The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-08-21
enough to drive saint to drink, and

enough 10 drive Il SAINT 10 QF1lK, ana
that's the truth
She wiped away tear with the hem
of her dress. which she unhesitatingly
lifted for the purpose, and Mr. Mitch
ell. fearing that her emotion would in
terrupt her narrative, brought her back
to the thread of her story by asking:
Tell me how you came to name her
Lillian Vale. Mrs. Cooper"
Truly that was a strange part of it.
| found a paper pinned to her little
shirt. and on it was written Vale. AS
l couldn't make out anything but last
name from that. | guessed that it must
be the family name, though why they
should take the trouble to tell that
when they was disownin the child was
more'n could make out But how she
came to be Lillian was the strangest
part of all. l was playin with the baby
and havin lots of fun with her, cause
she was just the cutest and prettiest
little angel you ever see, when there
comes message to tell me friend of
mine was dyin and would l come over.
Well, didn't like to leave the baby by
herself in my house, so just carried
her along with me to my friends
house. And what do you think?'
| 81 do not know. What happened
/ there?"
/ "Why, just as soon as took the ba-
] by to her bedside and showed it to her
she let out scream you could have
heard mile off. 1t was her baby!"
| "Her baby? Impossiblew
!! "That's what said when she claim
ed it, but she would have it she'd
right to know her own child, and
couldn't deny her that. So she told
me the story, and it was just another
proof of the way men treats us poor
downtrodden creatures. She was an
actress when 1 first met her. You
must know I was better off in those
days. l didn't live in no such poverty
stricken neighborhood as this. l was
in a good house in a good street, and
so was my poor friend. She used to
go off on long trips. and so 1 never
thought anything if 1 didn't hear from
her in months. L never knew that
she'd had a baby till that day when
she claimed the one thought the Lord
had sent to me, nor never had sup
posed she was married, which indeed
it turned out she wasn't. But that
day she told me the whole story-how
she'd mei rich young man who was
handsome and all that sort, of thing.
It's always that way, you know.
They've always got fine face and a
long purse, and their beauty fills our
hearts, while their presents blind our
eyes to the wrong we do. But you
know all that without my tellin it to
you. 1t seemed she'd loved this man
for three or four years. and then this
little one came. She was awfully sick,
and after weeks she was just gettin q
bit stronger when he comes to her one
7! night-that was the night before
Thanksgivin-and he says to her in 9
cold blooded way, he says, Alice. my
: girl, what'n we do with this baby
And she ups and says. as brave III
4 brass, I'll keep it. He starts at that
r and he says, But think what the WORLD
will. say!' I don't care about the
t world she answers, 80 long as yot
e love me- Then he said the bruta
s words that killed her. You mark my
words-that man killed that poor girl
b She wasn't more'n Is when he met her
s and she was only % when she died
u She paid dear for the little love HI
gave her. But must tell you what HI
4 said. He took the baby from he
. side, and he saws, Let me see the lit