The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-07

He found the photographer easily enough,
brought from EmbeESon's rooms. IL ndu
been taken Just about a year ago. The pho-
tographer remembered it distinctly: because
the woman who brought the child broke
down crying at the finish for no reason at
all that he could make out.
Il suppose YOU know nothing of her. do
you?' asked the detective, and the photog-
rapher shook his head.
NO. but she came from a place not Tar
from here. he said, "at any rate. sent
the proofs thereto a place called Stay
bridge. about five miles away"
Detective NARROW started 2 little. stay
bridge lie was on the road 81 last. surely.
Staybridge was the PLACE to which Ere6
the working man had got out, Detective
Marrow s pulse quickened. and ten minutes
later he was walking away from Topping
toward the distant village.
1t was a not walk that day. The roads
were dusty. and he was tired when ne
reached il at last.
struggling houses and quiet shops toward
an ian. he would have TO stop. Of course;
perhaps for some days. certainly for one
night.
lie went in and had some tea. and then
set out TO look around. He was all lmpa-
tience. The thought OF the $500 stirred him.
He was remembering with a beating
heart the girl he meant to marry-thinking
that it would not be long now-when a
bend in the road brought him suddenly
upon n small cottage.
1t lay close to the road. a low wall hem
ming in its little square patch OF garden.
and a little wooden gate leading TO a
tagged path. boTdered with wailhowers and
lUpins and lavender.
He lo0keu up half carelessly. wondering
II ltmberson was lying in a cottage IKE
the sight Of a little child sitting on the
wall brought him to n standstill.
Something about her was familiar. At
first he could not tell what, and then he re-
membered 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 %pTettier.
lie 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 brigh eyes and
smiled. and somehow he felt oddly uncom-
Portable 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 1t did
not brighten her. She slipped down from
It's May" she said.
~"Ard-what is your fathers name?"
Fathers called Fed darling" she re-
piled. Cos mother said so. An he's been
away such a long time, and / didn't fink
ned ever come back
When did he come back?' he asked alb
ruptiy.
The child. all unconscious. took her
father another step nearer prison.
only the day before this day." she said.
oiii ! was = III lScN. 1 just COulOn I INK VINO
ii was. But mother knew. and she cried.
and 1t made her Her, and the doctor was
very ang'y.'
Where is your father" asked NARROW.
The child's eyes dilated a little.
He mustn't be 'sturbed," she said. Hes
VII mother and mother drefful i'll. That's
She stopped, looking up at the detective
with eyes that almost unnerved him. Per-
haps something in his face began at last to
impress itself upon her baby mind. for a
! GIl6npn nTOnn n me- tn har lin
II 'spects fathers very bovered.'' she
said, slowly.
At that instant the cottage door was
flung open and a man looked out. When he
saw Marrow he made A half movement
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
ECO.
And between them stood a child whose
mother was very ill.,
She turned delightedly.
why. there's father" she cried.
Detective NARROW took a step forward and
Emberson. suddenly making up his mind,
came down the little tagged path.
Il know who you are" he said. "hoarse-
ly. land I know Why you've come. | sup
pose it's all uD; but | couldn't help il. and
perhaps-afterward-the old man will for
give her."
He jerked his head backward.
"Have YOU guessed who she is?" he
asked. Did Mr.. Richie guess? PERHAPS
he'll take care of her when I'm shut up.
But I never meant to take the money!
should've have dreamt Of il if she hadn't
been so i'll. They say she-shes almost dy-
ing, and we had hard work TO live on the
salary MIR. Richie gave me-and / couldn't
help. it. It's saved her, perhaps. I got down
last night. and | got her everything could
all the luxuries ! could; but she doesn't
till she's we'll again. The neighbors will
look after her. and [ want you to take me
quietly, so that nobody will see. | admit
everything III admit everything to Mr..
Richie, but ] did it for her. and perhaps
when he knows she's his daughter he'll
forgive her and take the child. 1 can go.
but 1t was the thought of her dying that
made me do it,"
He broke off abruptly and turned back to
Let me wish her goodbye" he said,
huskily. You'd better come in"
He pushed open the cottage door with a
It's the end Of everything" Emberton
went on. Mr.. Ritchie trusted me for a
year, served him faithfully. and perhaps
he will remember that, for her sake. /
went 10 him on purpOSe-my wife and | ar
ranged to try to get his forgiveness in that
way If we could. 1t seemed the only way.
and it might have been all right if I had not
Deen mad at the last. but | had d telegram
saying how i'll she was and 1 could not help
it. I-I-did not stop to think,
Il went TO him a year ago. for the child's
49, - 1879 A1A I Albt EoOlls vi
but | couldn't go in my right name lest he
should recognize it. We wanted to win his
forgiveness first. 1t hasn't answered. Rut
he'll take care Of her-and the child. oh,
God knows, he surely couldn't refuse 10
take care Of her and the childi'
He faced round eagerly TO the detective,
and NARROW. suddenly. curiously weak. held
out his hand and made a bewildering re-
mark.
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. and
then they dressed the child in her Sunday
best and he caught the first train back
and took her to see her grandfather.
What he said to him 1 do not know. How
he went to work | cannot tell. but when he
went back to Staybridge the old man went
with him. And when Fred met them at the
cottage door Richie had the child in his
arms.
He looked into Fred's face and then held
out his hand.
It's half my fault" he said. IF I hadn,t
refused to see you at first-five years ago
when my daughter wanted me to-yoI
wouldn't have had the temptation. | see
now how cruel l have beenr'
Detective Marrow got married a fsu
weeks later. Mr.. Richie said he had caueb,
the thief. and persisted in giving him tbt
$500 after all.
-Tn-Bits.
his sister, Mrs. Ellsworth Griffith. and be,