The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-04-03

ana Sic Fay1 him 9 qele! ett0nl
fdut1al t3ig oytE Olopeq. Gtle ~
ono swift look Into their tleES eep ~,
ana thG Uaft1fa 81 twenty 9elEs MsA
ended, 1ill taet him, eila alAlq' eee'- :
IS he Annex had Q permanent 5s1y
x last I,hay called him Hiram Ehae
S66 'hen fhe name nf Mis- Cptlon'g ben.
s6fSni6E and she had pgten said that lt
ever found Q boy from lri1pn y 'NQtllSl
IS iulpo iible 20 part aae would aQops
hin and cal him thHt e Was Pltltqi
"a - how Shr loved him. she Knew q
49, wrong. She told the police sor-
a.sont 20 WHOM no chi led her for pl1toW-
NJ nnhbly EbFAhip on the boy. But
then. s1e argued. She had gtnetal.1ed
her afIoetiOna for 70 long, ana hA9
made them spread over 70 much ground
that when the currents OF her heart
Were concentrated on any one hettiG,
th6Y oVcrtioWed and carried I'LL reason
end restraint with them.
But there was one evcr.pFesept, iIlit
nor chord ia her orchestral outhnrlt ~
naSsIon, and that was her fear that
She should lose him Hardly a day
Passed during The first year OF his
nlnptiop that Bha did not turn 70 page
i,0SS OF the Annex Register, and Rad
tha report inscribed there on the day
az hla advent into her life. "No. 1855.
Received Sept u IS. Boy. Age year.
Weight. - pounds Complexion fair.
HALF and eyes dark brown. Very pret.
". Found IN CaseY'1 alley. Adopted
by Maria Cotton. and called Hiram.
wonder, With trembling, ie any one
would ever come 10 her house looking
for 4 child answering 70 his degcrip-
don. Month after month passed. how-
ever. and Miss CbttoE's dOora were
opened 70 no VtaitorI DESTROYS of r0bhlng
her 81 her treasure, ana by degrees the
Rh1doW Of the possibility OF parting
gFeW tess. and her sense 0f secuFtty IA
hls p0sse6sion was materially strength
eTied
me 18th o. September came and went
thre times. It came q fourth time and
was uShered IN by 3 heavy, ,pelting rain
that somehow aroused Miss C0tton's
dormant fears and made her look upon
elch huTTying drop and ecuddlng mass
Of clouds nG direct menace 10 neg
E,eace o. mind. For the tlFNt time IN
many months the dAy merged into eV-
ching without having received ttH full
quota % visitors. The HFSt ones came
about O'Clock. The sergeant from The
station brought them over. There
were two Of them The tiF6t was Voc
man long past the prime Of life. with q
thin. white face, framed round with
waves OF soft. white hair, and q young
ef woman, also thin and pale. and
whose features lacked the air q refine-
iaent that characterized the elder wo-
mans countennnce.
Miss COtton'G heart leaped up. then
rank With 3 duh thud when she went
into the pRflor 70 meet stheIfl, lnfu-
lively 80 knew why they were there.
'.AIisS Cotton. preBuHie? said the
white haired lady With a smile.
Miss Cotton bowed.
'.AIy name Is Mrs Eldred. and this u
my daughter. We arc in search OF a
child, which, the police records say. was
brought here four years ago on this day
Of September. Have you such a cne2
Miss Cotton bowed again
s'EIe Il my daughters child, Mrs. Ei-
dFed went on. ''It matters NOT how ne
happened 70 be left where the policeman
found him. Sutdee 20 say inst we are
prepared to furnish abundant proof Of
the IDENTITY and good standing Of our
selves and Of our claim on the child.
The police sergeant informed Us you
had adopted him. We thank you for
the interest taken in him and are ready
10 compensate you at whatever figure
you may name. Are you following
meg"
Miss CottOn's sweet, uiotherlg face
had grown very intense and pale and
her iIpS and eyelidB tWltched sp1sn1od"
lcGlly. She did not doubt what the Voc
man had SAID. She did not doubt her
It NaE al true.
YES" she said fai3tty,
may We see the boy. pEease!s asked
Mrs Eldrcd.
her own room wher Sfte had left him
chap in her arms and with his race
pressed close TO hers and his gEnis
around her neck she carried him down
StSIrg. She walked TO the west window.
where the cloud dEmmea llght Of avens
tnT could strike them most clearly, and
stood before the two women. But sue
did not loosen the clasp Of the baby
ssThis Is the boy" she said. Il have
always been afraid would lose him
some day. used to fear some human
aFeneY most. but Is time vent on and
no one disputed my right 20 him gEeW
less aprehenslve, and ol iate nots ~
int the fenr that God might take him
MAJ tortured me. But prayed Tor him
and / hardly thought that could be pose
Eibie, / need him so much. Madam
she addressed the younger woman, Il
want NO money for what have done.
II hRB been q labor OF iove. NOT eofFptA~
sion. do not care to know why no
yyag taken from you. That - your NJ
faIr. He Is your child. and you have a
natural claim on him. but" and Miss
Cotton spoke very softly then you
h1ve never had the care Of him. l
have, You have been separated from
him for four years, and though you
have never forgotten, the wound IN
your heart has healed. But \ nave
loved him all this time, He has been
nv constant companion. You have
other children, perhRpsT The woman
nodded, Then viii you not let me Keep
my little Hiram. my bAbyg
The mother hesithted. and her CONF
panIDn took II upon herself 20 answer
"YOu are asking more than human
nature can grant" she said We had
never thought oft In that light before,
but Ne now realize that you have form
cd q strong attachment for MIN. We
ore sorry for you, but mos; that our long
search has been successful. we cannot
give UP is object Nay we take MN
now2 We wish % so away Tonight
InstinctIyely the baby understood
that there was something the matter.
Hls chcst heayed with sobs OF fright
and his arms pressed Miss Cottons
neck more tightly.
Human law, and ] suppose, divine
right, arc on your side. You may take
him, said Miss Cotton.
She sat him down In his high chair IN
the midst OF his toys and playthinss
and gathered up part OF his clOthine.
Then she pressed him to her heart ana
kissed him good bye.
Thcy bruised one soft white tlst and
made a rent In his dainty garments In
taking him from her. but the puny
strength With which he chung to the
only thing he loved was finatty exhaust
ed, and the door Of the Annex closed be-
hind him.