The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1901-09-17

lie was remembering with beating
heart the girl he meant to marry, thinking
it would not be long now, when a bend
In the road brought him suddenly upon a
small cottage.
1t lay close to the road, a low wall
hemming in It's little square patch of gar
den and little wooden gate leading to a
tagged path, bordered with wallfowers,
and lupins and lavenders.
He looked up half carelessly, wondering
II Emerson was living in a cottage like
that, if he was in Staybridge at all, when
the sight of little child sitting on the
wall brought him to a standstill.
Something about her was familiar. at
first he could not tell what, and then he
remembered the braid on her frock and
the braid on the child in the photograph.
1t was the same dress, the same child,
only now she was older and prettier.
He stopped and went toward her. She
was such a little, thin child, and her face
was pale and delicate in spite of the
country air. She looked up at him with
bright eyes and smiled, and somehow he
felt oddly uncomfortable before her.
He hesitated before he spoke, and then
his question came with a gruff, sharp
jerk.
what is your name?" he asked.
Her round eyes searched his face. 1t
looked stern enough just then, but it did
not brighten her. She slipped down from
the wall and held out her hand.
cts May" she said.
"And-what is your fathers name"
In spite of himself NARROW hesitated.
Fathers called Fed darling" she
replied, ZOOS mother said so. And he's
been away such long time, and l didn't
fink he'd ever come back"
The detective looked down at her. Fred,
darling!
"When did he come back?' he asked
abruptly.
The child, all unconscious, took her ia
Their another step nearer prison.
"Only the day before this day." she
said, "and was s'prised. just couldn't
fink who it was. But mother knew, and
she cried, and it made her iller, and the
doctor was very ang'y."
"Where is your father" asked NARROW,
The child's eyes dilated little.
"He mustn't be 'sturbed," she said.
"He's wifi mother, and mothers drefful
ill. That's why he came back all in such
hurry"
She stopped, looking up at the detective
with eyes that almost unnerved him.
Perhaps something in his face began OF
last to impress itself upon her baby mind
for sudden droop came to her lip.
IL 'spects fathers very bovered," she
said slowly.
At that instant the cottage door was
flung open and a man looked out. When
he saw NARROW, he made a half move
ment backward and then altered his mind
and stood still.
NARROW looked at him and recognized
his man. This was Fred Emberson-the
thief. This was the man he had come to
catch. This was the man whose capture
meant $500.
And between them stood the child
whose mother was very i'll!
She turned delightedly.
"Why, there's fatherw she cried
Detective NARROW took a step forward
and Emberson, suddenly making up his
mind, came down the little tagged path.
81 know who you are" he said hoarse-
ly, "and 1 know why you've come.
suppose it's all up, but l couldn't help IT.
and perhaps-afterward- old man
will forgive her."
He jerked his head backward.
"Have you guessed who she is?" he
asked "Did MI. Richie guess? Per
haps he'll take care of her when-wher
I'm shut up. But l never meant to take
the money. shouldn't have dreamt Of it il
she hadn't been so Ill. They say she
she's almost dying, and we had hard work
to live on the salary Mr.. Richie gave me
and l couldn't help it. It's saved her
perhaps. l got down last night, and go
her everything could, all the luxuries
could, but she doesn't know l stole the
money. She mustn't know till she's wei
again. / went to him year ago for the
child's sake. My name isn't Emberson
of course, but couldn't go in my right
name lest he should recognize it. We
wanted to win his forgiveness first. Il
| hasn't answered. But he'll take care Of
her-and the child. Oh, God knows, he
surely couldn't refuse to take care of hel
and the childY
He faced round eagerly to the detective
and NARROW, suddenly, curiously weak
held out his hand and made a bewilder
ing remark.
"I'm hanged If I'll take the $780," he
said.
He has said since that he is not Of the
stuff of which a detective should be made
for he did not arrest the thief after all
Instead, he waited till the morning, ant
| then they dressed the child in her Sun
day best, and he caught the first trair
back and took her to see her grandfather
What he said to him l do not know
How he went to work l cannot tell, bu
when he went back to Staybridge the ole
man went with him. And when Free
met them at the cottage door Richie haC
| the child in his arms.
He looked into Fred's face and ther
held out his hand.
''It's half my fault" he said. "If
hadn't refused to see you at first, five
years ago, when my daughter wanted me
to, you wouldn't have had the temptation
I see now how cruel have been"
Detective NARROW got married a few
weeks later. Mr.. Richie said he hat
caught the thief and persisted in giving
him the f500 after all.-Tit- Bits.