The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1908-12-23

fathers. mothers and doting uncles re
sponded at once. Dressing eases were
unlocked, great yalises were opened,
mysterious bundles were unwrapped,
and from all these sources came gifts
of surprising fitness.
succession OF long drawn. eestatle
breaths and happy gurgles awolSe the
passengers on the ear Florodora Mt an
unseemly hour Christmas morning. and
Il small white figure, clad Informally
In single garment, danced up and
down the aisle. dragging carts aud
woolly lambs behind It, Occasionally
there was the squeak OF n talking doll,
and always there We're the patter of
small feet and soft cooling of IL ehild'a
laughter. Dawn was Just approach.
ing. and the lamps. still burning, ilared
pale In the gray light hut IN the
length of that car there was no soul
SO base as TO long for silence and the
pillow Grabbed old faces looked out
between the curtains and smiled Eyes
long unused to tears felt a sudden,
strange moisture.
Throughout the day the snow still
fell. and the outside world seemed far
away and dreamllke TO Dr, Van Val
kenberg. The real things were this
train, cutting its way through the
SNOW, and this little child, growing
deeper into his heart with each mo-
ment that passed The situation was
unique. but easy enough TO understand
l. f,.I1 In It
back twenty-five years To that other
child whom he had pcttcd In infancy
and loved and lost In womanhood. lie
had been very lonely-how lonely he
had only recently begun 10 realize-and
he WAS becoming an old man whose
life lay behind him. lie crossed the
aisle suddenly and sat down beside
the nurse. leaving Hope singing her
doll to sleep In his section.
aWill you tell me all you know
about the childi" he asked "Shc ap.
peals to me very strongly, probably be
cause she's so much Hike some one |
used to know"
The nurse closed her book aud look
ell nj him curlously. She had heard
much of him, but nothing would ex-
plain This interest IN strange child.
lie himself could not have explained
It. He knew only that he felt It pow
erfully and compelllngly
''IIcr name Is Hope Armltaee." she
said. Her mother, who has just died,
was widow, Mrs. katharine Armi-
tagc. They were poor, aud Mrs Ar.
mitage seemed TO have no relatives.
She had saved n little enough TO pay
most OF her expenses nj the hospital.
We all loved the womal 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,
but she was worked out. She had
earned her living by sewing after her
husbands death three years ago, and
She kept ut 1t day md night. She WIS
so sweet, 50 brave, yet 80 desperately
miserable over leaving her little girl
alone fin the world.
Or. Van Valkenberg sat silent, 1t
was true, then. This was Katharlne's
child. lie had not known of the death
Of Armltage nor OF the subsequent
poverty Of his widow, but he had
known Katharine's baby, he now told
himself, the moment he saw her.
We'll" the nurse resumed, after
she died we raised small fund to buy
some clothes for Hope and take her
to Chicago to her new home. Mrs.
Armitage has II 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 Cliea-
go people haven't much money, /
fancy"
DR. Van Valkenberg was hardly sur
prised. Life was full Of extraordinary
situations. and his profession had
brought him face to face with many
Of them. Nevertheless n deep solcrn-
settled over him
II want her." he said briefly. "Ier
mother and father were old friends of
mine. and this thing looks like fate.
WIN they give her to ma-these Chi
sago people-do you Think
Tears filed the womans eyes.
Indeed they WILL" she said, land
gladly. There was"-she hesItated--
there was even some talk of sending
her to an institution before they finally
decided to take her Deay little Hope
How happy she will be with your
He left her and went back 70 the
seat where Hope sat grooming to the
doll. Sitting down. he gathered them
both up IN his arms, and thrill shot
through him as he looked at the yellow
curls resting against his breast. Her
child-her little, helpless baby-now