounded.
He got up with an effort and stood
there very wet and draggled beside her.
II am going away he said, in a
low tone. Il don t think I'd better stay
any longer.
Elaine's eyes fell.
Just as you think, she said.
But there is one thing 1 want to
ask, > Lloyd continued, How did that
child get those marks on his arm?'
Oh Elaine answered readily, that
Is nothing. He was born with those.
But you ought not to stand here, wet
as you are, and Tito
L am going,' he said hurriedly.
''Good-byi'
She held out her hand very frankly
Thank you,' she said with real
warmth, and her eyes were quite misty.
You saved Tito's lite, and love him
very dearly. l shall not FORGET it.
Lloyl could not speak. lie simply
crushed the small hand she gave him
in fervent grasp and hurried away.
The next day he had left Nantucket,
and Tito watched his pretty mamma
with wide, curious eyes.
Don't cry, mamma, he lisped. Tito
loves 700. Don't cry
But Elaine's tears would fall, and
her heart ached sadly.
Il thought L had ceased to care so
much for him. she said, in despair,
but it is of no use. L shall love him
always, and yet have no right to love
. Il SC ,F
help 1t! Oh, Lloyd, Lloyd, why did
you ever leave mep'
From that day, somehow, Nantucket
ceased to please her, and she went
home. 1t was several weeks later that
she had note from the matron of the
hospital whence she had taken Tito:
MY DEAR Miss VALLEAU," Mrs
Johns wrote, II most extraordinary
thing has happened. Tito's father has
turned up. and has been here luquiring
for him. In the first place, very
strange mistake has happened. You
know we have a great many babies
here at one time-sometimes as many
as fifty-and it often happens that in
bathing the babies, as we do bathe
them, in patches, they get mixed up,
and we can't tell which is which. Tue
mothers nave TO help US out.
But, If you will remember, Tito had
no mother, and there was at the same
time another baby here who was an
orphan. One of these babies was the
child Of poor, friendless woman, and
the other belonged to a gentleman of
means who had lost his wife, and who
had paid US to have this child properly
cared for.
To
several years, and has just returned,
intending to take this child away. But
when he came to get his child, it ap-
pears that the child was not here. The
baby we had supposed was his was the
child Of a poor woman. He knew it
was not his, because his own child had
some peculiar birthmarks on one arm.
You can easily understand how [ felt
when found that our nurses had been
SO careless. Tito is this gentleman's
child, and l am afraid you Will have to
give him up
Elaine let the note fall and burst into
tears.
1t is always that way she said
everything 1 love Is taken from me-
With feeling of utter despair, she
flung herself on the couch and lay there
till a servant came to announce that
there was gentleman in the parlor to
see her.
Elaine went down with a sinking
heart Her visitor was standing in the
middle of the room, and she saw, with
a strange fiuttering of the heart, that It
was Lloyd Caruthers.
He came forward with a feverish
manner as she stood still in surprise,
nd ha -
her:
sEIaine do vnn knnrr fhat Il Ia nv