Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1906-09-19
THE LOVE STORY
OF NUMBER SIX.
It's Tale Of Devotion Well Rewarded.

ii Town III mOht AhLIiC -hoS-
ready was known as No. 6. The name
was particularly fitting for more rea-
= 1sons than enc. Lizzie was the youngest
child in family of six. She was the
sixth orphan who had been admitted
to the institution in the sixth year of
it's establishment. Her father was a
locomotive engineer on the Vermont
Central railway. Lizzie, the youngest
child, was six years old when he was
killed in a collisiop, and brought home
a corpse to his little one. His eldest
daughter had been keeping house since
the death of her mother, and soon after
lthe fathers demise she married sec
tion boss. The children were scattered
+ among friends and relatives. The boys
had found good homes and were all at
work earning money. Lizzie was taken
into the orphanage, of which her aunt,
IA kindly, middle-aged woman. was
matron.
Nobody objected to this arrange
ment for Miss Sanders stood very high
lin the esteem of the townspeople, who
thought it but right that the youngest
child of the dead engineer should be
cared for at the expense of the county,
Gince all the others had not become
burdens on their charity.
Number Six grew up likely girl
lamidst the orphans of the place, and
now, at the age of 16, she was quite
help to her aunt, who still continued in
charge of dhe county's waits. All who
had been there when she was toddler
were gone. The girls had sought serv-
ice with the townspeople, the boys were
at work in the fields. Lizzie was taking
upon her young shoulders the cares
which burdened the white-haired wom-
an who had been mother to her.
At this time there was not an empty
bed or cradle in the institution An
open winter, something unusual in
the rigorous climate of the Vermont
hills. had depopulated the firesides
and filed the graveyards. For years
there had not been infants in the
homes until this winter. Now there
were two, boy and girl. The for
mer was the son of the schoolmas-
ter. The girl was a poor washer
o ,woman's child. Bud, the male in
FAINT, was robust enough and thriving
as successfully among the strangers
AS he had in his mothers arms, but
Bee, the charwoman's infant daugh
ter, needed a deal of attention. This
little mite of humanity had been chris.
tened Beatrice, to the great astonish-
ment of everybody. \ washerwomali
Icalling her child Beatrice was an un
heard of thing among the plain people
of the Vermont hills. Maggie, Mary
or Annie, wagged the gossips, would
have been more suitable.
Mrs. Rossiter, the mother of little
Beatrice, came to the Green mountain
town when her child was not quite
u year old. She wore widows weeds
and informed those who asked he.
antecedents that her husband hud
died a short time ago, leaving her in
poverty. He had been good man
lshe explained, but years sickness
81 had eaten up their little Savings.
This was in the summer of the year
and few days before Christmas the
mother was called away from little
Bee, before she could indicate what
she wanted done with her child. Afte,
THE burial of Mrs. Rossiter the baby
was taken to the orphanage and
placed in charge of Miss Sanders. From
the first Lizzie Observation-Disclosures Six
took violent fancy to the little one
Bee got all the coddling and fondling
She was such wee thing; so delicate
and frail. Big blue eyes gazed wist
fully out of a thin, pale face, and there
was a sad droop to the baby's mouth
fnc 70 he
lcondition.
For time after Mrs. -Rossiter's com
hng to Water Hollow, the gossips in
Idulged in talk about the Legitimacy o.
little Bee. All doubts were set aside
however, when the public administers
tor found in an old tin box among
Mrs. Rosters effects two mar
sriage certificates. One, the latest
pronounced her the wife of Jane.
Rossiter, whom she had wed six year.
before the baby was born. The Other
sswas ten years older. 1t had beer
issued by a minister in a small tow1
'of New York. and by it the woman
had become the wife of a man named
Correll.
This was news, indeed, to the deni
zens Of Water Hollow, and they at one,
speculated what bad become of her frs
husband. BY the time they had foun.
something else to talk about Baby Be.
was forgotten. SO far as they were con
cerned.
Slowly the little girl grew. tenderl,
cared for by Number Six, who had be
come deeply attached TO her, and could
mot endure to have her out of her sight
Several opportunities presented them