The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-08-14

er WHO is worse IMAM an ass, as you
have put it,
"Don't talk to me in riddles, man."
said the colonel testify. Speak plain
IT,"
81 will do so. She is a little Bowery
singer. the daughter of unknown par
ents, who cast her adrift when an in
FAINT
"A foundling?"
"Probably; reared in the tenements
of the east side"
You don't say so? Isn't it awful,
the amount of depravity that exists in
this world? Isn't it marvellous that a
parent would abandon his own flesh
i and blood?"
Il can find no excuse for such a
course said Mr.. Mitchell, Though
there might be some palliation."
''Excuse-palliation Rubbish! You
i don't know what you are saying"
Listen 10 me. colonel. Here is a girl,
herself abandoned by her parents. Let
] us suppose a case, one that is far from
improbable. She has this heritage
/ what we may call an atrophied bump
of philoprogenitiveness. She is reared
in that maelstrom of vice and crime,
the great east side. But to return to
our smile. How would you expect this
! tender flower. this dollhouse plant, to
thrive in that environment and retain
! its purity and fragrance? 1t grows
among weeds and becomes tainted
/ with the odor of the rank blossoms
about it. Soon a child is born, child
+ whose father fails to acknowledge it.
! Suppose that the mother, finding it
burden, should abandon the child. Is
the fault entirely hers. or must the re-
sponsibility be shared by those from
/ whom she inherited the lack of mother
! ly love?'
Look here, Mr.. Mitchell, you must
/ go elsewhere with your psychological
or physiological problem, whichever
this Is have no time for speculations
of that nature. am too practical. But
/ | hope this girls story is not
"Oh, | am only giving you hypc-
thetical case" hastily interjected Mr..
Mitchell. But l say, colonel, you can
do me favor. Will you?'
what is it?"
II wish to take this young woman
up stairs and let her see that baby
found in the graveyard. | have fan
cy that She may be able to identify it,"
'Ha! You haven't forgotten that
case, Ell? Certainly. III go up with
You. | am interested in the matter.
We would like to get a clew."
He led the way, and Mr.. Mitchell
went over to Lillian. and, taking her
arm, they followed. AS they passed
through the door of the room above
Mr.. Mitchell handed Lillian chair and
asked her to wait, placing her so that
she could not see around the corner of
the shaped apartment and suspect
what was about to happen.
The matron, being summoned,
brought in the infant, wrapped in a
shawl, and tenderly placed it in Mr..
Mitchers arms. He motioned to her
and the colonel to remain behind, and,
stepping gently, he approached the
chair where he had left Lillian. Touch
ing her on the arm. he said:
II told you in the car the story Of
an infant that was found in the grave
yard. Do you remembers"
YES, said she wonderingly, her
eyes intent upon the bundle in Mr..
Mite ,els arms. He drew down the
shawl, exposing the face to view, and
sail:
This is the child. Look closely!
Have you ever seen it before?"
She gazed at it. at first with mere
curiosity. Then she bent eagerly for
ward and looked more intently. Then
the little one opened its eyes and look
ed into her face. Thus the two stared
at each other for an instant, and then
the baby stretched out it's arms and
! cooed softly:
"Mum, mum!'
With loud cry Lillian grasped the
child and, straining it to her breast ex-
claimed aloud:
My baby! My God, it is my baby!'
To be Continued