Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-12-24

much of him, but nothing would cx. 1 plain this interest ill strange child
 He himself could not have explained | 1t. He knew only that he felt it pow erfully and compellingly.
 Her name is Hope Armitage." she ! said. Her mother, who has just died,
 was widow, Mrs. Katharine Armi- ! tage. They were poor, and Mrs. Ar mitage seemed to have no relatives She had saved little enough to pay | most of her expenses at the hospital
 We all loved the woman She was very unusual and patient and charm ing. All the nurses who had any | thing to do with her cried when she died We felt that she might have | been saved if she had come in time, 1 but she was worked out She had earned her living by sewing after her | husbands death three years ago, and she kept at it day and night. She was so sweet, so brave, yet so desperately ! miserable over leaving her little girl alone in the world
 { Dr. Van Nalkenberg sat silent. It was true, then. This was Katharine's child. He had not known of the death of Armitage nor of the subsequent poverty of his widow, but he had known Katharine's baby, he now told | himself, the moment he saw her. l Well" the nurse resumed, after she died we raised small fund to buy to Chicago to her new home. Mrs. 1 Armitage has cousin there who has agreed to take her in. None of the relatives came to the funeral. There are not many of them, and the Chica- go people haven't much money, l fancy"
 1 Dr. Van Ealkenberg was hardly sur rrised Life was full of extraordinary situations, and his profession had brought him face to face with many of them. Nevertheless a deep solem- nifty filled him, and a strange peace settled over him.
 { mother and father were old friends of mine, and this thing looks like fate. Will they give her to me-these Chi cago peopie-do you think"
 Tears filled the woman's eyes.
 Indeed they will" she said, "and gladly. There was"-she hesitated- there was even some talk of sending her 10 an institution before they finally decided to take her. Dear little Hope! How happy she will be with you.' He left her and went back to the seat where Hope sat grooming to the doll. Sitting down, he gathered them both up in his arms, and a thrill shot through him as he looked at the yellow curls resting against his breast. Her child-her little helpless baby-now his child to love and care for, He was not religious man. Nevertheless a prayer rose spontaneously in his heart.
 Hope" he said gently. "once long ago I asked little girl to come and live with me, and she would not come. Now I want to ask you to come and stay with me always and be my own little girl and let me take care of you and make you happy. Will you come"
 The radiance of June sunshine broke out upon her face and shone in the brown eyes upturncd to his. How well he knew that look. Hope did not turn toward Mama, and that significant omis- sion touched him deeply. She seemed to feel that here was a question she alone must decide. She drew q long breath as she looked up at him.
 Really. truly?" she asked. Then, as he nodded without speaking, she saw something in his face that was new to her It was nothing to fright en little girl. for it was very sweet and tender, but for one second she thought her new friend was going to cry She put both arms around his neck and replied softly, with the eX- quisite maternal cadences her voice had taken on in her first words to him when she entered the car:
 I'll be your own little girl, and I'll take care of you too. You know, you said I could"
 Dr Van Valkenberg turned to the nurse.
 T shall go with you to her cousins from the train" he announced I'm ready to give them all the proofs they need that I'm 6 suitable guardian for the child. but" he added. with touch of the boyishness that had never left him. "I want this matter settled now"
 The long train pounded It's way into the station at Chicago, and pr. Van
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