Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-12-13
THEIR BABY.

How a Burglars Reformation Began
When He Fad Planned Robbery.
Over on the west side is a house in which
lives q man who passes many sleepless mig hts.
He has tried every kind of treatment without
avail, and is forced to spend the weary hours
in reading Frequently he does not go to bed
at all, doing off occasionally in his arm
chair over prosy passage in the book he is
reading. His nervous system is SO deiIcately
organized that be is sensitive of the least
noise about the house. If he were not fear
less man his midnight vigils would often be
turned into horrible periods of unrest. But
instead, the hours of darkness have taught
him much that the ordinary mortal who
sleeps soundly can never know.
The other night be was aroused from a rev.
erie over Wordsworth's lode TO immortality"
by peculiar noise at one of the basement
windows, as if somebody was trying to open
it. He went softly to the window of the
room above that from which the sound APP
peared to come and looked out. Sure enough,
a burglar was attempting to raise the sash.
The window was fastened, and the intruder
was about to cut the glass, so as to reach In
and undo the lock The owner of the house
went to his room for a revolver, intending to
fire it and brighten the thief away. Upon
his return to the window he saw by the light
of the street lamps that the burglar had de-
sisted from his purpose, at least for the time
being, and was crouching down in the shadow
of bush in the little grass plot in front of
the house.
Looking to see what had caused o cessation
Of the burglars efforts to enter the house, he
discovered on the front stoop the form of a
woman, apparently not very Old, who was
bending over a little bundle which she had
laid on the top step. The situation was inter
esting. The man In the window gently raised
the sash without making noise enough to
disturb the woman as she bent over the little
package, or the burglar, as from behind the
clump of bushes he furtively watched the ac-
tons Of the woman on the stoop.
1t did not take long to decide what was in
the bundle nor what the woman intended to
do. If there had been any doubt 1t would
have been dispelled when she uncovered the
face of tiny sleeping babe and pressed her
lips to the innocent little face. Then she
clasped her hands, and in voice broken with
sobs and scarcely audible to the watcher in
the window or to that other one behind the
bush, said:
"Oh, God-here is my little baby. Jacks
baby and my baby, only Jack don't know
that she is his baby. Jack went away, God,
before baby came. And, dear God, don't
believe he would have gone away if he had
known baby was coming, because-just be-
cause. She is so like him, God, he couldn't
help loving her and caring for her. But
Jack is gone somewhere, | don't know where.
and he don't write TO me or seem to care for
me or baby any moro, only that he don't
know about baby, or else he would. And I
am 50 poor, dear God, can't keep baby! I
can't have her live where must / can't see
her grow up TO hat her mother and TO curse
the day she was born No, God, l don't be-
leve YOU can ask that of me. 1t wouldn't be
right. And now, dear God, l am going
10 leave my sweet little girl here
to be- taken care Of | know they
are good people and kind III this
house watched them today when beggar
went - the dior They were kind even to
him. So they viii be kind to my little baby,
because they can't help it. Ii they only look
once into her pretty blue eyes they viii love
her, God, Just as | do. Not much, for
they can't. They will love her enough to
keep her-I love her enough to give her UP.
And now, de.r God, over babvs sweet little
face, please care for her and keep her, and
don't forget Jack. Jack was good TO me
while he wa. here, and | love him even
now, when it seems as il every thing was so
black
Tue poor woman broke down completely
and turned away with one last, long kiss on
the babes puokering lips.
The man II the window saw the figure
lurking by the bush start. He thrust out his
hand with the revolver in it so that ne COW
cred the thief il De should make any move
ment toward woman or babe The woman
slowly descended the steps and walked down
the psth, passing close 10 the spot where ths
man was hidden. Suddenly he sprxug up.
'Bess.n he cried.
"Jacki1
Bees, heard you. Is il our bsbvw
"NhoSe else could it be, Jackr said the
little woman. sweetly and confusedly.
Come, Bess, Wen take her home"
Homer
"Yes."
"Where is our home jack"
'Iu make one, please God.'
And srm in arm they went away into the
night with q ht,le bundle of sunshine wrapped
lovingly within the arms Of the happiest wo-
man In the cltv that alGht.-Chlcago Times
Why He Couldn't >ea,-.
Mr.. orvilIe r. Dupp,n said the man with
the bill in loud. harsh, menacing voice.
You said you would certainly pay this il
would call this morning.
Il know | did, said the miserable man.
but my wife is out somewhere with nv
pocketbook buying me birthday present.
rhio--a N.---