The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-11-23

the pallOr of her thlns pretty tdct ' the faded stripes of her shawl and th rents of her shabby dress. She scene to shrink away from the scrutiny ( Sister ElIice's clear. gray eyes sec austereiy through her gold -rimme glasses and looked relieved when on of the younger nurses took her l charge for bath and change clothing.
 Some days later the baby came.
 tiny mite of a girl, but before an, one realized what had happened tn
 mother was dead.
 What was to be done with it? Sis ter Ellice agreed to take charge of 1
 for night or two until a declsioI could >be made.
 The night or two expanded into (
 month or two and still the baby dit
 not go. and finally 1t came to be ar
 understood thing that the baby was
 not going at all Of course 1t was
 quite unaccountable that the superin-
 tendent should have taKen such a
 fancy to that stray bit of humanity
 but 1t was fact nevertheless.
 No mother could nave been more devoted: >she lowered over it, tended 1t constantly. whispered all manner of nothings into it's pinks ears and gave 1t the name of Blossom.
 
 Blossom was nearly a year old and was Beginning to toddle about, to the great delight of Sister Ellice, who declared her to be the prettiest, sweet est and most forward child that ever lived, when a man came to the hos pital and >inquired for the superin- tendent.
 Sister Eliice met him with the usual severity of manner. He was a big. broad shouldered man, with the look of a workman in his Sunday clothes.
 T came to inquire about a woman you had here about a year ago, name of Harriet Watson; l heard she died" His voice grew husky. They told me two or three days ago when was here before and they said I must see then"
 The face under the nurses cap grew as pale as death. Had this man come for Blossom, her baby? Why hadn't they told her so that she could hide the baby where he could never find it. For once she really lost her self-pos- session.
 "who are you---her brother?" her dry lips managed to fashion.
 I'm her husband, ma'am."
 Her husband! Why, we thought she was not married"
 The man fumbled nervously with ais hat.
 T know. They told me the other lay she didn't say nothin' about bein' but we was just the same. brought the certificate"--he drew it with trembling hand from his vest show you"
 Her glasses were strangely blurred. put she managed to read that Harriet Burns and Thomas Watson had been kaN 4x.4 4ks .xfs h hnf xy hxr ! well known clergyman of the city. md then she gave 1t back to him.
 And now suppose you want your deserting your wife and eaving q stigma attached to her name ,ou come to take away the only being
 ever sloved,--' Sister Elllce with Ill her vaunted nerve and courage was 'ery close to tears.
 For Heavens sake. don't talk like hat, ma'am, but hear my story be- ore you say such hard things to me. You see when Harriet and was mar led we didn't have no great amount If money, but we managed to furnish ID a little flat and was happy as two birds In a nest until lost my job, through there bein' strike on the oad--I was a switchman--and then hings began to go wrong. l tramped he town over lookin. for work--any
 
 couldn't pick up enough ot keep oul and body together. Piece by 'iece our furniture went for food and " an by couldn't stand 1t no longer md seein' an advertisement in the 'aper for men on road out west an free, went, tellin' Har- it nd write her to come if I could nake a Twin; if not I was comin' ome. Harriet, little woman, God L H.E Eas Pa h viped his eyes with the back of his and. was very bright and cheerful nd was goin' to take in washin' or york out as a servant until she heard rom me. Well, my bad ll4k followed a few months 1 was thrown ut of work again. I wrote to Har- let, but didn't get no answer, so uess she never got my letter. Then
 got an odd job to do now and then arning barely enough to buy food and
 place to sleep, and had about made p my mind to go home when was aken with a bad case of rheumatism nd was laid up in the hospital for lonths. l was near crazy with paiA | nd sufferin' and not knowing whether Iarriet was dead or alive when my | ick changed an I saw a piece in the | aper advertisin' for one Thomas Wat | Dn, son of Joseph Watson. formerly | HbItHbylNdUid. Ncl lt OuL rat my uncle in Illinois had died and | fit me n very good farm.
 "As soon as I was well enough I | ,ok possession of 1t and then I came | hunt up Harriet. You don't know le shock. ma'am. when they told me le was dead. To think of how she | ust have struggled and then when I ad my good fortune she couldn't | iare 1t with me-" The man buried Is face in his hands and the tears ickled through his fingers.
 Sister Ellice watched him with .eming indifference. She had grown ard and bitter. Was he not going take her baby from her? The man ,emed to feel her lack of sympathy IT him. He recovered himself pres- ltly and said with hesitation:
 Perhaps you don't blan4 mo so uch now-and--I don't w5ht to put ,u to any inconvenience, but perhaps might have look at my baby" T will bring her down to you" Sis- r Eilice answered, with q coldness hich belied the wild beating of her ,art, and left the room. Blossom Id just wakened out Of a sleep and f in fin har crih fu an tho rnsInns~ |