The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1905-11-10


if she had expected to find me there.
II beg pardon, MISS" l said. Il
found the door, mean the window
open, and, being cold and hungry,
thought you wouldn't mind my coming
in and getting a snack"
/ never saw such nerve in my life.
She told me to make myself at home
and not mind her coming in at all. She
threw more clans on the fire and, 60
ing to the closet, brought out a lot of
good things [ hadn't found. She beg
ged me to go right on with my supper,
and she would join me as soon as more
CLAIMS were cooked.
I'm troubled with insomnia" she
said, land keep something to eat ready
every night. After a supper [ can go
to Sleep
The warm fire, the supper, the wine
and, above all, the cOmpaniOnship such
as had never enjoyed before made me
forget what | was, and she seemed to
forget it, too, for when / pictured my
self standing without wistfully draw
ing mental pictures of her kitchen she
almost cried. This induced me to men
ton that an Italian had told me had
been stolen when a child, but would
not tell me from whom. I told the girl
that | placed no confidence in his story.
II place great deal of confidence in
it," she said. "You belle your clothes
and occupation. You have descended
from Observation-Disclosures especially
noted for their appearance. From the
moment I saw you-when you bowed
to me at my. entrance-I recognized the
Inheritance of this feature in you. 1t
was this that enabled me to keep my
equanimity A woman fears men in
proportion as they are brutal; she in
stinctively recognizes Difference"
When I went away l had promised
her that I would do all in my power to
discover the secret of my birth In the
means employed I forgot my natural
Inheritance and yielded to my worldly
inheritance I got the man who had
given me a part Of my secret alone
where he could not escape me and held
a knife at his breast till he gave me
he would suffer death later on at the
hands Of his accomplices. Giving me
an article of underclothing with mi
tials worked on it, he told me the
names of my parents, where they lived
and all about them.
''They are rich" he said, "and you
could make the short time | have to
live comfortable. But before you find
them I shall have disappeared.''
| took the garment the man gave me
and one night went to the house of her
who had given me her confidence.
There was the dim light of Goals in the
kitchen, and the window guard had been
left open for me. | entered, sat down
before the fire and waited. She came
down in a few minutes-she had heard
me-and I told her my story showing
her the garment. She took it, examined
it carefully, and the expression on her
face was that Of one who had found a
treasure. No one had ever before re-
joiced at any good fortune that had
come to me, and could not understand
why this girl should do so.
We roasted the CLANS and ate our
supper together. When / left | had
promised to find my family and come
back to let her know the result.
Of my restoration to my father and
mother I say nothing, because | could
not describe that which was all Of feel
ing and therefore indescribable
But being restored to refined inf1u-
ences could not undo all that had been
done to ruin my life. I was twenty
two years old and could neither read
nor write My parents proposed to
hire tutors for me. but | declined I
had tutor of my own in view-at
least tutor for a beginning. For the
last time went to her house at the ac-
cuStOmed hour, crept in at the window.
and when she came down she promised
to be my goyerness. I have ever since
been her willing slave
WILLARD C. IRVING.