The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-08-30
LOST AND FOUND.

ASoA 4AAvD 0AVAe
Mrs. Van Altine was sauntering
leisursly down one OF the boulevards
In Paris. It was q lovely spring
morning. The air was crisp and YER
dure fresh and inviting, just the
kind of q day for a stroll, and 90 the
American woman had disdained
her fashionable equipage. She had
walked all the way from her neat
and artistic temporary abiding place
in the American colony to the shop
ping district, had purchased gundry
TRIES and looked at thousands of
articles she had not bought, had fas-
cinated a number of clerks by her
dash and brilliancy until they were
ready to display for her especial bene-
ct the wealth OF the world In femi-
nine odds and ends, and now she
was making her way homeward care
free and happily conscious thatmany
covert glances were cast at her styl-
ish figure.
AT is she was q charming Girl; at
% . beautiful wife and hostess; at,
well, say 30, an irresistible widow,
perfectly satisfied to saunter al by
herself along what remained OF LIES
floral pathway. With Q more than
comfortable competence she regard
ed the future with complacency and
the past with resignation, not that
anything very tragic was interwoven
among the yesterdays. Existence
had flowed smoothly enough-a
broken engagement, o heart wrung
for q time, trip abroad, o wealthy
sutton, q fashionable wedding, apaeas-
ing honeymoon, q series OF social
triumphs, the demise Of her better
half, o brief period for mourning and
the comfortable present.
She was childless, but she had
many friends. It ID true that some
times something Lire q pang came 20
her when her mind reverted to chill
dren, and she told herself that pos
sibly q little one would not be at all
in the way, but, ON the contrary,
might give sweet solace to a few
lonely moments which caue TO her,
who, generally speaking, did not
know what loneliness was. As she
walked along with superb movement
she observed two pretty girls In
charge of o nurse. The children
were playing on the grass beneath
the shade trees with which the bou-
levard was lined, while the nurse,
who had the expressionless features
of O peasant girl, wal seated on o
bench knitting. Mrs. Van Altine
stopped impulsively.
"Oh, You dariingl' she said, and
theTeupon in her own peculiarly
graceful way began TO question the
children and COO over them just as il
abe knew all about the language Of
childhood. Near by ON another bench
was q little boy dressedin sailors at
tire, with the word captain" on his
cap. He looked forlorn, and dis
turbed, for his mouth quivered and
there we're tears in his big blue eyes.
Whats the matter, my little
mani" continued Mrs. Van Altine In
the language OF the country.
He only stared Mt her and rubbed
one of his eyes with his dirty fist.
She placed her hand ON his golden
curls In 0 caressing manner.
"Whydon't you play with the 9TH
en- childrenf'' she continued.
For answer he rubbed his other
eye with another dirty fist.
There, now, sailors don't cry re
sumed Mrs. Van Altine as she wiped
the CRIME from his face with q lace
handkerchief.
They 90 to battle and fight and
are brave. Are you my brave little
captaing"
II don't understand, " said the boy
In English, plunging both fists into
his eyes.
WHAT You speak English1 Won
are m American boyp
"Yes'm.n
"And r these your s~isters2'
Nom
Whose little boy n your
NY pes got d bank
"And what's your names"
Bobby.
Bobby whatan
Bobby Steele"
"And where are you from, Bobbyr'
oh, . big place, much bigger and
nicer than this
What d IL calledf"
Ito 60 homel"