Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-20
SeymOur=LOftis

But at last it all ended and the ladies left the dining
ro0nl one almost as hungry WREN she entered
Later on 1t developed that Mr. Sevmour-I otis
though lacking Mr.. Mclntyres excuse OF running on
,.. tne roau was also gentleman given to being out
over hienb, ana ne did not appear through the long
hours which followed, while his worthy wife weariv
brought forth albums of European views in vain
endeayor to anuse her guest till bedtime
will the baby sleep with its ma toniebt7p IN,
maid asked when she came to bear the child away
after dinner, but poor Mrs McIntvre greeted III. s,a
gestion with such evident panied surprise that her
hostess had wearily shaken her head; but now when
this maid later on had attended the lady from James
Vile to lrer room and had left her unaccusomed and
canoped bed the poor felt that perhaps after
all, the childs presence might not have been Nso in
toerable as this great silence which she was left TO
suffer, i'll state, alone.
She longed for the morning; only to dread it more
tearfully when she remembered the ordeal of breot
last to come-the butler again with his terrifying adj
nistration of different plates tire baby in fresh ncrv
and the ostess in another bewidering display of per-
Tuned silks and laces--noi She could notl,
The dawn found her firm in a mighty resolve She
dressed hurriedy and the dainty little escritoire which
stood in the light of the lace-draped bay-window,
yielded pencil and paper to her feverish Investigation
She wrote this note and pinned it to the cushion on
tire dressing table
DEAR FRIEND: / am leaving on the first train for
home. | coodent take this child nohow Bill and me
are just plane people which ashame to say and
the baby is prinscss coodcnt do nothn for her we
live most to our kitchin, and aint got fine things
we cant ask SO grand babby to eat and sleep with
all" '''
With guilty caution the woman, carrying her little
grip then slipped through the rails No one was
stirling She wondered wildly how she might manage
to unbar strange door i'll that heavy silence with
out alarming the sleeping household; but her un-
whiting host had conferred unconscousy his guest
a most appreciated and unooked-for favor. His own
night run had put him in state of most careless
indifference to locks and bolts and entering his home
in the early morning hours, he had left the
door ajar
Mrs Mcintyre breahed fervent thanks to heaven
the blessed rush of cold outdoor air enveoped her
feversh body and stimulated her in the long walk
the station, which she finally reached, exhausted but
relieved, through the kind direction of the early milk
men whom she met upon their routes
In the meantime the maid, in making her round OF
morning calls at the bedrooms, received
from the guests to her persistent knock and
entering she found the room empty and the note OF
explanation on the cushion.
She read the nervous scrawl and shifted, then she
took it her friend the paror maid, and tlrey both
now in all probability would keep the child herself
and they both agreed to give prompt notice if she did
Having thus sffd this s Tfg sn ea1ed tho the
her mistress, whom she found dressing lazy in her
Mrs Sevmour-L Lofts read the contents twice, then
looked up suddenly and caught the sneer on her
Leave the roomp she said sharply and the maid
obeved wonderingly conscious that the voice of her
selfcontained mistress choked with some emotion
other than a sudden wrath
The buter shortly brought her order below
stairs to give the child its breakfast and dress it with
out delay in the clothes which it had worn from
the asylum The mistress wished these details exactly
carried out even to the underclohes and the brading
of tire hair Also he vouchsafed some added .norma
ton to the entire force OF servants that curously
enough by this time had account of the whole story of
the night guest and her fight He said their mistress
was now at hasy breakfast and the carriage had been
ordered but for what destination he knew not 1t
seemed to him she might take things more peaceable
and not be in such foolish hurry to pack the child
back where it from, at once.
When the maid appeared with the forlornly dressed
baby before Mrs Seymour Lofts, she carried the
childs new handsome coat and bonnet upon
"Beg pardon, ma'am, but the morning is cold" she
said apologetcally The child came without wrap
and her old straw hats been thrown away and can't
be found. Would these things do for her to wear
out?"
Her mistress smiled curiousy
Put them her; are going at once. l shall
not need you with me-, was all she said
A carefully consulted time table had revealed the
fact that she had full hour before that first train
left for GAINESVILLE Arriving at the station she led
the child into the large and almost empty waiting
and she easily sighted Mrs MRS. Mcintyre at once That
seated on a high stool beside the refreshmen counter
busiy fortifying her shattered nerves with stimu
lating cup of coffee.
Mrs Seymour-L Lofts drew near and, with the child
upon her knees, sat waiting
Mrs Mcintyre finished her repast She paid her
check and turned to 60 then she saw the two directly
in her patllthe fashionable woman she lrad learned
to dread and the child brave in its fnery of silken
coat and nodding plumes
For one wild moment she considered second flight
but something perhaps guilty consciousness that she
had after all but poorly repaid and acknowledged the
disinterested kindness of the lady who stood before
her prompted her to wait and stammer in apology:
Il cpodent do no different Look at me, ma'am. and
look at her. My Ct course It os aGod rad meyer bs d
united the chds gay bonnet strings; she oosened the
fastenings of the pretty wrap and all in moment the
child stood stripped of her inery. like modern Gin
derella.
Mrs Mcintyre stared at the forlorn little creature
and then sudden light of understanding shone in
her eyes
The other woman spoke with feeling
Mrs Mcintyre she said 81 am very foolish
woman and | have made a great mistake.
When | bought tire child those silly things / only
thought to please you and make her attractive