Smyrna times., 1911-07-19

OF eyes ike Drown VelVeJ pdnSleS AdSH- |
ed thickly with black. Belinda's heart |
was humping rapidly while she inter |
viewed the little girl for the last mo-
ment before giving her decision. The
child was shy and gave timid. breath
less little whispering answers, and Be-
linda loved her the more.
Her name is Bessie Carson. Her
mother died in the city hospital last
March, and their records say that the
child's father is dead. You can keep
her for awhile, and if you are satisfied
you can take out full papers of adOp-
ton if you wish to, Miss Brown"
II guess I'll want to do that" said
Miss Belinda as she arose to go.
when will Bessie be ready?" she ask
ed, with a delightful sense of O'Rper
ship in the dainty mOrsel of babyhOOd
before her
This afternoon" said Mrs. Hill.
You won't find her much trouble.
She's a quiet little thing and speaks of
her mother and the little baby that
died. and. strangely enough, she asks
for her father. Where's your father,
Bessie. dear?' asked the matron. bend
ing down.
He'll be back in little while" said
Bessie. running to the window. 81
guess l better look for hirn. hadn't I?''s
Quaint, isn't she?" whispered Mrs.
Hill as she let Miss Belinda out.
"Very nice little girl said Miss Be-
linda, trying to keep the happy spar
kles out of her eyes. for it did not
seem right to grasp so much happiness
as was promised in the possession Of
little Bessie Carson. I'm drive down
after Bessie just before supper"
All the rest of the Gay she was very
busy preparing for her orphan visitor.
! There was a small bed 10 drag down
from the attic and place beside her
own, and it had to be made up with
all the miniature bedclothing which
she had used as a child. There were
old fashioned dolls and other toys to
be resurrected from hair trunks and
brushed and reburnished, and there
was batch of delicious ginger cookies
to be made so that she might fashion
| uOLCu SlnSClUl Cdu AlCu anu
with currant eyes for the delectatiOn
of little Bessie.
At last when all was in readiness
and the little girl had been happily
transferred to the phaetOn and allowed
to drive the gentle pony home there
was never such unallOyed bliss as
shOne in the faces of Miss Belinda and
her little orphan. The child loved Miss
Belinda and clung to her with affec
ton when she had chance. and Miss
Belinda was almost ashamed of the %
portunities she afforded Bessie TO
, showing her affection.
: 1T certainly can't harm anybody t.
enjoy being loved" protested Miss Be
; linda to her sterner self as she brush
, ed away tear.
''Is you crying, Miss Iinda?" asket
Bessie wistfully.
"Just a. teenty bit, dear, because yol
: love me so much" smiled Belinda
bending to kiss her charge.
4 Il smile when you love me-" con
= fided Bessie. 1T makes me feel 81
e good here" She placed a tiny ham
on her heart. Miss Belinda kissed he
again.
That happened after Bessie had bee
e there three months. The adoption
b papers had all been made out an
{ filed and Bessie Carson had becom
Bessie Downs when one afternoon tn
d gate latch clicked sharply, and a ta
:; man strode up the path and locke
d strangely down at little Bessie playin
i with her dolls at Miss Belinda'S feet.
From her chair ON the veranda Mis-
Belinda arose with a sinking feelin
, at her heart This man was not frOI
S the home. although there was
). strange familiarity in his tall, lea
1t figure, his tanned cheeks, with th
( firm, beardless lips and chin. BE di
not look at Miss Belinda, but he pusl
a ed back his hat and heldf out b
1t hands to little Bessie.
It "Bess. Darling little Bess! Don
you know daddy?" he asked hoarsel,
With a startled cry the child locke
a at him earnestly and then ran straigl
u to his arms with the unfailing instin
< of the child for it's parent.
n Then the man looked up and sa
IT Miss Belinda standing, white ar
is shaking, before him. "Tm sorr
le ma'am, but it's my little girl. and
Mercy! Linda Downs. what are yC
doing here with my BessiieY'
la In the long, cool twilight there W;
1T time to relate how James Stearns hi
e. married the girl he had been engage
to when Belinda Downs met him
le the west so many years ago and thu
ID had both fallen in love in spite
m his previous engagement, but he b;
or been true. to his promise and marri'
or the girl who had been Bessies mot
N er; how one of the devastating foo
of the west had separated the lit
NJ family for months, and at last Il
40 wife and child had gone east in Il
\ hope of finding some of Mrs. StearT
- relatives. She had been taken i'll
New York, registered by mistake u
~ der the name of Carson, had died al
= left the homeless little Bessie to Il