Connecticut western news., 1909-06-17
HIS HEARTS DESIRE,
An Informal Call That Had a
 Happy Ending.
By GARFIELD MAG NEAL.

1 strolled in hoping for temporary re lease from his bitter thoughts, but the quiet of the place only seemed to rouse his brain to greater activity. Yet be could not think of his story, the story already due at the publishers. h. stead he saw only a girls face, now i sweet and gracious as it had been be- fore the quarrel. now cold and repellcn; as the past two weeks had shown It. A strain of music broke the silence The choir was filing in. Hastings glanced carelessly at the white robe procession The face of the first be, caught his attention for a moment, sc rious, spiritual, fra,"cd in an aureole of golden hair, an ideal face for q choir boy.
 But again his thoughts ran back 'l the old channels to the quarrel and [; consequences. Her work had seemed to go on as usual She was a success full miniature painter-at least fine car riages often stopped at the doorway of the big studio building, and L 1T room rang with feminine voices. That was the maddening part of it. She lived just across the hall, so he must see her many times a day. He had made up his mind to move. But, then, he had such a beastly lot of traps, or per haps 1t was some lingering hope that kept him there.
 Some familiar chords on the organ startled him. Was 1t the offertory al- ready? Yes. and the ideal choir boy [ g{,, was flushed, and in his earnestness he waved his sheet of music gently to and fro.
 "Oh, rest in the Lord" he sang.
 Hastings leaned forward. The words were apparently for him. The abso- lute certainty of the boys tones car ried conviction.
 And he shall give thee thy hearts desire"
 The tender voice went straight to the mans heart and comforted him. Yes, he, too, would wait patiently, and perhaps some day he, too, would have his hearts desire Till then he would wait and work.
 The next two weeks went by very differently. Under the press of a new enthusiasm the book seemed to write itself The last sheet had gone in to the publisher, and he had always worn a smile when he met the girl on the stairs Her bow was still as freezing, but he only smiled again and hummed the few bars from Elijah" And he shall give thee thy hearts desire"
 Again Hastings sat in the little church. Perhaps his choir boy would sing for him. But the figure of the small leader dropped. In the glare of the choir lights his face showed white and haggard, while his eyes were swoll- en from weeping. A wave of pity went over the watching man. It might now be his turn to comfort. The sweet soprano voice was low and broken.
 Hastings determined to find the meaning of the change, so he fingered after the service, and kind faced cu- rate told him the sad little story.
 You mean Jack Haines? He has just lost his mother-consumpti the poor little fellow is left all alone. He is being cared for by neighbors, but we must find him a place in some charity school"
 That delicate child in a charity school! Hastings could not bear the thought of 1t. The face of the child and his own loneliness helped him to come to a sudden resolution. His voice was very eager as he said, Let me have him."
 And so Jack came to live in the big studio building. Slowly the roses came back to his cheeks. He did not forget the pretty mother who had gone to sleep so quietly, but he haunted this new big brother like a shadow and crept into his arms to cry away the grief that time was trying to heal. But 1t worried Hastings that the lad should be so solemn. When he came 1 in and found the boy boring over some big book he would half laughingly scold him fer turning into such little 1 boOkworm. "You need some one to play with. Jack" he would say. 'It is bad for you to be always cooped up with an old fellow like me" Tom was only thirty, but somehow he had felt very old and settled since that night.
 But Jack always declared that he l and he was such a shy child that l Hastings forbCre to press the point He was therefore much surprised one afternoon on coming in to find the rooms empty. Where could Jack be? AS the minutes went by, bringing no boy, he became really anxious. The janitor had not seen him. He was returning from fruitlesS inquiries when ! he stepped short at q burst of child ish laughter. Could it be Jack? He rever laughed like that. But, yes; if was his voice, and 1t came from the | girls rooms.
 Hastipgs hesitated. And now the l girl laughed. It was the same saucy l little laugh he had loved so much in tie days gone by. It decided him. She had stolen his property and should answer for the theft. He knocked l boldly on the door.
 Silence. He knocked again. Xvi l. h1 |,