The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-09-15
Agnes History.


telling only two weeks before, and now
lay sad and silent. unheeding Of the doc
tors, the nurses or even the chubby
bunch that kicked and cried beside her.
She did not seem TO remember about the
baby. Even when they held II up De-
foreher she did not realize that 1t De-
longed to her, and that if her life ended
another weaker one would be left TO fight
and face the world alone,
And so that night she died. The doctors
knew they could not save her because she
did not care 10 live.
How beautiful she must have been"
the night nurse whispered. DO you know
anything about her?''
The doctor shook his head NO" he
answered, nothing beyond the fact that
she told fortunes 10 saveherself from
death, and so brought on this last mis-
fortune, which made her wish TO die.
When 1 asked her If she had no home and
where the baby's father was she Just be-
gan to cry. You see and he took the
limp. white hand between his own, she
wears no ring"
Mo- the nurse said quickly, but she
has il here" and she drew out a little
cord that lay about the slender neck and
on it hung a plain gold wedding ring.
In the morning the question arose
W nat SNAIL We 10 with 4lri ~ -
usual thing the babies whose mothers de-
serted them in this fashion were packed
off TO the founding asylum, but doctors
as well as nurses had fallen in love with
her.
At last it was decided, and with the
wardens consent she was carried on to
ward where not a shadow OF the hateful
prison bars was left upon that small
bright face. But there arose the necessity
of a name, and little conclave was held
around her bed one morning.
1t was easy enough TO decide upon the
first name-It should be Agnes, after the
nurse who had known and loved her first
down In the prison ward, and so, with the
aid of the chaplain, she was chrlsteneo,
but when they came TO decide the second
name that was not so easy, for some WISH
ed her to keep the name her mother used.
but others, knowing it was false rebelled,
and so they let the question rest, and she
was only Agnes"
And. though she ruled them all, yet what
a good baby she was, and how bright and
pretty. with dmples in her cheeks and on
her toes and fingers, and great Greasy
bracelets around her chubby arms and
legs.
So things went on and everyone was
happy. when suddenly It dawned upon the
older ones that this could no go on Tor
ever.
One of her own special doctors finished
his term and went away and then one
Of her nurses went, and the others began
to see that in time they would all CO. and
that the hospital authorities were not ID
the habit of bringing up orphan babies IN
their wards, a fact which was emphasized
one day when the warden, who had for
l. =sIIrNa a
when she came creeping up to him and
wanted to know what the dickens that
great healthy baby was doing1n his place.
At last one of the doctors suggested that
they call a certain philathropic young
Iady whom he knew into their counsel,
and when shecame she really had some
thing to suggest.
She knew of such a nice place up town.
halt charity and halr pay, wnere they took
a limited number of babies and gave them
special, individual, and wonderful care
There was a vacancy there at present
and for a small monthly payment she
could get Agnes in-the question was,
could it be done
So Agnes moved away from her first
home and, to the disgust of her assorted
parents, seemed to rather enjoy the
change, and began to grow fatter than
ever.
At the hospital all had been well. 1t
was not hard to steal one unwelcome baby
from among so many, and none Of the au-
thorities ever knew-that is, for a good
while.
But one morning something happened.
A carriage drove into the great court, a
queer, dark man jumped out, asked for
the warden, and was closeted with him
for an hour.
Next there was a great running among
the clerks and a turning over of records
"a few blasts from thewarden, and pro-
tests from his assistants, and then at last
a certain house physician was sent for In
post haste.
And then, swiftly. clearly, sadly he was
told the story of that dark-eyed girl who
had died there so many months before,
leaving behind her no name or history,
only a little helpless child.
The swarthy stranger told this own
dark eyes burning first with anger and
then with tears.
He had known the poor young mother
years ago in-well, in an other country
and he had loved her. too.
She had meant to marry him, until one
dav a stranger came, who had won her
quite away from his old rival The
stranger had said that he was rich-very
rich, indeed-and the girls mother had
believed him and the girl-she did not
care whether ne was rich or poor, only
that he loved her.
And so at last priest came, and the
two were married, and went away to-
gether to America, and the other lover
STAYED at home and worked, and grieved,
and waited.
One day there came a letter, telling on
its blotted. blIstered pages that pitiful old
story Of a mock marriage, cruelty. neglect
and then. al last. desertion-desertion not
only Of her, but OF an unborn child
He was wealthy mamie had prosper
ed more than ever lately-and ne SAID
that he would go and find her ana oring
her back with him
For weeks he had hunted the great city
In vain, and then had found TINS crew
The girl was dead. but there was yet the
child
He must see the baby now. What was
the address?
Then at last the doctor spoke, but MS
voica was strained ard hard az he said:
eve nut her there 80 she should nave
roora love and care. and we all 20 To see
her often. We have loved her mucn. IL
YOU wish 70 see her you must come tnere
with me now. for II" and his voice
sank 50 low that they could hardly near
bfD-.I am going 10 her funeral sac
died TWO days ago."-Ex