Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-08-23
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l that SLdLlOn. TO nave naQ
 1 your future in your grasp, like that one. of the Fates with the string, and then to have it snatched from you by an imp ish breeze and blown away, goodness knows where!
 I don't know just which way turned after left that station. I didn't care where I went. Nothing could think of gave me any comfort trfed to fancy myself coming home to you. I tried to see myself going down to tell the whole thing to Obermuller. But I couldn't do that. There was only one thing I wanted to say to Fred Ober- muller, and that thing I couldn't say now.
 But Nance Olden's not the girl to go round long like molting hen. There was only one chance in hundred, and that was the one I took, of course.
 Back to the square where you found the baby. Nance." I cried to myself. There's the chance that that admirable dragon has had her suspicious aroused by your connection with the baby, which she hadn't known before, and has all ready dutifully notified the sergeant. There's the chance that the baby is home by now, and the paper found by her mother will be turned over to her papa; and then it's good-by to your scheme. There's the chance that"
 But in the heart of me didn't be- lieve in any chance but one--the chance that I'd find that blessed baby and get my fingers just once more on that pre- cious paper.
 blew in the A. D. s nickel on cross town car and got back to the little square There was another organ grinder there grinding out coon songs, to which other pickaninnies danced. But nary a little white bundle of fluff caught hold of my hand. walked that square till my feet were sore. It was hot. My throat was parched. l was hungry. My head ached. was hope less. And yet just cofan.t xfyrit ppss:: I had asked so many children and nurse maids whether they'd heard of the baby lost that morning and brought back by an officer. that they began to look at me as though was not quite right in my mind The maids grabbed the chill dren if they started to come near me, and the children stared at me with big round eyes, as though they'd been told was an ogre who might eat them.
 I was hungry enough to. The little fruit stand at the entrance had fascin- ation for me. found myself there time and again. till got afraid I might actually try to get off with peach or a bunch of grapes That thought haunt ed me. Fancy Nance Olden starved and blundering into the cheapest and most easily detected species of thieving!
 I suppose great generals in their hour of defeat imagine themselves doing the feeblest, foolishest things. As l sat there on the bench. gazing before me, I saw the whole thing-Nancy Olden. after all her bragging. her skirmishing, her hairbreadth scapes and successes. arrested in broad daylight and before witnesses for having stolen a cool. wet bunch of grapes. worth a nickel. for her hot. dry. hungering throat! saw the policeman that'd do it; he looked like that Sergeant Mulhill I met way. way back in Lasmer's garden. I saw the officer that'd receive me; he had blue eyes like the detective that came for me to the Manhattan. I saw the woman jailer-oh. she was the A. D., all right. who'd receive me without the slightest emotion. show me 10 a cell and lock the door. as calm. as little triumph ant or affected. as though hadn't once outwitted that cleverest of creatures and outwitted myself in forestalling her saw
 Mag. guess what saw, No. truly: what really saw? It made me jump to my feet and grab it with 8 squeal.
 saw my own purse lying on the gravel almost at my feet. near the little fruit stand that had tempted me.
 Blank empty it was. stripped clean. not a penny left in it. not paper. not a stamp. not even my key. Just the same [ was glad to have it. IL linked me in a way to the place The clever little giTs that had stolen it had been here in this park. on this very spot. The thought of that cute young Nance Olden distracted my mind a minute from my vorry-and. oh. Maggie darlin'. I was worrying SO,
 I walked up to ,he fruit stand with the purse in my hand. The old fellow who kept it looked up with an inviting smile Lord knows. he needn't have encouraged me la buy ifI'd had a penny.
 T want to asa you" said. If you remember selling lot of good things to g little girl who had a purse this this moTutrg7-
 I showed it 10 him. and he turned it over in his crippled old hands.
 @It Ias fuil then-Or fuller. snyvzy.- I suggested
 You Eouldnt zant to get her into troubIe-that little girlz- he asked. esztiorsIy-
 laughed Not | I-myself-"
 vss going .o ssy-veII. you can imagine Ehz1 I vas going to say. and tLat didn't say 1t or anything like it
 WeIl-there she is. Kitty Wilson over yoader.- he said
 gasped- IL vzs so unexpected- Ard turned to look- There on one of the