The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-10-08
LOST CHILD.

EO0 WILL
Where did you find the kid, Dough
erty?"
4 didn't II found me. 1 guess its
NANNY was a-shopia', and il must have
walked out OF a store. ANYHOW / never
caught sight OF it until 1t trotted out into
the street and took hold of my hand. l
waited round long time. hopin its
nanny would come Tor il, ard then I
I brought il here
Blame me. if il amt the dsndiest
YoungSter I ever clapped eyes on put
in the sergeant as the absurd little hand
patted the silver star on the sergeant's
coat
Seems to be well logged out. too.
Air. no ordinary, everyday kid. judgin
by its Clothes
The object Of this conversation now
held up its short arms and wrinkled up
its face The tiny lips began 10 CULVER
as no move was made 70 take il
Blamed il 1 dare hold you. said
the sergeant. I'd break you somewhere
or let you drop. and then where'd you
be-"
Dcugherty took the bundle Of white
stuff anc carried il 10 the window,
where the sapphire eyes looked ont and
blinked uerritly a the pasSersby. The
sergeant shifted and blew his nose vigor-
ously. He had suddenly remembered that
many years ag9 Dougherty had lost his
three children ii some frightful acct
dent.
The plump fingers ran along the win
COW glass, and the white-hoOded head
nodded at the stream OF people that hur-
ried by But no one noticed and Dough-
erty was about to plan some new aI1use-
ment when q Weli-dresSed man caught
sight of the babys face and then, nerv-
Gus and excited, ran into the station
house
How came the child here?" he de-
manded, almost hercely, as he took the
little creature into his arms and pressed
, kisses on the dimpled fists. Il am the
chld's father Tell me quickly how came
she here"
NO. 746 found it in the middle OF the
street answered the sergeant, referring
to the register. 1T was at the corner of
S and n. in the busiest part Of the
shopping district
My God, It's a wonder she wasn't
crushed 10 death by the ears or tram
pied under horses hoofs."
There was a hurried opening of the sta
ton house door, the rustic Of silken
skirts and white-faced. trembling
woman appeared. AT sight of the man
and child she stood as if too bewildered
and paralgzed TO speak. Then the bun
die of lace and the white hood and the
small shoes began 10 Wiggle and squirm,
and in another moment the baby was
I
softly weeping. She clssped the child in
her arms, and The sergeant noticed that
Dougherty drew his rough sleeve over
his eyes and then hurriedly left the
room.
1t seemed strange, thought the ser
geant, that the mother and father OF the
child appeared so distant. He was still
more bewildered when the child ) father
lifted mis- hat and said, Shall l take
AIuriel to the carriage?" and the mother
answered, half audibly, If you viii be 50
kind
Then they thanked the sergeant for his
kindness and passed out into the sun
shine.
At the carriage door the man assisted
his wife into the vehicle and then handed
the baby to her. he nodded her head III
silent thanks. He again lifted his hat
and was soon lost in the crowd of pas
sersby
That night woman with a heavy.
sorrowful heart knelt by one side of her
babys cradle and wept bitterly
For the first time in several weeks
she had been face to face with the man
whom she had loved and married, the
man whose child she had cared for SO
tenderly with true motherly affection and
devotion.
Had she but taken the opportunity to
bid him return, but she had begged him
70 END the WFeJcheQneSS or the past
month, had her lips but obeyed the COM
mands of her heart, could she for once
have murdered her pride and extended
her hand to him, how different might
their future be,
Such thoughts few through her mind
with agonizing, torrnenting quickness.
There was no world outside her own
heavy heart Her head fell among the
down coverlets OF the cradle, and she
sobbed aloud.
She did not hear the soft step behind
her. She did not know that some one had
entered the room until an arm was about
her and a beseeching voice was say
ing:
Claire, Wife. I have returned to peg
forgiveness. Please be friends again. !
cannot exist without you. Please
Pleaset'
1T was such a silly quarrel wasn't
it, dear2" she said, struggling closer TO
him and raising her wet eyes TO MS.
And yet we were SO stubborn. J. m sure
we'll never quarrel again, and even if
we do you won't go away, win you?
And we won't wait a whole month TO
make up, will WEI"
The tiny creature in the cradle moved
The small arms reached out and clutched
at the sill1en hangings of the canopy.
Two sapphire eyes opened and looked at
the man and woman to whom the happi-
ness of renewed love had come.-Bunalo
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