Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1911-06-29

; Orphan
) She Brought Happiness to a Lone
.. ly Home
: BY CLARISSA MACKIE
Copyright by American Press Asso-
, citation, 1911.

mo. 1 don't want no orphan" said
Miss Belinda, with a decisive shake of
her head. I've got my hands full
now with chickens and young turkeys
coming on and bees and currant bushes
without bothering with a high flying
youngster that'll scare the chicks and
get stung by the bees, although they're
warranted stingless. mind you, and to
trample on my berry bushes. No.
ma'am-no orphans for me-" This time
Miss Belinda's lips clicked together
with a little sound of finality.
Pm sorry. Belinda. because the
home is jest about running over with
'em. l was telling the matron this
morning that l knew there were plenty
of folks in Little River who could give
a good home to some Of those young
sters if they wasn't so mean and
stingy. OF course l don't mean you."
added the local member of the visiting
committee of the Riverview Orphans
home. But sometimes when I think
Of all the spare beds. all made up
clean and white. in the empty homes
around here it makes my blood bile
to look upon them poor orphans so
crowded for room that Mrs. Hill says
they'll have to sleep in rows crosswise
of the beds pretty soon."
II want to know" calculated Be-
linda. with a startled glance at Enc
line Brown. II think you better stick
to the truth. Emeline. and not exag-
gerate. Now. honest and true, how
many orphans too many have they got
up there?"
'"Ten," replied Mrs. Brown fatty.
"Humph!" snorted Belinda.
In and out of the scarlet wool went
her big wooden knitting needles as she
rapidly constructed a shawl to comfort
some shivering shoulders when the
summer was over. Mrs. Brown watch
ed her neighbor expectantly. With a
family of seven sons and daughters
under her own rooftree she was safe
in the condemnation of the uncrowded
homes of Little River. Here was Be-
linda Downs. now a handsome, we'll
preserved spinster Of %forty-two. of in
dependent means, possessing a snug
home. a tiny income sufficient for her
modest wants. a little shaggy pony and
a rusty phaeton to carry her about the
countryside. There was neither man,
woman nor child to call upon Belinda
for service. for she was without rela-
tives. having outlived them all.
Il should think this was just the
place for an orphan to be happy in"
suggested Mrs. Brown. throwing an
admiring glance around the small do
main where orchard and garden were
green and thrifty in spring bloom.
I've got orphans enough as 1t is"
snapped Belinda shortly.
Mrs. Brown smiled as she saw the
fatherless and motherless strays which
the lonely woman had gathered about
her. There was a lame duck which
Belinda had rescued after a hunter had
brought it down with a glancing shot;
a carrier pigeon which had dropped
exhausted on her doorstep: a mongrel
dog OF many colors which had been
faithfully scrubbed by Miss Belinda
and was now much cleaner if not hap
pier than in his soiled state; there was
also a fine collection Of homeless cats.
Indeed. Miss Belinda's place might
have been another o%rphanage, so thick
ly was it populated with waits.
Would you rather have a boy or a
girl?" asked Mrs. Brown craftily. But
Miss Belinda was not to be caught
that way.
I'D rather have a cat" she said.
You ought to be ashamed. Belinda
Downs. the way you do talk! If you
could see them poor young ones look
ing so wistful every time a visitor
comes. hoping it's somebody to offer
a home. you'd harness up Dolly this
very instant and go and fetch one
away"
Might as we'll bring two while |
was about it." remarked Miss Belinda
ironically. i've heard it said that
it's cheaper for two to live than one.
Amt you heard that?"
mo, indeed. If that's the case, nine
people ought to live for nothing, and
know we don't do that" Mrs. Brown
jerked on her ~sunbonnet. shrugged her
fat shoulders and without another
word waddled down the path that led
to the gate between the two places.
Take al orphan, indeed!!' shifted
Belinda for the hundredth time since
the Riverview home had Deer erected.
"Humph!" she calculated. also for the
hundredth time.
Nevertheless. as soon as dinner was
over Belinda did harness up shaggy
little Dolly. and, climbing into the
phaeton and holding the lines very
high in her mitted hands. she drove
through the pine woods down to the
Riverview home.
I'D like to look at some orphans
said Belinda to the matron when she
was seated in the darkened parlor Of
the home. What kind have you?'
she added. just as If orphans were
vegetables or fruit in the market.
Mrs. Hill smiled in spite of the sum-
mel heat that nearly overpowered her
bulk of flesh. I'VE have all kinds, even