The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-11-19
HIS PROTEGEE WIFE.

at Jack and then at the child. They made
an odd looking couple-Jack, with his
macintosh and rubber boots, streaming
with water, and the poor. unkempt little
waif, with nothing but battered hat and
print dress, wet to the skin. Then came
volley of inquiries.
Where did you pick it up, Jaclzf'' said
one
''Huddled up in a doorway in the
square, % was the quiet rejoinder as he
took off his coat.
What is 1T" asked another.
81 don't know. Looks like a girl,
doesn t its'' replied Jack.
''Wel, if that covering is any indication
Of the sex, suppose it is, was the an
swer
Question her, =" said another.
The poor little creature was standing
where Jack had left her, apparently dazed
''What is your name. little ones'' asked
Jack.
She did not answer for a moment. but
stood shyly looking from one to the other.
Then she answered, Helen
"Helenr' said a chorus Of voices. ffThen
1t is a girl
But your other names" repeated Jack
81 has none, - was the answer.
"Whatg"
"Your mother, then2''
81 has none" And the childish voice
trembled as she spoke.
No father or motherl But with whom
do you live9'' be inquired.
Nobody The little eyes filed with
tears, W hich rolled down her cheeks and
splashed on the floor.
"There, don't cry, little girl. Nobody
IS going to harm you Tell me, where do
you sleep nights?"
The child slowly dried her eyes, looked
the crowd of interested faces over and said,
Sometimes IN the parks, in boxes or
doorway any old place. -
But what do you do in the winter
continued Jack
ooh, I sleeps centrally wild ole Mudder
Wrenn, but sometimes she puts me out
and den some Of the boys takes me home
wild dem. -
"How old are youY''
90 Bout g. 1 guess. -
Chow came you where found you TO-
nighR'
Well, didn't get no job ter do terday,
en- I didn have no money ter buy eny pa
pers wild, an it rained so hard, an I was SO
hungry an tired just laid down there. F."
Say, boys, said Jack, addressing the
crowd, haven t some Of you fellows got
luncheon with you that you can spare
something from for this ohild?"
A luncheon was forthcoming immedi-
ately and handed over to the young one,
who ate as one famished.
We'll, JACK, what are you going to do
with it5'i asked one.
Blamed if 1 know" answered Jack.
eve can e turn her out in the streets again
tonight"
why don't you take her into your
Office, make her take of that wet dress,
wrap her up in one Of your topooats and
let her stay there all night She won't be
in the way, = said another.
by the way, Alston, you have no
body but yourself to look after. Why don
you adopt the chnd?' inquired Snuhy
billings.
Anston looked at him thoughtfuuy
without speaking.
"That's a good idea, billings, spoke
up one of the editors. She might be the
lost, strayed or stolen heiress of a large
fortune. Perhaps you had better examine
her linen You are an excellent hand at
unearthing mysteries. y
The only article of wearing apparel the
child had on was the battered print dress;
SO the laugh was on Pillings
'Look here, Allston, said Brignell,
you are unmarried, making good money
and standing in a fair way to make more.
Why don't you take the child, put her in
some good boarding school, educats her
and keep strict eye on her bringing up?
You claim that most girls of the present
generation are not worth marrying, and
for the sake of few dollars that you viii
never miss you can make your own ideal
of what q woman ought to be. There is
the raw material, and if you are willing to
back your ideas here is your opportunity
In ten years time, under the proper guild
ance, that child may become one Of the
brightest women Of her sex If you are
not married by that time, marry her. She
will be a pupil of your own school ideas
and should prove a fitting mate for you
Even if you never married her, it would
have been an act OF charity to have given
tinues in her present condition, she will
either land in the river or a worse place. -
You are an optiInist, Brignell, = said
Jack. But, as you say, it would be an
act of charity, and 1 should at least have
the satisfaction of seeing what became of
my money, which is more than I could
have if I gave it to some charitable insti-
tuition. -
He was silent for a moment, during
which time one might have heard pin
drop. Then he said suddenly: ''I'H do it,
Brignell I'll take the child, educate her
and see how fate viii repay me for my
trouble !"
In a second you would have thought
bedlam was broken loose, the way the boys
cheered and congratulated Jack, who
laughingly thanked them for their good
wishes, and then, taking the child by the
hand, left the room.
He did what be had said he would
placed her in an excellent boarding school,
looked after her as if she had been his own
daughter, took her OF with him during
his vacations and, in fact, did everything
in his power to make her what he said he
would. Well it is ten years ago now since
he first took her under his wing, but it is
three years since have heard from him,
and L did not know how his find was turn
ing out until I ran across this item in The
Times 1 guess it must have been sue
cess, for the piece read:
Jack Allston Of The Times and Miss
Inez Langdon were married on the 16th.
They have gone on the continent for
brief trip
That is Jack fast enough. and that is