The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-05-07
OLD MAIDS LOVE AFFAIR.
'oo>o>e~o.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

IfrN' .N..A M. tlNHiN .HfHHE
IN mes Btckham in New York Post: A
child crying down, In the swamp--whnt
could Il mean2 Miss. Abagall Drew
stopped, and set down the, heavy basket
OF lunch she was carrying 70 the men IN
The hayield. 1t surely was a chNd's cry
and a baby's, tool How II stirred the
chords Of her lonely, longing heart!
Miss Asagall loved children with q pas.
sInnate, 5yearnlng love; and yet It had
,,e.n years since sbc had even heard .
baby cry. Living alone with her oroth'
Or and his occasional help on that re-,
mo,c form. all social relationships, nll
rS1chborly amenities and delights were
nS,anst. entirely denied her. n npoVe
al ,binps she missed and ionged for me
s,,nrvD presence of children. she &lclt
,hnti if abe only had n child 10 care iof,
tor barren. empty life would overflow
,yith7ioy and purpose. Tht.days, nov 70
sod and meaningless, would be 80 ricn
nd blessed then! Ah!fthere Is nothing
HE the Infinite aching OF the mother-
bshrii In a childless breast.
therefore. that child.cry, floating up
from n swamp, wns heavenly music 10
hc heart OF Miss Abigail Drew. she
closped her hands and llstened, her
whole being absorbed In the aseoeia-
fjbns connected with the sound. SUD
denly her heart surged into her throat,
and she caught her breath with the
thoughl that rushed across her mind
vhntlf a baby had been left In the
swnmp d~eserted-liSy And what III she
should be the one to find It and take II
home: and, oh! what Il nobody. should
ever come to claim'it. The wistfulface
NJ 1.-THE woman paled and flushed, n
flushed and paled, in swift5suecession,
rs her heart broodcd upon this wonder
fdi5 possibility. AT length, with q little
cry that was all q prayer, she sprans
toward the swamp. leaving h basket
oflunch under the blaze OF the July
sun. .b
when she emerged from the thick, low
woods at the bottom, of the pasture, her
dress was Torn, and her face scratched
and streaming with p~erspiration,
her eyes, as she looked down upon a
bundle strained to her breast, showed
thatIife for her had suddenly been.lft.
ed'above all ordinary considerations and
conditions; ard that she was only con
scious Of walking upon such roseate air
as the old painters 1imned beneath the
feet OF their exalted Madonnas. SAflittle
face peeped out from the ragged shawl
that wrapped Miss Abigairs precious
burden. but the plaintive cry had ceased
and the blue eyes Of the little founding
were gazing up into those two springs
or limpld love" that shoIe above them.
Nathan Drew and his two hired men
were waiting patiently under the shad-,
ow of a big elm tree, when thelr
breathless provider finally arrived with
the basket OF lunch and that strange
bundle upon her left arm. It was long
past noon, and Nathan Drew was fret
ting and tuning ut his sisters unac
countable delay.
,"What in 'tarnal kept rou SO lonE?"
he demanded, as the painting woman
dropped the basket under the shadow
OF the elm tree. "And for goodness
sake, what We got in yer arms?"
W baby. Nathan?" replied his sis
ter, in n tone OF revereatial Joy. "A
poor little baby that was left in the
swamp. 1 heard 1t crying, and went to
find It, and that's what made me SO
late"
"Humph!" said Nathan Drew, takins
the covering from the basket and in
specting Its contents. What be We
goin' to do with IT."
A cloud swept across the radiant face
Of the woman. There was something
distinctly %forhlddlng In her b~rotner''s
tone and manner. Evidently, the only
question that had entered his mind
wts how to- get rid OF the unwelcome
en~cunbcance that had been left upon
his land. Their thoughts were travel
lingfin Numerically opposite direc-
tions-tbe woman's toward retaining
the child; the mans. toward dispcsing
Of It.
There was something. oftheprotectiv
cunning of love in Abigailsaevasfye an
swer to her brother. probably some
body will com along and claim 1t in
a5lIttle WHILE" she said.
Nathan Drew laughed derisively.
tThen he took o huge bite OF, OF
Ablgail's delicious chicken sandwiches.
and f: washed 1t down with a cuIp OF
warm coffee from the warm can. very
likely.'' he replied at lenuth: i.iyery
Iikely!" Then he laughed again.
Somebody dropped It accidentally in
the swamp, Ell, boys? somebodyil be
comm back, most crazy to find II, by,n'
BY
The hired men laughed sory,leIy.