The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-02-26
Copyright By the Auihor.l
CHAPTER /.

OnAT LEN Il.
A contented life is the surest path to glory and
lasting happiness.-Diogenes.
The janitor glanced at the clock aud
stretched his arm TO the entrance gate of
the "Foundlingr to close it, but on the in
slant shabby woman passed burriedly
through, and the man looked after her as
he drew the iron together with q clang.
There's another of 'em." hs said half
aloud. land of course she thinks she'll rec
oSnize the child she brought here baby
years ago. They all think so. But not one
in Q thousand"-his sentence trsiled off into
hsthing as no disappeared into has lodge.
Meanwhile the woman traversed the
wide. open space, passed under the colon
made. ant gained the inner approaches 10
the church.
She was late, and the ugly little place
of worship was crowded. So much she
gathered. ss en- sggrleved usher pushed the
principal door partly open. only TO show
glimpse of heads thickly clustered to-
gether; and with one of the side doors
that be opened. and the next. after which
he told her plainly she must worship on
one of the benches outside. for there was
no room within.
She was turning away with that strange
indifference TO the poor. to whom nothing
ever seems unexpected save happiness,
when che ran against a man In a black css-
sock. VINO was Fastening along in an Op-
posite direction. The woman muttered an
apology and would have passed on, but the
man looked at her-the quick, earnest look
of a man intensely human, and, therefore.
responding to every note of human love
and sorrow.
"You want to 90 in9" he said in the
bright. alert tone that went naturally with
his face.
There is no room. SIR"
Come this way" be said, and she fol-
lowed the slight, active figure 10 door. on
the other side or which an usher sat ma
iestically on his stool.
sharp rap caused him to descend from
tt. he opened the door little wav, eiacu-
lated, No" then caught sight of the sur
-plice, and stopped short. II beg your par
don. sir" he said; then seeing the woman,
whom he had already denied. added.
There isn't sitting room for q child"
The governors wives pew fullT queried
the man In the cassock. with a cOmical
CLEAN in his face, that flashed into light
two wide dimples in his cheeks, and far
Their accentuated one in his chm.
The wOman's eyes, If dreary. were OBJ
servant IL like bls face" she thought.
land it's govt dimples in tiff never see
ulm again b0l0k OF nlm as DlIUpIes.
Its not quite full" said the usher, re-
luctantly, but the ladies might"
Nonsense. put her there" and the cas-
sock vanished. by the Doctors ORDERS"
whispered the usher. deprecatingly, as the
shabby woman took her place among the
silks and furs that clothed the worshipers
in the pew sacred to the governors and their
belongings. The interloper needed neither
them nor their clothes; her gaze went
straight 10 where. on either side of the
Golden WI
seas OF chIldren's heads--on the right, the
boys. unpicturesque and unpretending; on
the left. the girls, quaint and charming In
their black gowns and caps and breastlets,
and aprons of snowy white.
sunny glinpses of curls showed here and
there on the babyish brows of little maids
OF five and six. set first In the place of
honor, while tier above tier behind them
rose elder children. till at point not easily
at that distance TO be discerned the brook
was crossed. and the maidens stood glanc-
ing. as If downward, on those who were
climbing up. step by step, the way that
year by year they themselves had as
cended.
Ono Of the girls wore o medal that,
through all the gloom of the church.
aught the sunlight and Rlittered like q
star. For moment it's vividness caught
the woman's eyes. but they were quickly
drawn back TO the boys side, where her
gaze roved restlessly TO and fro, fixing
themselves on nothing.
save for difference in size. looked pre-
csely similar. and plain and uninteresting
as an average crowd OF men dressed alike
usually is.
The very eyes of love could scarcely have
declphered q single face there; and there
was no love IN this woman's regard. only q
hard. fierce scrutiny that was scarcely
touched, even by that most human feeling,
curiosity.
She rose and knelt mechanically. glanced
once OF twice at the beautiful stained glass
that kept out something infinitely more
beautiful-the suDshine-looked up ct the
picture Of Jesus holding out his hand to
the little human lamb that went to him SO
gladly. looked at IL without compreheu-
sion, without love, then let her somber
gaze wander over the congregation.
Many intellectual faces, most of them
worn and ennobled by thought. were there,
many handsome ones, too, mingled their
OWN charm with the spiritual ones. and
some looked happy but were not, and
others. while Inwardly suffering looked
content: but each and all of them, to the
aundiced eyes of this woman, acted q part
md hinged q secret sorrow to its breast.
They're not really happy-no one is
happy" she thought; ''life's too hard for
every body-and why can't they be honest
about II. and not pretend"
The service had come to q close and the
sermon was at hand. Some of the smallest
of the Founding boys and girls trooped
noisily from the benches. and by ascending
stairs wended their way upwards and so
out of sight.
The W oman IDLY wondered as she watched
them GO winch child was hers.
why did come heresn she asked herself
angrily. Not because / wan ted TO see the
boy-thankful enough | was TO get RID of
HIM. and If / could swear to him, L
wouldn't He was safe TO grow mn
like his father. and Pm we'll rid of the
pair of 'om. Pve broken my solemn word.
too. by coming-and If i am q vinegar face.
I've always kept my word till now-and
for WHAT To be penned up here and made
TO listen to lot of stuff / don't
believe. and now TO cit for half an hour.
listening 10 fool who'-her eyes caught
sight of the figure rising in the pulpit
''why it's Dimplesr
She spoke the last word almost aloud.
drawing neighborIng eyes upon her, but
she did not heed them; she was gazing ct
the dark face alive with light and spirit
that seemed to be looking directly at her
from long way OF.
He won't preach death and damnstion.D
she soliloquiZed. HE looks too happy
really happy. for that. Why" she glanced
around, the very peoples faces get
brighter as they look at him; he traps them
like sunshine"
And. indeed. the sober-suited boys the
charmingly dressed girls the earnest-faced
men below. and the pretty. frivolous
women, all who came 10 be taught. ali who
came to be amused. turned their faces with
one accord 10 the slight figure that stood
there in the midst to address them.
His first words fell on the woman's ears
unheedingly, for the gravity and earnest
ness of his face decidedly contradicted her
first lIUDreRsiOn n him and she ed