Putnam patriot., 1908-12-25

a small white figure clad informally In single garment. danced up and down the aisle. dragging carts and Wuelly lambs behind it. Occasionally there WIS the squeak of talking doll. and always there were the batter of small feet and soft ceoine of ehiidis laughter Dawn WIS just approach lng and the lntnps still burning. fiared pale in tho gray light But in the length of flat ear there was no soul se hns, as to long for silence and the pillow Grabbed old faces looked out bel tween the curtains and smiled Eyes long unused to tears felt q sudden. strange moisture.
 Throughout the day the snow still fell. and the outside world seemed far away and dfeamlke to pr Van Val. kenberg. The real things were this trnn, cutting it's way through the snow. and this little child. growing deeper Into his heart with Npeh mo ment that passed The situation was unique. but easy enough to understand. he told himself. He had merely gone back twenty five years to that other child whom he had petted in infancy and loved and lost In womanhoed. He had heen very lenely-how lonely he had only recently begun to realize-and he was becoming an old man whose life lay behind hlm He crossed the aisle suddenly and sat down beside the nurse. leaving Hope singing her duli ip sleep n his section.
 "Nili you Tell me all yeu know aboui fhe ehlidT he asked 'She ap peals ,a ne very strongly probably he ,Iuse she# s5 maeh Ike some ere
 zei to Knew :"
 The nurse closed her heek and look ,d ri him curiously She had heard much uf l1n buI nothing would ex llnfa ths Interest in strange child He hlnseif eonld not have explained f, He knew uHiy that he felt Il DOW trfuily and cempeilluglY
 allcr name is Hope Arnitase." ]" she laId. Her mother, who has just dled was vi low. Mrs Katharine Arml ,age They were poor. and Mrs. Ar rliage seemed 10 have nc relatives ihe had saved a little, enough to pay nest 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 fell 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 at fl day aud night, She was so sweet. so brave. vel so desperately
 miserable over leaving her little girl aloiie In the world,
 Br Naa Valkenherg sat silent. IL was true. then This was katharin2's child. He had not known If the death uf Armlfage nor If the subsequent poverty of hlS widow. hut he had knoWa NathaTine'S bahy. he now told himself. the rnereat he saw her. Well" the narse resumed. after she died We raised d s.aan fund te buy some clothes for Hope and take her to Chicago To her new home. Mrs. Armimge has cousin there who has agreed to take her in. None of the relatives came te the funeral There are not mauy of them. and the Chiea- go people haven't much money. l fancy"
 nr. Van Valkenberg was hardly sur. prls.si. Life was full of extraordinary situations. and hts profession had brought him face to face with many os them. Nevertheless a deep solem- uity filled him. and strange peace settled over him
 II want her" he said briefly. Her mother and father were old friends of mine. and this thing looks like fate wn they give her to me-these Chi- cago people do you think?'
 Tears filled the woman's eyes
 Indeed they will" she said. and gladly. There was"-she hesltated- there was even some talk of sending her to an institution before they finally decided to take her. Dear little Hope. How happy she will be with you, He left her and went hack to the seat where Hope sat erooatng to the iall. Sitting down. he gathered them both up In his arms. and thrill shot through hisn as he looked at the yellow curls restlng against hls breast, Her child her litgle. helpless baby his child te love aud care fur He was not religieuS man Nevertheless prayer raSe spontaneously in his heart.
 ~Hope." he said gently "onee long aSo asked hssle slrl te come and  live with ae. and sAe would not come Now l want to ask yea re come aui stay with ne always and he my own little girl and ieg tae take care of you and make you happy. wn you eomes"
 The radiance of June sunshine broke out upon her face and shone in the brown eyes up urned to his. How well he knew that tsok. Hope did net turn toward Mama. md that significant omis-