The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-06-22

! them. Two Iby, two they entered the
wagons and were driven away to the
houses that were to shelter them for a
season. There remained ON. the plat
form one unclaimed infant. a little
blue-eyed scrap, her toes protruding
from her shoes. her ragged hat hang
ing down between her shoulders. a for
lorn-looking kitten held tigntly In her
ar1ns.--Kit. homeless. frIendless, IN the
midst of strangers. II no one had COM
passion on her she was to stay until
the following day with the station
agent, when the lady on her return trip
would pick her up.
An undismayed by her situation Kit
her deliberations ended. she went
directly up 10 Adam, put her hand I'm
his. and said conhdingly: "I'n go wifi
you. Jenny's tired. you'd better carry
her" And bewildered Adam took the
kitten unreslstinEiy, amid the daughter
or the crowd Mtllieent watched thew
| closely; she had decided 10 take the 1T
tie one herself but now she would wait
TO see what Adam would do. Poor
\ Adam. He had no family of his own.
The Widow Wells was his housekeeper.
and she did not care for children and
disiiked cats He really wanted to take
the enid. IL was such short time. per-
haps she might be willing. "Tum.'
said the little one, impatient of his
thinking. Lets do home ESt's
hungry" This decided him, and ex-
claiming 'Ali right. baby; well. try it,
ne ltted her in his arms and turned TO
go. As he did so gratefm Kit threw
her arms around his neck. and with a
deep satisfied "Fank YOU" kissed him
fervently. to the delight OF his neigh
pors. who cheered them Justify as they
disappeared down the road.
This was too much for Millicent.
what hero he was to her Just then.
A n Sttaxr -
crowd as he did! He never could care
for that baby; she must get him to let
her have Ii. Hadn't you better get I'm
and ride. Adam?'' she asked as she
overlook him on the road. and Adam.
who was already beginning to wonder
what he should say when he met the
widow. accepted gladly. realizing that
here was real help I'm trouble. Kit
looked at her for a few moments and
then deciding that she was all right.
asked: Are you his mudder?" and
receiving a negative answer: Don't
he want you to be his mudder?" Poor
Adam He would gladly have answered
yes II ne could not have her otherwise.
but Kit followed up this question with
one to him: Does you get junk some
times?" And amid the merriment
caused by this query they arrived at
the farm. and all went In to meet the
widow. She objected seriously; she did
not so much mind the child. but she
had natural horror of cats, and could
not stand the kitten. but Kit and Jenny
could not be parted. Millicent begged
for both. and at least coaxed for the
cat. but in response to all her efforts
Kits only answer was to sidie up TO
Adam and say decidedly: Yves goin'
to stay wifi YOU" And they did stay.
During the weeks that followed the
footpath between the farms became
again well worn. Milly and Kit were
nrm friends. II was Milly who made
her new clothes. Miily with whom she
spent good portion OF each day, Milly
who curled her hair and petted her cat,
and she grew very fond of her. But
1t was Adam who had her warmest
regards cFader ADAM" as Milly had
taught her to say). and she went back
to him every night N by chance ne aid
not come for her.
Between Kit and the Widow Wells
there was no love, and the cat had been
a continual grief. At last there came a
day when Ii distinguished itself and
brought about an end of the trouble.
since the day when Adam, coming sud
denly into the kitchen, had found the
housekeeper with nervous horror on her
mounted on a chair. while
the kitten rubbed, purring, against its
legs, he had tried to keep Il out OF the
house; but the cat. like it's mistress,
knew its own mind. and its special de-
light was the kitchen hearth.
On the day In question IL lay there.
stretched at full length I'm comfort,
while Kit was playing near by. Mrs
Wells came In and stopped down to look
at some pies that were baking I'm the
oven. The kitten. with playful purr,
sprang to her shoulder and began rub
bing its head against her. In a frenzy
of fear she fiung It from her and it
q frff fnk In - xI~ - q
saucepan which was full OF boiling
water. upsetting II over itself. the wid-
ow and Kit. The 0utcries of the three
brought Adam in haste from a nearby
field. to find Mrs. Wells with a badly
scalded foot. while Kit, with one hand
wrapped In her apron, carrying the
kitten I'm the other. had start
streaming down her cheeks as she went.
First helping Mrs. Wells, whose in
jury was severe, and calling some one
to walt upon her, he started after Kit
and arrived just in time to see her
throw herself into Millicent's lap and
hear her exclaim between her sobs:
"Oh Milly! Do tum and be our mud
der! We wants you so! Adam and 7
does--please tum and take care OF us."
And dropping on the settle beside them
he found voice TO say: "Yes. do come
and take care of us. MiIly, we want you
Milly?" .f. 800
Later I'm the evening when the burns
OF Kit and the cat had been dressed
and they were both sleeping and Adam
had explained that he had rather have
her as wife than as mother. happy
Milly said to him:"You stupid old |
Adam! believe you never would have
told me IL 1t hadn't been for Kit" Then
seriously: Let's keep her always.
Adam. could not bear to think OF her
going back To that awful iife." Adam
agreed heartily. And 80 II came that
when shortly after this Adam brought
Milly home to take care of him and his.
Kit dressed In white and looking very
different from the little New York waif.
divided honors with the bride. And the
kitten. decorated with an elaborate
pink bow. stretched itself in. undispu-