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

anybody at ALTO look after him?'
Elaine Nalleau asked the question as
she looked tenderly down into a sweet
baby-face that nestled against her soft
fur cloak in most contiding manner.
Nobody, as far as we know the
matron of the hospital replied. He was
born here, and his mother died soon
after. She came here just the night
before he was born, and We never could
find out anything about her. Nobody
came 10 inquire, and the baby has been
left on our hands ever since
Poor little fellowr Elaine murmured,
softly; and she laid her cheek against
the baby's little face. He is such a
pretty boy, Mrs. JOhnsl If you don't
think there would be any trouble about
it, l think | will keep him.
No trouble at all, Miss Valleau, ,
said the matrOn, eagerly. 1T is very
good of you. and l am sure Tito is 4
lucky boy TO have found so good a
friend
The baby opened his round, dark eyes
and smiled wi at fond mothers call an
angel-smile. One little hand was thrust
out with curious uncertainty, and the
tiny fingers buried themselves in the
fur OF Elaine's cloak.
A soft baby chuckle and kicking of
the small feet accompanied this act, and
Elaine felt that curious thrill which
every true woman feels when a friend
less child is laid in her arms.
You are going to be my baby, Tito, ,
she said, kissing the little one.
And so the bargain was concluded.
Society opened its eyes when it heard
of Miss Valleau's astonishing freak.
'Awfully queer, isn't ii?' said Mrs.
Gossip to Miss Chat. But rich people
always get cranky, they say. OF course,
you know Elaine is tired of everything.
She has been everywhere and had
everything, SO that there is nothing
left TO amuse her. l suppose this baby
is merely an occupation, and she will
tire of it soon enough, L fancy
Il wonder why she doesn't marry?'
Miss Chat said, curiously. She must
have had plenty of chances
oh, haven't you heard? She was
engaged TO he married long while ago,
but the engagement was broken OFF,
and her lover married somebody else
out of spite, they say. l did hear, too,
that he was very much in love with
her, and that when the engagement
was broken he went TO the bad They
say that one time, when he had been
drinking a good deal of champagne,
some Spanish woman got hold of him
and inveigled him into marrying her.
Anyhow, he was married. and they say
Elaine Nalleau loves him STILL
So the tongue of gossip wagged; but
Elaine knew, and cared very little.
She had Tito, and he was as sweet a
baby as ever gladdened a mothers
heart.
He grew more winning every day.
He was a handsome little fellow, and
he and Elaine together made picture
at which many people stood in admira-
tion.
When Tito had learned to walk and
talk, Elaine took him everywhere with
her.
One day they were on the pier to-
geiher at Nantucket and some one saw
them. Elaine did not know that the
dark eyes of Lloyd Caruthers were fixed
upon her as she sat there under the
Shade of her lace parasol, watching
Tito with his bucketful of sand.
Bring it TO mamma, dear she said
for, in spite of everybody, she had
the child call her so. Let mamma see
what Tito has in his bucket
Lloyd Caruthers looked at the beau
tiful child with savage feeling in his
heart
That is her child!' he said to himself.
What a fool L am! l might have
known she would forget me, and yet
OF, Elainel My lost darlingl i would
give my life just this moment to kneel
al your feet and have you smile on me
as you once did
He caught his breath and turned
away quickly, for Elaine had the child
in her arms, and, quite unconscious of
her observer, was kissing him in rap
turous manner.
Caruthers would have gone away at
once, for he dreaded while he longed to
meet her. But for moment he was
quite lost to his surroundings.
His mind travelled back to the time
when he had been the accepted lover of
this girl, who was and always had been
TO him the one woman in the world.
He thought, with vain and hitter re-
gret, of the trifing quarrel that had sepa-
rated them, How wretched he had been
Bincel His miserable marriage with
IneZ Faliero must have sunk him very
low in Elaine's esteem; and now
A splash and a wild scream brought
him to his senses.
The scream came from Elaine's lips,
and In the same moment that he sprang
TO her side, he saw Tito's white dress
sink below the water that curled and
dashed around the pier.
Save him-oh, save himl' Elaine
cried, wildly.
And in her terror there came to her
no sense of recognition of the man SO
close beside her.