Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1911-07-01

review, and when II was nil over there
remained In the parlOr soft. round
faced damsel of ave years, with soft
mop or golden brown hair and n pair
OF eyes like brown velvet pansies lash
| 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 der the more.
"Her name is Bessie Carson. Her
mother died In the city hospital last
March, and their records say that the
| childs father Is dead. You can keep
her for awhile, and II you are satisfied
you can take out full papers OF adop-
ton II you wish to, Miss Brown"
81 guess I'll want 10 do that" said
| Miss Belinda as she arose to CO.
when will Bessie be ready?" she ask
ed. with delightful sense of owner.
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. dear7" asked the matron. bend
ing down.
"He'll be back In little WHILE" said
Bessie, running to the window. 81
guess better look for him, hadn't II"
"Quaint. isn't she?" whispered Mrs.
| IItIl aho laf Mtaa nalfnda Ont
VERY nice little girl" said Miss Be
linda. trying to keep the happy spar
kles out of her eyes, for 1t did not
seem right to grasp 80 much happiness
as was promised In the possession of
little Bessie Carson. I'll drive down
after Bessie just before supper"
All the rest of the day she was very
busy preparing for her orphan visitor.
There was a small bed to drag down
from the attic and place beside her
own, and II had to be made up with
all the miniature bedclothing which
| she had used as O child. There were
old fashioned dolls and other toys to
be resurrected from hair trunks and
brushed and reburnished, and there
was a batch of delicious ginger cookies
|
q dozen gingerbread men and elephants
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 chung to her with affec.
ton when she had chance, and Miss
Belinda was almost ashamed of the OPP
portunities she afforded Bessie for
showing her affection.
ut certainly can't harm anybody to
enjoy being loved" protested Miss Be
linda to her sterner self as she brush
ed away tear.
rs you crying, Miss Linda?' asked
Bessie wistfully.
"Just teenty bit, dear. because you
love me so much smiled Belinda.
bending to kiss her charge.
II smile when you love me-" con.
| fided Bessie. sit makes me feel so
good here" She placed a tiny hand
| on her heart. Miss Belinda kissed her
again.
That happened after Bessie had been
| there three months The adoption
papers had all been made out and
| fled ana Bessie Carson had become
Bessie Downs when one afternoon the
! gate latch clicked sharply. and tall
man strobe up the path and looked
strangely down at little Bessie playing
with her dolls at Miss Belinda's feet.
From her chair on the veranda Miss
Belinda arose with a sinking feeling
| at her heart. This man was not from
the home. although there was a
strange familiarity In his tall. lean
figure, his tanned cheeks. with the
firm, beardless Ups and chin. He did
not look at Miss Belinda. but he push
ed back his hat and held out his
hands to little Bessie.
"Bess! Darling little BessI Don't
you know daddyY" he asked hoarsely.
With a startled cry the child looked
at him earnestly and then ran straight
to his arms with the unfailing instinct
of the child for its parent
Then the man looked up and saw
Miss Belinda standing. white and
budkluH. DeIOT0 uilu. III SOTTy,
ma'am. but It's my little girl. and
Mercy! Linda Downs. what are you
doing here with my BessieY'
In the long. cool twilight there was
time to relate how James Stearns mad
married the girl he had been engaged
to when Belinda Downs met him In
the west SO many years ago and they
had both fallen In love in spite OF
his previous engagement. but he had
been true to his promise and married
the girl who had been Bessie's moth
err; how one OF the devastating floods
Of the west had separated the little
family for months. and at last the
wife and child had gone east In the
hope of finding some Of Mrs. Stearns'
relatives She had been taken III In
New York. registered by mistake I'M
der the name of Carson. had died and
left the homeless little Bessie to the
care of stranger hands.
In the meantime the distracted ia
Their had been hunting high and low
for his family. He had traced them
to New York. had proof of his wife's
death and now had come to Little
River to End that an all wise Provi-
III.