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

peated the promise, and | still believe
nell keep his word some day"
Now, then" said Mr.. Mitchell, speak
ing softly. II want you to tell me when
your baby was bornn'
1T was cruel to take her thus by sur
prise. but Mr.. Mitchell thought himself
justified, even though he was unwill-
ing to give her pain. She looked up at
him, with horror depicted upon her
countenance, and was obliged to put
her hand over her mouth to suppress
the cry that sprang to her lips.
What do you meanY' she gasped.
Just what l said. When was your
baby born?"
"But-but-I have no baby" she
blurted out desperately.
ooh, but you have" persisted Mr..
Mitchell
Then he saw the girl in new aspect
A different side of her character was
revealed to him. She turned upon him
detiantly and exclaimed:
80 that's your game. is it? You
think you are smart. don't you? But
You can't play tricks on me. If you've
found baby. you'll have hard time
! trying to prove it's mine l tell you
haven't any"
Suppose that the infant of which
am speaking was abandoned by it's
parents:'
What of it? That happens every day
in the year. What does that prove?"
But suppose it was found in a
gfaveyard:"
In a graveyard!" she repeated and
her eyes opened wide in establishment.
Yes, in graveyard. A strange place
for baby, is it not?"
well. should say so. How did it
get there?'
Let me tell you the story. This baby
was found in graveyard without any
clothes on-not any at all, you under
stand"
"'The poor little dearv' she said
softly.
1T had been crawling among the
tombstones for several days when il
was discovered"
sBut how did it get there?"
"Ah, that is the question! We know
that it was placed there at night by a
man. We think that the man was the
child's father"
Impossible. No man could be such
monster. Somebody stole that baby
I'll bet, and then didn't know what to
do with it,"
mo. In that case he would have left
it where it would be found. This man
wished the child to die. That is why
say it was the father who wished to
get rid of the child"
But why should father wish to
kill his own childY'
Perhaps because he had not mar
ried the mo- her
| She shuldered and remained silent
| The words evidently aroused unpleas-
ant thoughts, yet her manner through
out had been such that Mr.. Mitchell was
! assured in his own mind that at least
she had no guilty knowledge of the
abandonment of the infant And, this
being true. it greatly complicated the
case, for if she We're innocent in that
respect how could she have consented
SO readily to the disappearance of her
child? This almost led him to believe
that she had spoken the truth and that.
after all. he might have been mistaken
in connecting her with the case. But
just then she noticed that he held a
handkerchief in his hand and asked:
"Why, isn't that mine?'
''Is it?' asked Mr.. Mitchell, handing
it to her.
"Why, yes" said she. See, here is
my mark in the corner mark all my
things with lily of the valley"
This decided Mr.. Mitchell He would
make supreme test, especially as
they We're approaching station where,
if they should descend to the street, he
would have but few steps to go in
order to carry out his plan
''Oh, by the way" said he, 81 would
like to get out here. Will you come
with me? will not detain you more
than few moments, and then we will
resume our conversation. | wish be-
fore we part to explain to you why
l thought you We're a mother"
She consented to go with him, and
together they walked as far as the
building wherein are the rooms of the
Metropolitan Founding society. 1t so
happened that as they went in Colonel
Payton was just coming out. He stop
ped to speak to Mr.. Mitchell, but kept
his eyes on Lillian, who modestly with
drew and stood aside.
Well Mitchell" said the colonel.
how do you prosper with your fine
notions about justice, eli? Found any
one to agree with you yet?"
II have not been looking for an ad-
vocate of my views" said Mr.. Mitchell.
Il have been summing colonel"
Stunning, Ell! ! hope you haven't
very sharp nose. But, / say, you
did not pick that up in the slums?'
he added as be cast an admiring glance
at Lillian.
THAT is exactly where l found her.
said Mr.. Mitchell. II see you are not
too old to notice pretty face"
TOO old? Well, l should say not
sir! But what you tell me seems mar
velous. Found her in the slums, eh?
Well, well. What pretty flower to
l.